unknown new york #1

Been a while since I've been in NY but hmmmm, let's see....5x7 in NYC...nahh, can't be in Manhattan....you'll be mugged...I don't recognize that awing and all I can think of is that it must be in a place like Greenpoint or Queens....
Come on man, how about a hint!

It looks like one of those shops that is in a subway entrance, maybe Penn Station or one of the ones around City Hall.

Here's the dish- I've been nothing but extremely harassed in NYC proper so it aint there.
Outer boroughs yes... going north yes... think elevated subway...any comments on the print?
Best, Peter

Eric-actually I take out the 5x7 in New York ALL the time. It's all about the attitude-and what makes you think it's any easier to get mugged in NYC than in LA? Just a thought
Peter

I don't think it's my station (125th St. on the 1/9), but I see what you're saying. You can often look out from the elevated stations into buildings along the sidewalk. I've never known how anyone can live in such an apartment so close to the train. 125th is heavily policed sometimes, so I suspect you would be harrassed for setting up a tripod on the platform, but further uptown where it's not so crowded, you probably could.

About the print--hard to say without seeing the print. I think I'd like to see the highlights brighter in the shadows--particularly that wrought iron work. You could strengthen them with pencil on the neg or local selenium intensification on the neg.

About the image--it seems a little busy to me, but maybe larger it works better.

David-I appreciate the comments but the picture is actually about looking inside the store
All the other stuff going on is on the perimeter of the print. If I detail the iron work then it will compete with the main focus of the print. I have to reprint the picture anyway because even though it is hard to tell I reversed the image. After making 9 copies of course!! I'm busy doing a whole body of work here so if in the end it doesn't muster up then it will get cut. Just had a good time and got up twice at 4 in the morning to do this one.

Then maybe it's that fluorescent light fixture at the top that's competing with the store and making it less obviously the "subject" of the image. If you're opposed to cropping it, you could burn it in or if you're adventuresome, try an abrasive reducing paste to tone it down on the neg. I make this out of ground brown tripoli and mineral oil and use a Q-tip to sand down the overly dense highlight--Kodak sold it long ago as Kodak Abrasive Reducer.

David-that's fascinating as I have never heard of such a product. What is ground brown tripoli? I'm always willing to try something new(old) Maybe I come down to the city and you show me? (hint) Thanks for the tip
Peter