CHRYSLER BUILDING (BEFORE/AFTER)

This wonderful building was lost in the busy, messy background and its profile did not have the impact I was hoping to see. It took a lot of effort to change that.

I started by cutting a very precise mask around the tower and copying it on a separate layer. Then I commenced treating its surfaces, curve by curve, facet by facet. I painted luminosity masks to separate the left side of the building from its right side. I diminished the intensity of the background by reducing its contrast and focus. Once I felt the building popped out, I re-shaped the lighting and created shadows with aim to give a three-dimensional feel.

Final step was converting the image to Black & White. Yellow filter brought even more contrast from the metallic plates of the spire. Limited areas in the building were given more contrast while others were darkened. Yellow filter helped by toning the background down even further.

This image of the Chrysler Building is very close to what I had in mind before even going to New York.

Done