Gotham - Gawker Comments

Gotham

olliverkirby — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:34:46 EDT

I actually have the original as a desktop for like a month now, it's way brighter then this.

olliverkirby

Gotham

Miss D — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:34:35 EDT

Reminds me of my all-time favorite use of flash:
[celluloidskyline.com]

Miss D

Gotham

Dickdogfood — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:53:18 EDT

@vulturesquadron: Also, you can also achieve some very interesting distortion effects by screwing around with software settings, or stitching together photos not taken from a stationary point.

Dickdogfood

Gotham

stop complaining about gas prices — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:51:01 EDT

The day I leave this place is a day that will never come

stop complaining about gas prices

Gotham

vulturesquadron — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:45:49 EDT

@BrianVan: Not always a question of field of view. With stitching, any X megapixel camera has basically infinite resolution. Plus, you can do some really cool depth of field effects that no lens could actually achieve in the real world. Also, fisheye distortion can be removed by tilt/shift lenses or changing the image map geometry.

OK, Gawker is not the place to do earnest photo geek talk. I will shut up now.

vulturesquadron

Gotham

vulturesquadron — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:37:19 EDT

@BOO_BOO_HOFF: Perhaps so. Film and I broke up long before scanning was really an option.

vulturesquadron

Gotham

HOPSCOTCH — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:33:24 EDT

PS If you look VERY carefully you can see Joanne Lipman swinging from the mast on No 4 Times Square.

HOPSCOTCH

Gotham

BrianVan — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:32:47 EDT

@Dickdogfood: Ah, yes, the poor man's fisheye. For what it's worth, my Tokina 12-24mm pretty much captures any wide scene that I need. And if it doesn't capture it, I probably don't need it.

BrianVan

Gotham

vulturesquadron — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:30:03 EDT

@Dickdogfood: I use PanoTools all the time. No shame in stitching--it's been a staple of landscape since the early days.

vulturesquadron

Gotham

HOPSCOTCH — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:29:30 EDT

Thanks Denton I am now fucking homesick ! Just returned from lunch at Canary Wharf - which is like Manhattan crossed with Epcot Disney.

HOPSCOTCH

Gotham

BOO_BOO_HOFF — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:16:35 EDT

@vulturesquadron: Maybe you're right with a digital camera, but you couldn't do it without HDR on a film camera. There's no way film has the dynamic range to get unblocked highlights and shadow detail in a photo like this without multiple exposures.

And I'm still wedded to film, even though I always digitize it. My Bronica S2A is way too cool to dump for a cookie-cutter digital camera.

BOO_BOO_HOFF

Gotham

cassandra — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:03:11 EDT

But it's beautiful! And it actually captures what New York looks like

cassandra

Gotham

CodePink — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:53 EDT

So what if this technique is old news if people like the photo? Don't we talk about old news all the time on this blog?

CodePink

Gotham

Dickdogfood — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:58:37 EDT

(For what it's worth, I have to confess my shamelessness with another gimmick that'd make most serious photographers here retch: panoramic software, especially Autostitch.)

Dickdogfood

Gotham

Spirit Fingers — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:56:44 EDT

Three things that are bad about the Batman movies:

1) An aging, tired, Beetlejuice as Batman with bad afro-mullet hair (the shag in the back killed me)

2) Um, Danny Devito (just always)

3) Jack Nicolson in old man joker pants (did anyone else catch how high those jammies were?)

Spirit Fingers

Gotham

In Other News... — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:50:01 EDT

@vulturesquadron: Okay, going to go hide with my puny little point-and-shoot now.

In Other News...

Gotham

deathofdesign — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:45:13 EDT

Holy HDR! All it needs is Commisioner Gordon to turn on that kleig light that flashes the GAWKER logo in the sky...

deathofdesign

Gotham

grrad — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:33:17 EDT

If anyone cares a giant copy of this image is available :

[upload.wikimedia.org]

grrad

Gotham

BrianVan — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:32:12 EDT

@Dickdogfood: Hahah. Yes, indeed.

1. HDR is an old trend, Nick. Old enough for Sunday Styles to run a piece about it.
2. This picture is also old.
3. HDRI, and more precisely the tone mapping process that follows, is abused so much that it's now widely scorned. It helps idiots convert a picture into crazy colors by moving a slider control in Photoshop. (This example is more subtle than most, tastefully and thankfully, but the haze effect looks more like Vaseline lens smear than fog, and was probably added in post-proc. Also worth noting that this is a view of the most Disneyfied section of town, literally, so the picture is nonsense)

Again, a long exposure can get a better effect with night shots. It's still gimmicky but it's a skillful technique to obtain dramatic images.

As for HDRI used appropriately: This one's one of mine, done poorly because I did not get much shadow detail, but the lights on the Woolworth Building can be very intense in spots and the combination of multiple exposures helps balance out the lighting detail on the tower. Also, it was cold and I was drunk.
[www.flickr.com]

BrianVan

Gotham

vulturesquadron — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:28:15 EDT

@In Other News...: They're the same, but it really depends on post-processing and the camera.

Not to get all geeky about it, but if I shoot a long exposure shot on a camera with adequate dynamic range (e.g., Phase or Leaf back) and then pull down the highlights and boost the shadows, I have effectively "tone mapped" the image to the exact same effect. The only reason to use HDR in this situation would be if your camera isn't capable of retaining highlight and shadow information, which is quite possible. In that case, HDR is only being used to simulate performance of a better camera.

vulturesquadron

Gotham

vulturesquadron — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:23:14 EDT

@LadlySack: Michael Kenna is sort of my personal favorite when it comes to landscape. Check out the rest of his site...it's well worth it. Also, I recommend his book on Hokkaido. I have literally been lost in the pages of it since I first opened it.

vulturesquadron

Gotham

In Other News... — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:21:43 EDT

@vulturesquadron: I don't think the results are the same, but let us know what you find.

In Other News...

Gotham

In Other News... — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:20:48 EDT

@Mary Mouse: We didn't mean it. Carry on with yo' bad self.

In Other News...

Gotham

theruraljuror — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:20:37 EDT

@FitnessMadeSimple: Um, I'm pretty sure we're the same person. Don't worry, I'm still a creeper and look at the picture of Jim ever once in a while.

@In Other News...: I wish my boss was that cool. I just had the screen open and she walked by. We had a nice bonding sesh over it though, which was cute.

theruraljuror

Gotham

In Other News... — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:20:27 EDT

@CodePink: How about you take over the spot after Kimmel's? I'd stay up for that.

In Other News...

Gotham

In Other News... — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:18:57 EDT

@LadlySack: Yeah, but "Show World" is almost across the street! And although it may just be a shell of its former self, there is something naughtily sentimental about a neon-clad marquee that once signified lotsa nakedness and lewdness. That I never patronized. Ever.

In Other News...

Gotham

CaptainFantastic — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:18:02 EDT

@Mary Mouse: I guess it's working!

CaptainFantastic

Gotham

CaptainFantastic — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:16:03 EDT

@vulturesquadron: I'd assumed there was slight manipulation of the foreground vs. background exposures.

Also, I agree with Dickdogfood, these HDR "compilations" can get a little too Thomas Kincade-y.

CaptainFantastic

Gotham

Mary Mouse — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:15:38 EDT

Wow, everyone is being so NICE today. Yesterday someone told me to get a lobotomy.

Mary Mouse

Gotham

VoxPopuli — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:14:01 EDT

@Dickdogfood: I was about to decry the use of the "K" word, but then I saw some HDR pictures in full color rather than mostly in black and white and now I see the Kincaide reference.

But this shot really is ghostly and wonderful. If it were a day shot, it would totally be for sale at a mall kiosk.

VoxPopuli

Gotham

slmcdee — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:12:35 EDT

I've been using this wallie for about a month. It pretty much has taken over every screen that I use. Excellent Image!! I dedicated about 20 minutes one day to Google mapping where the photo was taking from. Possible Local [ [tinyurl.com]]

slmcdee

Gotham

FitnessMadeSimple — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:09:38 EDT

@mels9573: My background too...finally replaced my Jim Halpert fake motivational poster wallpaper.

FitnessMadeSimple

Gotham

LadlySack — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:08:16 EDT

@vulturesquadron: Oh, that is fucking beautiful. Wish I could get a higher res copy of that.

LadlySack

Gotham

paco — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:07:52 EDT

God, I miss living in New York.

paco

Gotham

RachelSklar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:05:36 EDT

This is great, Nick. Thanks for sharing.

RachelSklar

Gotham

vulturesquadron — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:59:02 EDT

Why the hell would you need HDR to shoot a night cityscape? HDR is used to overcome inherently high contrast scenes (e.g., where there is a bright window and a dark interior space). This shot should have just been a single long exposure.

Anyway, here is an NYC cityscape (by Michael Kenna) that I love: [www.michaelkenna.net]

vulturesquadron

Gotham

CodePink — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:57:26 EDT

@In Other News...: Yes. I'm on after HEROES. No one really watches my show because by that time, they've had enough heroes. It's sort of a tragic time slot, really.

CodePink

Gotham

SchmatSchmaymon — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:54:18 EDT

Since when is the Empire State Building on 40th St?

SchmatSchmaymon

Gotham

LadlySack — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:54:04 EDT

@In Other News...: As long as we stay over on 8th, we'll be fine; if we drift between 7th and 8th, we'll be susceptible to the insane vortex that exists at the center of the universe. Hallmarks of the vortex include blue-haired theater goers and High School kids on school-sponsored tours of the city. Stay strong on 45th. Stay strong...

LadlySack

Gotham

In Other News... — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:45:55 EDT

@CodePink: I will watch your TV show/movie. Great special effects!

In Other News...

Gotham

In Other News... — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:45:13 EDT

@mels9573: Your boss reads Gawker with you? Cool.

In Other News...

Gotham

In Other News... — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:44:38 EDT

@LadlySack: Shall we do a kickline on 8th Avenue in top hats and tails?

In Other News...

Gotham

crotchety — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:42:42 EDT

Thanks very much Gawker. I was carefully kindling a hate for this city, or disgust, or even indifference and now you've made me love it again. Curses!

crotchety

Gotham

famousauthor — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:42:24 EDT

Looks like the cover of a Mark Helprin novel.

famousauthor

Gotham

LadlySack — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:35:23 EDT

Another thing: the central focal point of this composition is the Milford Plaza, which is, as anyone knows, the center of the universe.

LadlySack

Gotham

CodePink — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:35:01 EDT

@SybilDisobedience: I love your avatar! Who made that?

CodePink

Gotham

Dickdogfood — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:34:36 EDT

Speaking as an obsessive Flickrite, HDR has become something of a nasty cliché on the website: glowering Goth clouds and Thomas Kinkade sunsets in HDR shots are as good a guarantee for crowd-pleasing as kitties and "sexy" lady pics. This one's very good, though, fairly tasteful. Night HDR shots generally fare better than day shots to me.

Dickdogfood

Gotham

riskybusiness — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:32:05 EDT

Sigh.

riskybusiness

Gotham

LadlySack — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:32:04 EDT

Gawker's doing a "Pic of the Day" now? Where have I been...

LadlySack

Gotham

SinisterRouge — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:30:28 EDT

Gorgeous.

SinisterRouge

Gotham

Nard — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:30:15 EDT

@CodePink: Holy Commie, WhooshGirl! That's wonderful!

Nard

Gotham

theruraljuror — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EDT

@In Other News...: Ditto. It's now my background and my boss and I just stared at it for two minutes. HUGE day for productivity.

theruraljuror

Gotham

SybilDisobedience — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:27:52 EDT

@CodePink: I think I love you.

SybilDisobedience

Gotham

FitnessMadeSimple — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:24:27 EDT

'Tis a beautiful city we live in.

FitnessMadeSimple

Gotham

In Other News... — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:24:21 EDT

I love stuff like this.

In Other News...

Gotham

AustinL — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:21:11 EDT

Totally cool. If you like this, you'll also probably like Daniel Oliva. He does something similar but paints it.
[www.danieloliva.com]

AustinL

Gotham

BOO_BOO_HOFF — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:18:19 EDT

Beautiful. Now I need to try it with my film camera. Gotta lock down that tripod.

BOO_BOO_HOFF

Gotham

CodePink — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:17:46 EDT

There I am, standing atop the building that's two buildings right of the building with the yellow sign on the left side of the photo. You know what I'm doing there? Preparing myself to save lives. Because I'm a superhero. Woosh. I'm WooshGirl. That's the sound I make when I enter a scene of violence. Here is my theme song:

WooshGirl, WooshGirl,
Look at her fly, look at her twirl.
She's probably a bit
Stronger than you.
And if she's not,
What are you gonna do?
Judge her for it? No, that's kind of sexist.
Look out.
Here comes WooshGirl.
(Woosh)

CodePink

Gotham

gticlutchburn — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:15:03 EDT

weird... thats been my background for a while

gticlutchburn

Gotham

BalknChain — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:14:54 EDT

That is stunning. Almost Crow-like..

BalknChain

Gotham

crooked_teeth — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:12:27 EDT

I thought it was a still from Dark Knight.

crooked_teeth