I did this in two layers, the bottom layer being sepia toned and then layered the orginal colors overtop and removed all the unwanted colors from the background taking them back to sepia tone.
Adjusted color saturation, brightness and contrast. Cropped down and added border.
For you rail fans...Conrail was bought out a few years ago by Norfolk Southern and the engines are slowly being repainted black.
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... I don't think the selective desat is working hard enough to create an 'invisible' background. This is because, in spite of the gray tones, there is still quite a bit of business created by the various lines and blocks of shape. There are the v-shaped diagonals created by the roof of the depot, more diagonals in the ramp-like structure that appears just above the train, the curved lines that radiate across the roof of the foremost structure, and the 'box' of stripes created by the structure that is above the ramp-like structure. All this suggest to me that the DOF is simply to deep, creating a flatness to the entire viewing plane. There is no distance between the train, the foremost building, and the highrise which logic tells me is in the distance but which my eyes tell me is in the same space as the train.
You might try to create this effect by creating a mask for everything above the rails and applying some Gaussian Blur.
Looks like you got me again. I hope you don't mind too much. This image is a bit of a challenge for me since I'm not a fan of selective desaturation, but I'll try to be objective.
For starters, I like the subject. The train is a lovely shade of blue and it's a shame they are being painted black. I don't know what the shooting environment was like but can't help wishing you were able to get in a bit closer for a more impressive view of the train and less boring background. Looking at the background, I understand why you would choose the selective desat approach. The concrete structures and highrise in the background make for drab background. Unfortunately, I don't think the selective desat is working hard enough to create an 'invisible' background. This is because, in spite of the gray tones, there is still quite a bit of business created by the various lines and blocks of shape. There are the v-shaped diagonals created by the roof of the depot, more diagonals in the ramp-like structure that appears just above the train, the curved lines that radiate across the roof of the foremost structure, and the 'box' of stripes created by the structure that is above the ramp-like structure. All this suggest to me that the DOF is simply to deep, creating a flatness to the entire viewing plane. There is no distance between the train, the foremost building, and the highrise which logic tells me is in the distance but which my eyes tell me is in the same space as the train.
It is possible you were far away from the train and chose an infinite focus range in order to be sure to capture it which leads me back to the suggestion that a closer viewpoint would have made a big difference, creatively. As it is, it is a nice record of something which will soon be only a memory.
Cool image. Neatly done desat. Perhaps an action shot, maybe panning to blur the background, could add some extra interest and remove the distracting background?
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