I love the color/B&W contrast!

WOW, the color saturation of the fabric compared to the stark background is startling and spectacular... would love to see the original, im sure the couch doesnt pop anywhere near as much... nice play on the spring theme, excellent shot.

Glen: I don't have time to put the original up, but you're right, it's very flat in comparison. Actually, with shots like this, I much prefer to shoot in overcast/flat conditions as it makes it much easier to manipulate the image afterwards (i.e. you don't get any deep shadows or hot spots). I did have a couple of shots of this sofa I took yesterday, that I could have used, but the lighting was a little harsher so I went out and took some more photographs this evening.

David - how did you make the couch pop so much? Was it simply increasing the saturation or did you do something else? I'm still learning photoshop so any information you could give me would be great!

Not only spring has sprung, also the inside of this couch probably has :-))) Like the shot though, it's very colorful and makes a great contrast with the background...

Well your comments gave me a chuckle. :-) If it really looked like that, I think I'd throw it out too. I mean, who could live with that in their living room? Except maybe as a framed print, of course.

Love it.

Jesus, I can't believe people actually clamour for floral shots. You've done well with the suggestion though!

Just a colourful skin and the soul is rotten..

amazin.

One of the most interesting photos you published. I feel some kind of fresh watching it - at last a photo from the street but not street-photography-kind. Thx :)

I mean - generally 'at last a photo from the street but not street-photography-kind'. And another fine pic at chromasia :) Sorry for two posts instead of one longer.

That couch looks very familiar...nice shot

Excellent work, Dave. Love the selective coloring, and I agree--the heavy saturation in the couch really makes this one sing.

Vivian is right --- this shot is absolutely gorgeous .... I'd say it ranks up there in the top 5 of my favorite Chromasia images.... it's outstanding.... nice work, David!

David, been visiting a while but never commented before.....this is looking like the sofa from yesterday's shot?....but yesterday the sofa had some other debris on it...did the bin men come in between shots or did you have to get pro-active about spring cleaning the street :) Either way, good stuff, although I think that I enjoyed yesterday's take on the scene a little more. Cheers!

Sorry to say something negative when everyone is very supportive. I really like the impact of this image, dont get me wrong. However, the coloured section is so dominant that I feel it saturates the image. I didnt even notice the b&w background at first. I would find this more powerful if the coloured area was smaller, that way, the image would be about the objects contrast to the surroundings, rather than of a colourful couch. Im sure many people will disagree. You show great skill in producing this image. Well done.

Well thanks Vivian. For your comment we got such a nice picture. The composition is great and the contrast is outstanding. :)

Looks like you cleared out some stuff from the sofa. Great colors..... would love to hear a technique tip here. Thanks

well seen
and well photoshoped
nice!

I'd like to make a request too -------more kid photos !! ooh, i know, the girls with FLOWERS. =)

i usually like your post work, but i found this one to be a bit over zealous. it illustrates no restraint. the contrast is too much. meaning is lost.

the image becomes a bunch of colors over a black background. fun to pass by but no absorbtion - a billboard of sorts. drawing off yesterdays theme i guess.

i love your work, but the praise for this piece is reaching a bit too high.

I am with myla :p

I generally love your photos, but not this one. It's just so ugly -- the couch is ugly, it's sitting on trash, the wall behind is yucky -- and for me there's nothing about it that's redeeming enough to compensate for all that. Well, and I also think the couch print itself is obnoxious even if it were in good condition, so that doesn't help. Just my two cents of course, but for me this one just doesn't get it.

Of course it's ugly! It's tacky and beat up as anything I've ever seen - that's why it's a great image. There is "ugly," then "ugly enough to make you look twice," and then "so ugly it's almost beautiful." This is definitely the latter.

With the right creative words this would make a great advertising shot for DFS or any other of those crappy sofa commercials we see on UK TV.

I think you were right to saturate this shot given the context and the response to the 'why no flower shots' remark.

I would thought like to see an alternative treatment with desaturation as well but I agree it would not pop out as much.

I think it's wonderful. :) Really!

interesting shot! can't go wrong with some colorfulness on a black and white photo!

This couch looks very similar to the one in yesterdays shot (bottom right)! ?
BTW I love the colors contrast.

My first thought was: Africa between trash,
I like the picture, it is a little depressive though. It's my new wallpaper. I always use your pictures as wallpapers because they are so gorgeous.
By the way, thanks for mentioning me :)
See you(r site) tomorrow, greetings from a 16 year old girl from Germany that fell in love w/ your photography.

hI! wHAT do u think about leave this photo here: http://www.thesofaproject.com the site it's in Italian but it talks about the sofas.... greate photo, however!
ciao

Interesting way to relate a living thing imprinted on a man made fabric. Good job.

Wow! very striking indeed.
You inspired me to set up my own photoblog, though I'm no where near your standard.

Your best shot in quite some time.

(yes, let's stay away from the beach and trains for awhile)

Would have been nice to shoot this from an angle instead of 'so straight-on'.

Oh my, such a tragic beauty! I felt my heart pounding at the sight of this one. Perhaps, there is an essential truth in this image. I love it!

Well done! Thanks for the info. about what shooting conditions are best to matipulate photos like these :)

It's funny to me that you desaturated the bright yellow cushions. I guess they would have been distracting, but if I hadn't taken a second look at yesterday's I would have just assumed that they were like that. Nice job with processing!

moscon: I wondered if anyone would notice :-) I wanted to separate the fabric from the background, rather than the sofa in its entirety, so it seemed sensible to desaturate the cushions too.