This is a view from the top balcony terrace of the Opera House at the Kennedy Center here in DC, obviously during an intermission. I am not sure this is sufficiently interesting at this angle, because the interaction between the people is perhaps not well expressed. I am thinking of some of the work by recent (very good) photographers in which they photographed crowds of only the viewers at art museums.
I had a vast set of choices for the conversion to monochrome. I could have made the red carpet come out very light or very dark. I chose a mid-tone. What do you think? How about the cropping of the crowd? I am wondering if it is better with no cropping? What about keeping the bust of Kennedy at the center bottom??”perhaps it’s not effective?
5 comments posted
Wes Odell
You always come up with some great (and unique) subjects.....I like. Mid-tone looks fine to me as is the cropping. Posted: 02/05/2025 21:28:29
Stephen Levitas
Thank you so much. I think I will try more crowd shots when we next go to the theater. Posted: 02/05/2025 22:06:39
Diana Magor
I wondered whether the mid tone was the best so I tried an alternative, using curves to darken the carpet and lighten the people. Then I tried emphasising the diagonal cross made by the people, by cropping the left and the bottom. That cut some people in half on the left so I cloned them out at the frame edge. I thought that made a good cross pattern and a contrasty image. Maybe the contrast is too much and your midtone is better but I do prefer the simpler cross shape. Posted: 02/11/2025 15:04:37
Tom McCreary
I am glad that you went with monochrome, as the red carpet is overpowering. I think that the mid-tone is good. I like the grouping of some of the people, and the movement especially the man in the upper right. I like the crop, except that I would crop off the bust of Kennedy at the bottom. I think that it would simplify the image so that it is not too busy. I would clone out the feet coming in at the top and lower right side. Posted: 02/11/2025 18:41:51
Wes Odell
I like Tom's comments re cropping. I missed that in re the feet and statue. Posted: 02/17/2025 18:20:54
