Gastown Steam Clock

[Rita]

This image is of a steam clock in a historical area of Vancouver. Anyone with any kind of camera takes photos of it, including me obviously. I wanted to do something different with it so that it wasn't just a photo of the clock that everyone has. The idea came to me to expand the steam that spouts out and have it covering more area. This is my attempt which I am quit happy with but everyone sees things differently so any critique etc. is most welcome.

[NorthernFocus]

Great idea and it looks pretty natural to me.

[Tronhard]

I have tried to photograph that clock on several occasions when I have been in Vancouver, but there are always too many people around it to get anything like the shot you have. It also suits the monochromatic style. If there were fewer modern cars around it might work in sepia too....

Great effort!

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured.

[Cantab]

I remember this clock from my time working in Vancouver. This is a really good image and concept you came up with.

[Rita]

Dan, i am happy if it looks natural. I am finding it quit challenging when I change an image, to the degree I did on this, to also keep it looking natural

[Rita]

Hi Trev, yes, it isn't easy to get it with no people. We were down early the morning so it was only cars and a few street people around. I did try a sepia version but I felt that it lost something of what I was aiming for. Thanks for commenting.

[Rita]

Thank you John.

Thanks Bruce. I am on a phase right now of trying to get something different from the ordinary. With this being photographed as much as it is my brain was sure working overtime

[JBW]

looks good and reminds me of many an intoxicated night in that art of town.

[Rita]

Thanks Brian. Yes, there are many places in that area to become intoxicated. In my younger, and much wilder days, I spent many a weekend at the Blarney Stone.

[bnnrcn]

Hi Rita, I like the image May I ask how you expanded the steam ?

[Rita]

Hi Binnur, I will try and explain what I did.

I started out with this image



Converted it to B&W and copied it. Then, using a mask I masked in the steam. This involved moving one of the layers around until I had the area covered with steam. It looked like this....



Didn't like that version so I placed this version over the original B&W and masked in the steam using various opacity levels to get the look I wanted ending up with this.



It was quit a bit of jumping back and forth and trial and error. I am sure that those that know PS better than I would be able to do this in an easier way but this is how I did it.

I wish I had a pic of Sherlock Holmes coming out of the steam with his cape and pipe

Hope this helps and makes some kind of sense.

[Dave Humphries]

Fascinating subject Rita and I like what you did with it.

For anyone interested: Wikipedia page on Steam clocks

However, reading it destroyed my fanciful thoughts of it containing a small coal fired boiler which someone had to feed regularly

Cheers, Dave

[Rita]

Thanks Dave. I can just picture someone standing all day with a shovel and a bucket of coal stoking the fire in the clock
The link is very interesting.

[John 2]

What a good example of how to use PP to emphasise the main elements of a subject whilst still retaining something of it's environment. That is good work Rita. I'd live with that on the wall.

[IzzieK]

When I saw your post offline (I saved a link to it..) I googled Gastown Steam Clock. Very interesting story and thoughts there too. I love your images here. You could have given it some commentary too. Very dramatic shots...

[Rita]

Thanks John. Someone is going to have it on their wall. I showed the image to one of my co-workers tonight and she wants to buy a 16x20 print of it

[Rita]

Thank you Izzie. I agree, I could/should have given some background on the clock but I just didn't think of it at the time.

[FootLoose]

Rita if you hadn't mentioned that you had 'expanded' the steam I would have assumed it was all natural. Although I might have wondered why there was no steam in front of the clock or lying over the fence. Well done.

[Rita]

Thanks for commenting Greg. I did try and add some steam in front of the clock but I just couldn't get it to look right.
Guess I could say that there is none in that area because of the direction of the wind