This was taken at a car wash near Kuwait City. The men wait in a room on the garage level, or outside. The women wait in a room upstairs. I shot this from that room, through a filthy window. This gentleman is the guy who directs you, as you drive up, to an open bay. He's also the one who brings you your ticket and collects the money when your car is ready. Customer service is always a "lived and learned" experience in my book!
By the way, while you wait, someone brings you a very small glass mug of hot sweet tea. It's quite nice!
Processing is my basic editing acid treatment. This is also partially desaturated - I liked the muted effect for what is presented.
I'm assured by timfy that this will probably be sub-5. I'm hoping Don will notice it. :-)
Statistics
Place: 8 out of 61 Avg (all users): 5.9223 Avg (commenters): 7.0000 Avg (participants): 5.0000 Avg (non-participants): 5.9780 Views since voting: 2167 Views during voting: 371 Votes: 193 Comments: 34 Favorites: 3 (view)
So glad that this was not a sub-5 image! Love the color tones. I also like how the staggered columns on the right balance out the picture. And of course, I love the back story behind the photo. Congrats on the top 10!
Hey, look at that! A sub-6 top 10! That's like twisting your eyes around to see the back of your head, isn't it? So take all the nice stuff everyone's said below and repeat it on behalf of me. But I had you on my faves list a LONG time ago. :)
Deb, I'm so glad you went ahead and entered this - I LOVE it. I didn't get a chance to tell you to go for it in advance, but it rocks. Many congrats on a top 10. Definitely deserved a 6+ score.
Yes, you are a-MAZING !! at making the ordinary look like something you want to hang up in your house . . .or something you'd buy in a gallery. Your basic-editing acid treatment is so awesome. I just got Photoshop CS3, so I'm going to pull up that thread where you explain how you do this and practice. I LOVE IT!
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I'm constantly amazed by your ability to find sublime beauty in mundane surroundings. Your shots, this one included, are an inspiration to me. Keep it up, please.
I really like the effect that the acid treatment you applied has, any chance of doing a smple tutorial on this so others (well me at least could have a go at it)
Love the composition so that we can only see half of the mechanic and the repeating pillars give a great effect
Well lookee here. I sure was wrong wasn't I? Glad I was. I think this edit was better than your original edit. Well done Deb! Don't ever listen to me again. ;)
Blimey, I didn't have this down as yours, Debs - you found (and processed for) some colour! It was in my top two of the challenge, and I came back to view it several times during voting.
What an incredible photo! The repetitive walls f0rm an interesting lead in line, with the placement of the mechanic spot on. The diagonals make this very strong compositionally - my eye is led in initially by the blue walls then along the back wall to the fr left, and back diagonally via the inspection pit placed on the 'third' to the mechanic. The processing is just right for the photo, with the emphasis on textures. But it is the ambiguity, the story that really makes this. A garage with no car, a mechanic with no work. excellent.
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