Could use critiques. What did I do wrong?

04/27/2007 10:42:43 AM · #26

These are the two shots I looked at to edit. I chose the second one for my finished one, but neither of these have been tampered with except to resize for the portfolio. Given that, you are welcome to play if you want, point out what parts to keep and what to get rid of in a reshoot, or your opinions regarding even the subject. Hopefully as weather clears, I can get some more barns to play with.
Thanks for all your wonderful tips and help. Every once in awhile I have to do a thread like this, usually when my scores start to hit rock bottom (as they have been lately) and maybe my eye will improve once again and I can start seeing things photographically again.

Message edited by author 2007-04-27 10:48:05.

Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited AF

04/27/2007 11:46:47 AM · #27

In addition, please, illustrate with others work. Show me what you can find that depicts farm scenery, and why you feel it works so well. I want to learn from seeing through your eyes. I only have my eyes to work with which creates a very narrow view.

eamurdock

Pentax KP

04/27/2007 12:34:06 PM · #28

Curves (especially at the low end; nothing was black or even close to it)
big s-curve
lightened barn and created a vignette with a B&W "soft light" layer
slight crop to remove the little bit of sky at the top right
bumped saturation
tone mapping

That's all...

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

04/27/2007 01:14:44 PM · #29

Here's a very quick hit from the lighter version. Skew adjustment to square the pond & buildings, healing brush to eliminate poles and wires and foreground twigs, curves, hue/sat, crop and vignette.

Healing brush work is sloppy because it wasn't worth taking the time to work seriously on such a small, pixelated source file. Working from the full size original it could be completely unnoticeable.

jaysonmc

Nikon D200

Nikon MF 105mm f/2.5 AIS

04/27/2007 01:29:24 PM · #30

Here is my quick poor try

Done in Nikon Capture NX, adjusted LCH a bit. Added some Control points.

efren

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

04/27/2007 02:09:50 PM · #31

though, i could give it a try.

levels
S/H
dogde and burn
selective color adjusments
in PSE 3

Gringo

Nikon D2X

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

04/27/2007 02:22:43 PM · #32

June,

I don't know if you've had the pleasure of browsing through

RayEthier's portfolio. He has a folder in there called "Barns" Take a look at how he has used the trees and branches to frame the subjects. If you are out shooting barns, He's got some great work to look at.

04/27/2007 02:27:03 PM · #33

Originally posted by eamurdock:

Thanks for the edit. Very deep and rich edit. I like trying to get some deeper colors, as you have done.

Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited AF

04/27/2007 02:33:02 PM · #34

I appreciate all your guidance. I can see aspects and strengths in each edit. Gives me some ideas to work with. Thanks Gringo for Ray's name. I actually have looked at some of the images because I checked it out when I looked at your favorites list. I will look again from the persepective of composition and technique.

eamurdock

Pentax KP

04/27/2007 02:33:30 PM · #35

Originally posted by JunieMoon:

Thanks for the edit. Very deep and rich edit. I like trying to get some deeper colors, as you have done.

Thanks! Glad you like it. I maybe went a little far on the vignetting, but I love it so...

BTW, I use the Gimp; I'm not familiar with Photo Impact but Gimp is very powerful and you can't beat the price (free). Doesn't have adjustment layers, unfortunately, but pretty easy to use and powerful.

Greetmir

Nikon D60

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS for Nikon

04/27/2007 02:47:27 PM · #36

... June ... as long as you are as open and sociable and willing to drink in others' opinions and take the chaff from the wheat ... you are gonna do great! ... I am SURE!

In the end ... I want you to remember that the main thing with shooting this image again is waiting for more light to fall on the barn and be at an angle that is obstructed less by the foliage.

It seems barns are your main subject and you may not even NEED the house ... but if it IS there, it sounds like it should be your secondary subject.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

04/27/2007 10:33:38 PM · #37

Here's my take on this picture. I wish I would have taken it.
What do you think everyone???

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

04/28/2007 12:39:51 AM · #38

I preferred something much closer to the original ... a "light an airy scene". So I mostly just played with levels and curves to keep it bright and yet have some blacks in it too. Then I straighted out the line of the water so it didn't look like it was tipping, and then cropped in a bit tighter.

04/28/2007 07:09:11 AM · #39

Originally posted by Lowcivicman99:

Here's my take on this picture. I wish I would have taken it.
What do you think everyone???

Very nice. You really brought the image alive with this edit. I want to do, how did you do?

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

04/29/2007 10:49:32 PM · #40

Originally posted by JunieMoon:

Originally posted by Lowcivicman99:
Here's my take on this picture. I wish I would have taken it.
What do you think everyone???

Very nice. You really brought the image alive with this edit. I want to do, how did you do?

I took the image into PS and dup'd the layer so I wasn't touching the original. With the copy of the layer editable I adjusted the brightness and contrast some with an adjustment layer. I then used selective color to bring the reds and yellows up some so they would stand out. Then I used the color balance and really brought out the red. I had to mask off everything but the barn after the adjustment layer was applied. This really brought out the barn. once I did all the adjustments I flattened the image and copied the top section of the image. I pasted it back on to the same image and pulled it down to it was upside down. Holding the CRTL key I slightly pulled the image to the right so it would have that water like reflection along with adding a slight water ripple from the filters. Flatten image again and SFW.

Hope that helps.

Monique64

Canon EOS-30D

04/29/2007 10:59:05 PM · #41

I find it amazing that there are so many different styles to PP. They are all so individual and unique. Thats what I love about DPC and these sort of threads. I have in my mind how something looks good and you all go and make me think outside the square!!!

Jib

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

04/29/2007 11:01:00 PM · #42

as much as i hate to be the bearer of bad news...looks like youve got mold in your lens/sensor

Monique64

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

04/29/2007 11:03:31 PM · #43

Originally posted by Jib:

as much as i hate to be the bearer of bad news...looks like youve got mold in your lens/sensor

How can you tell?

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

04/29/2007 11:05:14 PM · #44

Originally posted by Monique64:

I think I suck at PS.

Jib

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

04/29/2007 11:06:51 PM · #45

notice the like branchy looking thing at the bottom of the image, looks to me like a culture...its happened before on here just search the forums, it looks just like that

Monique64

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

04/29/2007 11:23:02 PM · #46

Originally posted by Jib:

notice the like branchy looking thing at the bottom of the image, looks to me like a culture...its happened before on here just search the forums, it looks just like that

Are you serious, I thought it was out of focus tree branches in the foreground. Or am I being gullible again?

Message edited by author 2007-04-29 23:23:15.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

04/29/2007 11:51:03 PM · #47

Originally posted by Monique64:

Are you serious, I thought it was out of focus tree branches in the foreground. Or am I being gullible again?

I agree with you. I think they are just tree branches in the foreground, out of focus due to depth of field.