Alcatraz in Black and White

a1ex2001 · 14 Jan 2015 at 12:42

Shadow over Alcatraz by a1ex2001, on Flickr

I have been revisiting some old photographs as I put together some photo books of our travels, I've always dismissed this picture as the reflection in the window seemed to spoil it but being in need of a shot of the island for the book this was about the best I had (terrible vis when we were in San Francisco) so I had to work with it and I now really like the moody feel the reflection gives this grainy black and white.

What do you think?

Jase · 14 Jan 2015 at 13:47

Honestly for me it doesn't work, it's like 2 photos fighting for attention.

midville · 14 Jan 2015 at 13:57

If it's about your travel then why not, how's it look if you crop the bottom so where your reflections ends becomes the bottom of the image?

a1ex2001 · 14 Jan 2015 at 14:06

Jase said:
Honestly for me it doesn't work, it's like 2 photos fighting for attention.

That's fine with me, everyone sees things differently and it's always good to hear opinions. I like the interaction between the 'two' photos!

midville said:
If it's about your travel then why not, how's it look if you crop the bottom so where your reflections ends becomes the bottom of the image?

will have a play with the crop and see how it looks, I have realised that it can't be my reflection as I would have had the camera to my eye so it must be someone else!

Jase · 14 Jan 2015 at 17:36

I guess it's in contrast to how Alcatraz was intended. If you think back in the days the prisoners would be staring out onto the land where now everyone is staring in.

a1ex2001 · 14 Jan 2015 at 17:48

Jase said:
I guess it's in contrast to how Alcatraz was intended. If you think back in the days the prisoners would be staring out onto the land where now everyone is staring in.

I'd love to say I thought about it! Would have been better if it was a lass in the reflection looking wistfully out to the rock.

Phal · 14 Jan 2015 at 17:58

a1ex2001 said:
I'd love to say I thought about it! Would have been better if it was a lass in the reflection looking wistfully out to the rock.

Photoshop gogogo lol

smr · 14 Jan 2015 at 18:45

I thought it was cool and quite mysterious at first, but then the longer I look at the photo the more I agree that it does look a bit like two photos fighting against eachother.

In another way it kinda works though - Alcatraz always strikes me as a place of reflection and ponderment, and having the reflection in the photo adds to this sense.

Toadem · 14 Jan 2015 at 18:46

Is that King Kong about to attack it

a1ex2001 · 14 Jan 2015 at 20:36

Phal said:
Photoshop gogogo lol

Sadly my photoshop skills just about extend to a crop and a clone of some dust spots!

smr said:
I thought it was cool and quite mysterious at first, but then the longer I look at the photo the more I agree that it does look a bit like two photos fighting against eachother.

In another way it kinda works though - Alcatraz always strikes me as a place of reflection and ponderment, and having the reflection in the photo adds to this sense.

It is a funny one! I took it in 2009 and didn't even convert the raw first time round, like you I can't quite make my mind up one minute I rather like it then it's a bin job!

Toadem said:
Is that King Kong about to attack it

Thanks for that valuable contribution!

a1ex2001 · 15 Jan 2015 at 10:28

midville said:
If it's about your travel then why not, how's it look if you crop the bottom so where your reflections ends becomes the bottom of the image?

Took you advice re-cropped the image and I think it now works a lot better, the two components seem more tied together.

midville · 15 Jan 2015 at 18:35

Cool - best of luck with your book 2!

a1ex2001 · 15 Jan 2015 at 22:34

midville said:
Cool - best of luck with your book 2!

Cheers, holiday books are a bit of a nightmare and I've put off doing so many now that it's daunting even starting! Still it's interesting to see my photography journey unfold as taking better holiday snaps was what got me into this in the first place! It's also fun to revisit old shots now I understand pp a little better I'm getting some interesting results my Grand Canyon shots are looking slot better andy best golden gate shot still won't ein any prises but I actually look forward to seeing it in print now!

D.P. · 15 Jan 2015 at 22:38

doesn't work for me. Reflection side the island is just placed in the middle of the frame and is too small to be of interest.

Did you visit Alacatraz? it is a fun tour. i went on a perfect blue sky day.

a1ex2001 · 15 Jan 2015 at 22:45

D.P. said:
doesn't work for me. Reflection side the island is just placed in the middle of the frame and is too small to be of interest.

Did you visit Alacatraz? it is a fun tour. i went on a perfect blue sky day.

Thanks for the honest feedback I still can't decide! It will make the book just as the only half decent shot I have of the island from a distance.

We did the island trip which I thought was really good and the audio tour was one of the best I've had any where in the world. The weather when we were in San Fran was garbage apart from the last morning when we flew out! The cold and wind even in August was a right shock when we arrived from Hawaii!

Jase · 15 Jan 2015 at 22:58

I did a tour of San Francisco, L.A. and Vegas some years ago and in the planning stages I expected to hate San Francisco, for whatever reason I just didn't expect to like it (but I wanted to go there for Alcatraz). As it happened though I thought is was a great city and it was fleet week at the time so loads of parties, air displays etc.

I'm getting the urge to go back now and will probably do so with a longer stop at Yosemite which is just awesome for photography.

a1ex2001 · 15 Jan 2015 at 23:02

Jase said:
I did a tour of San Francisco, L.A. and Vegas some years ago and in the planning stages I expected to hate San Francisco, for whatever reason I just didn't expect to like it (but I wanted to go there for Alcatraz). As it happened though I thought is was a great city and it was fleet week at the time so loads of parties, air displays etc.

I'm getting the urge to go back now and will probably do so with a longer stop at Yosemite which is just awesome for photography.

San Fran is a very cool place great food and beer and a nice chilled vibe.

We did Vegas - Hawaii - San Fran was an amazing trip we want to go back and do LA and the parks in a camper van!

Jase · 15 Jan 2015 at 23:19

I was a little disappointed with L.A. to be honest. I drove down Hollywood Blvd 3 times looking for the Kodak Theatre only to find it tucked back off the road. The staff in the Mc Donalds next to it couldn't speak english and the blvd itself was full of cheap tourist shops.

There were a few cool places and the coast was nice although Venice Beach was just some drug walk with a lot very weird people

a1ex2001 · 15 Jan 2015 at 23:28

Jase said:
I was a little disappointed with L.A. to be honest. I drove down Hollywood Blvd 3 times looking for the Kodak Theatre only to find it tucked back off the road. The staff in the Mc Donalds next to it couldn't speak english and the blvd itself was full of cheap tourist shops.

There were a few cool places and the coast was nice although Venice Beach was just some drug walk with a lot very weird people

Been told by a few people that LA is a bit of a dump still want to see it for myself and lie expectations might mean I like it more! It would only ever be a couple of nights at the start or end of a trip never the focus of a holiday!

D.P. · 15 Jan 2015 at 23:58

a1ex2001 said:
Thanks for the honest feedback I still can't decide! It will make the book just as the only half decent shot I have of the island from a distance.

We did the island trip which I thought was really good and the audio tour was one of the best I've had any where in the world. The weather when we were in San Fran was garbage apart from the last morning when we flew out! The cold and wind even in August was a right shock when we arrived from Hawaii!

SF is always cold , windy and foggy and is in fact in general worse in summer, certainly WRT fog. October is SF's warmest time but really the summers are colder than Edinburgh. The winters are also wetter than most of the UK.

But if you go a few miles inland it is typically well over 30 in the summer.
The pacific has a very strong cooling effect along the whole California coast. SF is surrounded on 3 sides by the cold water so ahas little hope. The cold water is what causes the fog since the inland temperature is so high the temperature differential causes fog.
Had similar weather in Orgron whenever I visited the coast in summer it was freezing cold and foggy. In winter it was warm and sunny!