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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twelve: Using color to express ideas > Manhattan sunset, New York City, New York, 2008
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02-SEP-2008

Manhattan sunset, New York City, New York, 2008

I built the mood of this image upon the lingering colors of a September sunset. Looking north from a sixth floor window of a New York City apartment building, I watched and waited as the sun set to my left, bathing the skyline of central Manhattan in a rich reddish gold light. The longer I waited, the more the scene fell into shadow. As I made this image, only the art deco spire of the Chrysler building and a few apartment buildings on the right reflected colors of the fading sun, while soft gray clouds added a layer of dramatic texture over the blue evening sky.

Sigma DP1
1/25s f/4.0 at 16.6mm iso50 full exif

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Phil Douglis01-Oct-2008 06:21
Thanks, Kathy, for seeing each building as being "chosen by the sun" to symbolically reflect a range of human attributes. It is a wonderful way to look at the partnership of man and nature that I encompass in this image. As for those subtle adjustments in post processing here, they are simple enhancements, rather than manipulations of content. The original image was shot as a RAW file, which gave me a neutral palette of color and exposure to work with. I darkened the exposure and intensified the reds, brought out the clouds and deepened the shadows by using the "Levels" and "Curves" tools in Photoshop. I warmed the color balance slightly, added a touch of contrast and saturation, and finally a bit of sharpening.
Kathy Khuner01-Oct-2008 05:38
The Chrysler building is bathed in a warm golden light, which sets it apart from all the others. Maybe having just come home from Rosh haShanah services ("...who by water and who by fire..."), I see each building as having a tone all its own as if each one had been chosen by the sun to reflect a different human aspect - either by shadow or by the red-hot color of fire.

Phil, I was struck by your mention of the "subtle adjustments" of post processing. I would be interested in seeing how your post processing helps you express your intentions.

Phil Douglis21-Sep-2008 18:56
Thanks Jim --exposure is critical here, and so are the subtle adjustments needed in post processing.
Jim Chiesa21-Sep-2008 08:42
A beautiful scene, Phil. Excellent exposure. V.
Jim
http://www.jimphotostudio.com
Phil Douglis19-Sep-2008 01:57
The setting sun does indeed humanize New York. I am going to put together a new gallery discussing the impact and meaning of sunrises, sunsets, moonrises and the colors they produce, Jenene.
JSWaters18-Sep-2008 19:05
I couldn't agree more with Tim's comment. The warmth of the late sun humanizes the city and adds a feeling of comfort. New York has a kind heart - it's sometimes hard to see it in the light of day.
Jenene
Phil Douglis09-Sep-2008 18:25
Thanks, Tim, for pointing out the symbolism added here by the warmth of the color, and by the glow in the windows. As you know, human values are always at the core of my intentions as a photographer. A city is not a collection of buildings, but rather a place where people live collectively. These structures represent the hopes and dreams of all who live and work here, and it is the human touch that gives a city its warmth.
Tim May09-Sep-2008 00:03
For me, this is an image about warmth. So often we think of cities, particularly New York, as cold impersonal places. But cities are made up of people. Here the warm glow is evocative of that warmth to me. I think this feeling is emphasized by the sprinkles of glow in the windows.
Phil Douglis08-Sep-2008 22:44
I find it interesting that you associate this image with 9/11. I think such associations depend on our mental picture of the city itself. If we associate 9/11 with any image of New York City's skyscrapers, then a shot of any NYC building can trigger such thoughts. And of course, if we associate 9/11 primarily with lower Manhattan, images of the skyline missing the World Trade Center will instantly evoke such associations. I made this image up in mid-town Manhattan, many miles from the ground zero, and I never made an association with 9/11. But I can see how you could -- particularly because of the smoke-like clouds and the blazing red light of the sunset.
sunlightpix08-Sep-2008 21:43
The New York skyline of September 2008 is a very different world from September 2001. The clouds and blazing orange light initially reminded me of that terrible day. Perhaps it's just me, but I'll always compare a NYC September skyline to the past.
Phil Douglis08-Sep-2008 17:10
Thanks, Alina -- those shadows not only obscure the clutter, they also imply a sense of the unknown.
Alina08-Sep-2008 03:01
I like the golden color of the tall buildings and beautiful sky. That’s good that less attractive part of the image stays in evening shadow. This is beautiful picture Phil.
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