After
by timfythetoo

Comment:
Wow the after composition has alot of visual punch. The clouds take on a magical sort of errie feel in this composition. The red hues on the side of the barn are a bright almost candy apple red - tis really pops nicely. The original the color hue is darker - flatter in contrast. The after has the barn in greater brightness/contrast. The color hues are also richer and thus the visual appeal increases because of it. And I did not notice the bull at the entrance to the barn in the original. He fades a bit too much into the backdrop. But in this after image, you notice him more because the differances in brightness/contrasts. There is more sheen to his coat and the horns are whiter and brighter. Good job in removing the tree branches on either side of the composition - they would have been distracting elements adding nothing to the composition overall.

paralax addressed.jpg
by wehrmacher

Comment:
First off I love that in the original shot you composed it such that you have the hot pink orchids are exposed nicely and thus they pop off the dark backdrop. When one can, starting off with a good composition really helps to lessen what work one needs to do the improve it:-) The textures of the petals pop more in this one than the original -sharpening? brightness/contrast?. You did a fine job in widening the shot so that in this composition the flowers are more center composed in the shot. I do like what you did with the after but I find that the original has a greater appeal because I like the way the flowers seem to be climbing up the left side; like that of a vine adorning a wall. Sometimes an off-center or off-side main subject with 'some' negative space can be appealing as well as a center composed image.

midhurst 3-June.jpg
by wehrmacher

Comment:
Great googly moogly! Look at the cloning job that removes all those distracting cars from the original! You did an excellent job in removing the cars from this shot. I can't figure it out sometimes I go from original to after and I swear that the richness in color tones is not the same in the after like it is in the original. Just one other suggestion now that this stone building is the main subject a boost in the brightness/contrast with a slight adjustment of clarify tool would really help to emphasize the pattern/texture of the stonework not to mention the clouds and trees.

After.jpg
by FotoMunki

Comment:
The closer crop really helps make the main subject take center stage. Good job in removing those distracting glare spots off the sunglasses. In the after image you would never know that they were there. I also like that you added a soft 'diffuser' type look to the final image. It softens the overall image and in my opinion complements the subject.

aDSC_0179.jpg
by Jaker

Comment:
Like everyone else I too agree that the the after composition is improved because the clouds appear dark and brooding. It sets the mood for the shot that the original does not. Really nice conversion from color to B&W. The tones and contrasts are excellent and visually pop - they are not flat and dull.

Bridal Wreath Edited
by TCGuru

Comment:
Nice job on isolating the flowers and making them pop off the dark backdrop. While the white of the flowers really pop off nicely off the dark background I think that unless you are adding text/poem to the left that the flowers seem to be pushed too much off to the side and thus the emphasis of them being the main subject diminishes. You removed the green leaves from the composition all together and I think that doesn't help the composition overall. The flowers seem to hang in negative space - a bit of green would help add some color punch and help 'ground' them a bit. I can't tell for certain which bunch of flowers you took from the original my guess is the bottom ones. May I suggest that the top middle might be better for two reasons. First is that that particular group appears to 'extrude' out towards the viewer rather than lean down to the left like the bottom group. Hmmm, mayhap it is because the cluster is more in a tighter round circle than the bottom one but because the appearance 'looks' like it is coming towards you visually it is more appealing. Second, the leaves surrounding that cluster adorn it in a more appealing fashion for you have them loosely 'encircling' the cluster in a starlike pattern.

Worm Friend Edited
by TCGuru

Comment:
Cropping to bring the viewer closer the main subject is always a good thing for emphasizes the main subject and brings out details we might not notice in the original. Brightness/contrast and the dodging & burning really help emphasize the textures and patterns. The color balance/shift really brought out more warmer tones. The contrast and color hues in the original are rather flat. In this image they are warm and the contrast between light and dark really helps the image pop visually.

After Rachel
by gwe21

Comment:
Bringing us closer to your subject is always a plus. The After composition improves dramatically from the original simply because now your main subject fills the frame. The brightness/contrast brightened her face and improved the flat colors in the skin tones seen in the original. The addition of catchlights in her eyes is a nice touch - a twinkle in her eyes. Good job.

Annie and Henna Lady after.jpg
by wehrmacher

Comment:
Wow a lot of nice processing to make the two ladies stand out from the background of the shot. You don't list the steps you took to make the final composition but I can take a guess that it was a combination of blending two images, selection of background (gotta love that select tool:-) ), blur and clone tools that helped make the photo. Good job in blurring the background for now that really makes the two ladies the true focus/stars of the shot. Cloning out some of the people in the background (including that man in the backdrop between them in the original) eliminated the distracting elements that drew attention away from the main subject of your shot. Lighting on your two main subjects was wonderful in the original and they remain beautifully so in the after photo composition. The only change to the lady in pink from the original is that she now has her eyes open rather than squinting. My guess, and only a guess, is that you snapped two shots and one showed better eyes than the other (but this one had more character because of the friendly comraderie that the two woman show here). Good job on the blending of the eyes - it is flawless; had you not posted the original you could not tell she had some work done to 'open' her eyes.

AgaveTall_IMG_2717eCZ-DPC.jpg
by GeneralE

Comment:
Now this is an after where the subject really pops visually and the interest in the photo literally shoots up skyward!! The original has flat contrasts and aside from interesting angle it is compositionally not enough to hold the attention of the eye. But this after image REALLY reaches out and holds one's attention. The agave plant takes on an aspect of some Dark Tower rising up into the brooding night sky. The darker background really allows the textures on the plant to pop and be noticed much more than the original. Love those groves that one can see in the 'leaves'. The 'thorns' take on a much more menacing aspect in this after composition for the spikes are black and sharp extruding from the stalk - seemingly having forcefully punctured through such that 'blood' is adorning the base of the 'thorns'.