David Terao  

The Commuter by David Terao

October 2024 - The Commuter

October 2024 - David Terao

Original

About the Image(s)

This image was taken at the Union Station in Washington DC where many commuters catch the train to and from work. It's a popular spot for photographers shooting "street." I go there often to practice my street photography, but getting a perfectly timed image is difficult. This image was probably my best attempt at catching a silhouetted commuter in the reflection of the semi-circular, station window. Shot with a Fuji X-T50 crop-sensor camera with a Sigma 10-18mm zoom lens (at a 27mm equivalent focal length). Exposure was 1/680 sec @ f/5.0 and ISO 3200. I used Topaz Labs' Photo AI to remove the noise and converted the image to B&W in Lightroom. I also used Photoshop's remove tool to eliminate all the other people and distractions in the background.

This round’s discussion is now closed!
8 comments posted

Robert Knight   Robert Knight
I like the final image that you have produced from a rather unpromising original. I think that taking out the people at the back and converting to black and white has created a good atmospheric image. I think the image might be improved if the background behind the commuter's head is lightened a touch so that her head is a bit clearer.   Posted: 10/02/2024 19:38:22
David Terao   David Terao
Thank you, Robert. I thought about doing it, but decided it didn't need it. Based on your comment, I took a stab at lightening the area behind the woman's head. It's rather subtle, but I think it improves the image.   Posted: 10/02/2024 20:17:18
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Cindy Lynch   Cindy Lynch
It's a wonderful shot made for monochrome. You captured the figure at just the right time. For me, the head is lost in the dark background. I lightened the area arround her head.   Posted: 10/11/2024 15:37:12
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David Terao   David Terao
Thanks, Cindy. It's a trade-off between lightening the background to make the head more distinct and making the background look unnatural.   Posted: 10/11/2024 16:25:10
Charlie Yang   Charlie Yang
wonderful capture, even better of making it monochrome, nice!

I had the similar tendency of trying to rescue the head to show full body image, but after that, I thought just showing the movement of the lower body in the lighted focused area, it's more intriguing to the viewers and more space for possibility. A good one, in my opinion.   Posted: 10/13/2024 15:32:54
David Terao   David Terao
Thanks, Charlie. I, too, feel the head doesn't need to be shown as strongly as the lower part of the body because it isn't the focal point. There is a sense of anonymity this way.   Posted: 10/13/2024 16:31:02
Phyllis Peterson   Phyllis Peterson
Good job making the one woman the only person in the scene. I agree that her head needs to be made more distinct. I like Cindy's edit. The scene stealer is the curved arch above the person with the light windows and the grid lines in a semi-circle! Those windows catch your eye.   Posted: 10/25/2024 20:44:43
Ray Henrikson   Ray Henrikson
I feel that the lower portion of the image - the feet, legs, and the shadow are the more interesting part of the picture. Real potential here. Did you takes 100s of pictures of various people?!   Posted: 10/26/2024 03:07:46