Critique Please - DPChallenge Forums

10/08/2002 08:49:58 AM · #1

How can I improve This Photo? I desaturated all the channels except red. I don't want to go completely color or completely black and white...

10/08/2002 08:52:25 AM · #2

spot editing allowed or not??

Jak

Fujifilm FinePix S602Z

10/08/2002 08:53:46 AM · #3

I really like that John. I might experiment with a much tighter crop, adding to the "tunnel" effect of the bridge itself. But it's pretty darned good as it is.

10/08/2002 08:57:18 AM · #4

Any editing is allowed... this is for a personal project...

10/08/2002 08:59:03 AM · #5

The photo is awesome, and I agree with Jakking that it's pretty good as is.

What I would try would be increasing the saturation on reds and yellows slightly, to see if I could get more of a 'rusty' feeling.

Spot editing - I'd balance the sky- it seems darker on the right. I'd get rid of the boats on the right and fill in the trees. I would NOT get rid of the white spot on the other side of the bridge- I think that spot is very interesting :)

10/08/2002 08:59:07 AM · #6

Originally posted by jakking:
I really like that John. I might experiment with a much tighter crop, adding to the "tunnel" effect of the bridge itself. But it's pretty darned good as it is.

Jak, I have a different photo for that concept :) If I crop tighther on this one, would losing the lead-in tracks be an issue?

10/08/2002 09:03:06 AM · #7

Originally posted by zadore:
The photo is awesome, and I agree with Jakking that it's pretty good as is.

What I would try would be increasing the saturation on reds and yellows slightly, to see if I could get more of a 'rusty' feeling.

Spot editing - I'd balance the sky- it seems darker on the right. I'd get rid of the boats on the right and fill in the trees. I would NOT get rid of the white spot on the other side of the bridge- I think that spot is very interesting :)

Unfortunately, I think I need to leave the yellow alone because it brings out the color in the trees... I think I need to put the bridge on a layer of its own where I can play with the full color spectrum on it... that's a good idea :)

10/08/2002 09:07:36 AM · #8

Originally posted by JohnSetzler :
I think I need to leave the yellow alone because it brings out the color in the trees... I think I need to put the bridge on a layer of its own where I can play with the full color spectrum on it

Actually, no...you have already desaturated the Green channel, therefore there's no longer any color on the trees...trust me, I took your photo into photoshop...just bring up the hue/saturation/lightness tool, choose reds and then yellows and play with it....in fact all you have on that photo is reds and yellows and magentas

10/08/2002 09:11:30 AM · #9

...one more thing, if I increase the yellow all the way to the max, there IS a line running up the right side, by the frame, that becomes visible (over the water)...not sure what that is.

10/08/2002 09:11:49 AM · #10

Originally posted by zadore:
Originally posted by JohnSetzler :
[i]I think I need to leave the yellow alone because it brings out the color in the trees... I think I need to put the bridge on a layer of its own where I can play with the full color spectrum on it

Actually, no...you have already desaturated the Green channel, therefore there's no longer any color on the trees...trust me, I took your photo into photoshop...just bring up the hue/saturation/lightness tool, choose reds and then yellows and play with it....in fact all you have on that photo is reds and yellows and magentas[/i]

interesting... i desaturated every channel except red from the original file... i will play with it some more :)

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

10/08/2002 09:21:15 AM · #11

John, there is another way of doing what you are trying to accomplish, and I find it that you keep more of the 'original' color.

Take a look here to see some that I have done (keep in mind that I'm a beginner at this whole photography thing :)

What I do is I create two layers- the bottom one I desaturate (BW) the top one I get the colors as vivid as I want. I then use Select-Color Range (PS) and sample from the picture the color I want to keep...use the slider to get 'more' or 'less' of it. Once the selection is made, I inverse it and delete. That will get rid of every color other than the one I selected. You can do more than one colored layer if you want to pick more colors, and repeat the process.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

10/08/2002 10:23:58 AM · #12

It's amazing how many different "good" photos you can get out of one shot! I think a SLIGHTLY tighter crop might help (top, left, right) -- I find myself a little "distracted" by the amount of glare in the sky. You might also want to use the traditional spelling of "trestle."

10/08/2002 11:29:15 AM · #13

I will play around with the crop some. I'm not sure if i would like it cropped much tighter but we'll see :)

joanns

Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro

10/08/2002 12:14:20 PM · #14

Originally posted by zadore:
spot editing allowed or not??

Is desaturating color channels spot editing? I haven't done it but I attempted to do it with my last entry and was unsuccessful. I didn't think it was spot editing.

John, I'm still learning but my opinion on your photograph is that it is excellent. If it was all grayscale without the red it would be a wonderful photo but adding just the touch of red makes the bridge pop out from the rest of the photo.

10/08/2002 12:22:04 PM · #15

John,
A couple of quick observations.
First, I'd spot edit the little stick (whatever) at about 7:00 sticking up from the rail bed.
I like the rest of it as is, but if you want something a little different:
Second, I tried a simple crop just above the tree line on the right. It changes where my eye focuses, and remove the bright sky as a possible distraction. It emphasizes the rails more to me than the bridge.

* This message has been edited by the author on 10/8/2002 12:20:22 PM.

10/08/2002 12:24:35 PM · #16

I probably should mention that I need to maintain a 1.5:1 or 1.25:1 aspect ratio so I can print and matte the image... that limits the ability to crop this freely...

10/08/2002 12:34:18 PM · #17

If you cannot crop much , I'd try darkening the sky some with selective levels & curves.

Nikon MF 180mm f/2.8 ED AIS

10/08/2002 12:37:39 PM · #18

Originally posted by jimmsp:
If you cannot crop much , I'd try darkening the sky some with selective levels & curves.

I think my best bet would be to reshoot this photo :) The sky was definitely not in my best ineterest, and the lighting was rather hot... I would really love to catch this shot with some puffy white clouds floating around... I also plan to try to catch this shot when there is a thick blanket of fog over the lake during the colder months...

mcmurma

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

10/08/2002 12:40:53 PM · #19

John,
I like the photo as is. The rusty quality of the bridge and rails, along with the hint of red in the ties looks great. It really forces you to zero in and follow them through to the other side. Very nice.

You could crop it, manipulate the color more, etc... But at some point it will become a different image... I like this one.

10/08/2002 12:44:10 PM · #20

I'd like it with the fog.
I'd also like to see a shot where the rails are at the center of attention, with the bridge in a "supporting" role. That's what I was trying to see with a crop from the top.

10/08/2002 12:59:07 PM · #21

This Photo is where the rails are more of a focal point... As you can see, it's a totally different image... I'm planning to reshoot this bridge again this weekend... hopefully very early friday morning when the sunlight is coming directly from the right at a low angle... if I get some fog, that would be even better :)

10/08/2002 01:09:19 PM · #22

You are right - it is a different image. I wasn't trying to suggest a different perspective would improve the photo in question here, just give a different image.
In the end, the one you have is pretty much right on to where you may want it (except for the stick at 7:00). Before you reshoot it, I might try pasting in some sky & clouds to see if that gives you what you might want (tough to do completely with the bridge structure)