The Cement Workers

Posted by Damon Schreiber (Toronto, Canada) on 2 March 2007 in Cityscape & Urban and Portfolio.

This was from a couple years ago when they ripped up College Street to fix the streetcar tracks.

And I have to say this, if only to flummox Bronnie, but I'm so glad I shot this in RAW (which was unusual for me at the time), because I never would have been able to arrive at this result from a jpeg image. No, it's really true: it's like if I shoot in jpeg, the image is 'done' and that's it. If I try to improve it, it just ends up breaking. But RAW images are endlessly malleable. I'll never buy a digital camera that doesn't record RAW files. Sorry Canon G7...

High-Res here.

[College near Beatrice, Toronto]

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Comments (20)

Bronnie from Christchurch, New Zealand

Thanks for that Damon!!!
Actually I have been shooting RAW and using my trial CS2 to good effect - I can now see what y'all mean!
Sooooo what did you do to it? I love the composition BTW..

2 Mar 2007 5:44am

@Bronnie: Erm... No problem, Bronnie! What did I do? Oh, tons of adjustment layers... I'd send you the file, but I don't think you can see it properly in CS2 - it's using certain CS3 features, like editable filters.

H.O from Victoria, Canada

Nice composition and expression Damon兄san :)
G7...wow, nice camera too :D

2 Mar 2007 6:44am

@H.O: Thanks, Hiro! G7 is nice, but sadly, no RAW, and no flip-screen either :(

jc from Ireland

the differeing poses work well and i love how you've handled the colour here..

2 Mar 2007 9:04am

@jc: Thanks, John!

benjamin from Singapore

yea. like the way they re positioned. and the effect you ve created really suits this well. gives the feeling of looking forward to going home. well.. im only shooting sceneries and really difficult shots in RAW. perhaps i should start using RAW more...

2 Mar 2007 10:22am

@benjamin: Thanks, Benjamin! I don't think there's anything wrong with shooting in jpeg, and to some degree it depends on the camera, but I find I get more flexibility to play with the image, and I enjoy playing these days.

Maoya from Rolle, Switzerland

Love the scene, the perspective of the street and the workers is great

2 Mar 2007 10:43am

@Maoya: Many thanks, Maoya!

Craig Persel from Montreal, Canada

Tough job ... well captured.

2 Mar 2007 12:35pm

@Craig Persel: Thanks, Craig! You can see from this image the skill involved.

Makoto from Sapporo, Japan

Nice image. Will two workers wait for turn...??

2 Mar 2007 2:09pm

@Makoto: Thanks, Makoto! They do seem to be taking turns.

Untitled from Kyoto, Japan

Nice take Damon. 'Raw' and gritty...

2 Mar 2007 2:47pm

@Untitled: Thanks, Shadow!

Alfredo J. Martiz J. from Tokyo, Japan

Great image, the look of those guys is kinda challenging, nice perspective and composition!

2 Mar 2007 3:24pm

@Alfredo J. Martiz J.: Thanks, Alfredo! Perhaps so, but I don't think they minded me snapping away. I wasn't in their way at least.

Duncan Galbraith from kyoto, Japan

Damn thats fine. The light and colour are really something. Love the poses of the 2 guys, right into camera whilst their buddy's got his nose to the grindstone. Great perspective and comp. But man, thats some nice PP.

2 Mar 2007 3:28pm

@Duncan Galbraith: Many thanks, Duncan! It was all a bit flukey, but I was pleased with the result.

Angry Buddha from United States

Great processing and image.

2 Mar 2007 3:35pm

@Angry Buddha: Thanks, Sean!

Jen from Jessup, United States

Wonderful! Love the processing!

2 Mar 2007 3:42pm

@Jen: Many thanks, Jen!

Stu from Kyoto, Japan

Mmmm.....really love this one but don't know how to leave any meaningful commentary! Great shot and even finer processing. Excellent work Damon.

2 Mar 2007 4:38pm

@Stu: Sometimes mmmm says it all. Thanks, Stu!

William from Sacramento, United States

Well done

2 Mar 2007 4:57pm

@William: Thanks, William!

JS from Brookline, United States

With their helmets and beards they look like ancient Vikings who made it from the Newfoundland coast to Toronto in god knows how many centuries. Timeless photo!

2 Mar 2007 6:47pm

@JS: Helmets, yes; but beards? It was late afternoon when I took this, so I guess that'd be a five o'clock shadow you see. Thanks, Jan!

Chris Sullivan from Melbourne, Australia

Nice take Damon, your right about the RAW feature. Nice post-work mate, an excellent image proveying the idea of work.

2 Mar 2007 8:57pm

@Chris Sullivan: Many thanks, Chris!

ginger from Melbourne, Australia

fabulous shot! Being a beginner I need to find out what RAW means!

2 Mar 2007 9:15pm

@ginger: Thank you, Ginger! RAW is a format some cameras are able to record; it means you don't let the camera make processing decisions for you (essentially).

Martine Lapointe from Québec, Canada

Well treatment! and nice choice of scene!

2 Mar 2007 10:48pm

@Martine Lapointe: Merci beaucoup, Martine!

Fernando D. Rubio from Madrid, Spain

i love the painterly quality of this picture

3 Mar 2007 8:38pm

@Fernando D. Rubio: Wow, thanks, Fernando!

Sylvia from Milano, Italy

Awesome perspective, and I like the orange too. Now I'm going to Google "raw" and hope the results aren't too raunchy-- you piqued my curiosity about something technical.

3 Mar 2007 9:20pm

@Sylvia: Hope the results didn't shock you too much, you delicate flower, you. Thanks, Sylvia!

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