I went back thru my images of the one in Milwaukee and found one that I think works a lot better. I did a bit of Select-Move-Transform and then clone and/or erase to blend: all of this to get rid of what I thought was dead space in the center.

TimesTheater-B&After.jpg (136.19 KiB) Viewed 533 times

This may be a plain-jane building, but it sure isn't a plain-jane neighborhood. I believe this is a more pleasing composition (Hey, I got diagonal lines!! ). This is the kind of place I walked to as a kid to watch double-feature cowboy movies. And, don't forget the serials that always left you hanging .. or, more likely, left the hero hanging, usually over the edge of a cliff. Just gotta go back next Saturday to find out what happened.

Rusty

Rusty,
There is a unique looking building at the far left of your photo. Looks like a Tudor style building. I really like that style of architecture
Chas.

I liked that too, Chas, and went with this crop for that reason.
This theater sign says, "Since 1935", and it looks to me that every one of the buildings along the street to the left of it date from about that same time, or maybe 1920s.

This was a nice, upper-middle class neighborhood until the early 1950s. Many of the homes were built in that Tudor style; those date from the late 1920s.

Rusty

PS - I went back and reshot the "modern" theater last night - no rain this time. Not sure which photo I'll use in the group of photos I turn in for my assignment.

Brookfield-Theater.jpg (108.21 KiB) Viewed 507 times

I processed this three times in ACR and then stacked the images.

Rusty, I agree with Nolan the Jeep must go. Now I will re-shoot that one without the Jeep. Try to find something like a firehydrant across the street a door an arch something that will give tridimentionality to the picture. I will make it in black and white to add mood or and nostalgia to the subject and tone the picture like old Brovira paper with warm tones velvet blacks and creamy whites. Take the pictures very early or very late on the day to get the right lighting. Use a dramatic angle of view do not shoot standing, very high or very low etc.
Suerte amigo.

Rusty, this last image have a strong composition in my humble oppinion is a winner.

Of the group of photos, the instructor pulled out only one as, in her opinion, "a keeper". The one with the jeep -- I was unable to find the time to get back there to reshoot before the class date. She thought the wall mural gave it "more character" than the others.

Classes are all done. As I said in an earlier post, I didn't learn a whole lot of new stuff as far as "technique" is concerned. But I sure did learn a lot of new ways to "think about it". What Don introduced me to as "previsualization".

One interesting exercise ... four of us met with the instructor in downtown Milwaukee along the riverwalk late one afternoon. We were wandering along, sort of spread out, she suddenly called out: "STOP. Look around. Restrict yourself to an area within a twelve to fifteen foot circle of where you are standing. You should be able to find something. It may be an abstract, impressionist or a representational object. Use your imagination."

I'm glad I took the class.

Rusty

Regarding the original images. What about color for 1 and 3. Number 2 lends itself well to a sepia effect. Just my humble opinon.
RonH

I agree with you, Ron,
on sepia for #2 - either the original #2 of the second #2.

Because we were supposed to be turning in a group of 3 or more photos based on a theme, I decided (rightly or wrongly) that I shouldn't mix presentations. Either all color, all sepia, all B&W, etc.

It's interesting, as far as the "modern theater" was concerned, I personally liked the one taken in the rain with reflections in the parking lot puddles. The instructor, on the other hand, said the second one was a much stronger composition -- the same one Don Diego liked.

I guess that's why they make chocolate and vanilla

Rusty

Rusty:
You stated
"And, don't forget the serials that always left you hanging .. or, more likely, left the hero hanging, usually over the edge of a cliff. Just gotta go back next Saturday to find out what happened." Wao you really bring me a lot of fun memeries amigo. Is that why they called the serial "cliff hangers" or something like that? I make sure I trained the horses bright and early so that I had money for matinne on Saturdays. We used to have what we called "Vermooth" it was 2 movies in the morning. Did you had that?

Back to photography, I'm very happy for you Rusty glad you took the class. Now that you are inspired you will get new ideas and with that new challenges and that is great for you amigo.

Oh Yeah, Don,
On Saturdays it was always double feature shows, on rare occasion, a triple feature. And, always cowboy movies. You are exactly right about where "cliff hanger" comes from. I had never thought about it so I looked in "Webster's" and see that exact explanation.

Yes, fun memories.

Rusty