| « Previous | Home | Next » | Growing Up Tough or Tough Growing Up? Wednesday, March 15, 2006 |
 When I first saw this boy, he was cruising up and down 72nd Street by the Dakota, seemingly a tough guy looking to make his mark on the city. A few minutes later he was next to me waiting to cross to Central Park and I had this chance to shoot a picture. Now I realized he was there with his mother and sister, like all the rest of us just looking for a good time in the park on a nice sunny, warm day. His eyes, squinting in the sunlight, tell a story if you are aware enough to hear it. Life is not easy for the young of the city. The influences pull and tug in different directions. It is a shame to say that, even in 2006, the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against this young boy. Technical Note (added Wednesday morning): A few have commented on the noisy background. Thanks for the feedback on that. In the original, the background just felt too 'close' and made the image quite flat. I wanted to set him off from the background more so I used a layer mask to define the boy then brightened the background and added a lens blur. The noise came with the lens blur, which is a tool I am only just beginning to work with. I sat with the two versions on the screen flipping from one to the other trying to figure out which to use for about 10 minutes. I chose the noisy one because it has a greater sense of depth. Maybe there is a better way to accomplish that end result. | |
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Posted by forgingahead Archived under: Most Commented On, People, Street |
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