What went wrong...and what could be right?

08/02/2006 12:20:07 AM · #1

This was my submission for "color on color" challenge. I did not fared as well as I expected it to be but the thread is not about that :) I love this picture and want to re-process it. Please suggest what post-processing would compliment this shot.

This was taken during dust storm and thus there are not much "details" but I simply love the "feel" of wind it communicates (to me). I'm willing to share original photo if someone is willing to experiment on it (but later as I don't have it on machine which I'm using now).

Suggestions on what better processing can be done to enhance the photo are most welcome :)

The original photo is this -

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Pentax

08/02/2006 01:49:59 AM · #2

I actually imagine there's quite a lot that could be done working from the full size original. Any aggressive saturation of the smaller original in here pixelates like crazy, but for what it's worth here's a crazy-extreme version of it:

Artyste

Sony Ericsson W810i

08/02/2006 01:53:58 AM · #3

I actually quite like your work-up Tej.. Personally, it needed some clean-up touches in the white areas.. and some darkening on the tree itself for slightly more contrast.. (although I'm just guessing here.. I'm too tired to actually work it up).

You've done a hell of a job with it otherwise.

redsunphotography

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II

08/02/2006 02:09:33 AM · #4

I kind of like the original as is, very, "Oh my god, look at that" kind of feeling common in photojournalism.

-Hideo

crayon

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II

08/02/2006 02:19:19 AM · #5

Originally posted by redsunphotography:

I kind of like the original as is, very, "Oh my god, look at that" kind of feeling common in photojournalism.

exactly my thoughts - but his bluish edit is a good take too, as it has some sort of serenity about it (though it's a sand storm!)

redsunphotography

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

08/02/2006 02:38:59 AM · #6

The blue edit makes me think of Dune for some strange reason.

-Hideo

08/02/2006 02:42:32 AM · #7

Glen, Hideo,Crayon - Thanks for your response and suggestion!

Bear, I liked your version and tried doing the same thing but it adds a lots of noice to picture. Maybe I'll try few more versions and post again (by tomorrow). Thanks for the effort spent :)

I guess adding contrast to blue version would be easy (as suggested by glen). I will surely work more on this one.

08/02/2006 03:02:12 AM · #8

Originally posted by Tej:

Mail me the original jpg? E-mail's in profile.

R.

08/02/2006 03:21:14 AM · #9

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by Tej:
Glen, Hideo,Crayon - Thanks for your response and suggestion!

Bear, I liked your version and tried doing the same thing but it adds a lots of noice to picture. Maybe I'll try few more versions and post again (by tomorrow). Thanks for the effort spent :)

I guess adding contrast to blue version would be easy (as suggested by glen). I will surely work more on this one.

Mail me the original jpg? E-mail's in profile.

R.

Sure, Robert. I'm currently in office and I would be able to send it only in my evening. Its on my home PC. Thanks for your help :)

08/03/2006 10:02:15 PM · #10

Working from the original. There's definitely noise, no way around it. But in this case the noise seems to fit in perfectly with the overall gestalt of the image:

Robt.

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

08/03/2006 11:43:14 PM · #11

Robert, there is no camera noise as such but there are lots of dust particles in air.

I liked your version but it seems like a lot more noise is added due to post-processing. Thanks four putting in your effort on my photo.

I'm trying on my versions also and will post the same by EOD today :)

amandalore

Canon EOS-40D

08/04/2006 12:18:40 AM · #12

well, I tried my hand at it...

I dodged the leftside corners to lighten the dark spots, then bumped the contrast a bit, then used the sponge tool to add selectively saturate the trees... and I know that borders are usually hated, but I really like the gradient border I added...

I like your photo, maybe it would have done better in a different challenge, like a winter challenge or something

08/04/2006 12:53:50 AM · #13

Thanks, Amanda! I liked the work you did on my photo. I'm planning to do the similar on original photo. I like frames, but I still dont know how to add anything more than solid border(shhh... I avoid talking about my photoshop skills). I think I should be able to bump up the contrast a bit by avoiding glow filter I used in my challenge version.

08/04/2006 01:03:51 AM · #14

that's my little grain of sand :)

08/04/2006 01:06:50 AM · #15

Love your version, Revecca! How did you manage to keep off noise? I like the way you have played with tones to highlight the subject while still keeping the overall tone to be dark. Hmmm...another version I need to work on :)

08/04/2006 01:23:26 AM · #16

thanks.
You know, I actually have no clue of what I actually did.
I play around with the tools a lot until I get something that looks okay to me. I guess you could say I'm very amateur when it comes with photoshop but I like to work with things to see what they do.
From what I remember [i did things very randomly and fast], I played with levels, then I did SOMETHING with the noise. Don't ask me what it was cause I have no idea [I did not see a difference in the preview] then I believe I worked with the hue/saturation and then with the lightning effects filter.
That's all I really remember.
I'm really glad you liked it though.
=]

08/04/2006 01:28:21 AM · #17

I also thought i should add that I chose to crop it with the trees at the right because the direction of the wind is right to left and maybe it would sort of bring out the fact that it was a 'storm'?

haha.. i don't know.

08/04/2006 01:29:31 AM · #18

The thing of it is, I actually LIKE the noise, the granularity of it; it seems perfect for this image, it actually IS sand flying in the air. Play it up!

R.

08/04/2006 01:46:31 AM · #19

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

The thing of it is, I actually LIKE the noise, the granularity of it; it seems perfect for this image, it actually IS sand flying in the air. Play it up!

R.

I'll surely keep that into mind whan I play with my version :)

I guess, I always end up taking photos in such situations where subject is "hazy" and then I keep fighting trying to bring out details.

08/04/2006 12:05:24 PM · #20

Okay. Here are some "quick" versions (without any local editing) -

Let me know your comments and I will incorporate it in final version....soon :)

Tamron AF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical for Nikon

08/04/2006 12:35:32 PM · #21

Thanks SJ for leaving comments! Even I like the version with grains. It was suggested by Robert.

I'm working on "warmer" version on original processing. Will upload it soon.

Nikonian Ninja

Nikon D50

08/04/2006 02:02:20 PM · #22

here's a b&w version i did.

Nikonian Ninja

Nikon D50

Tamron AF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical for Nikon

08/04/2006 02:03:35 PM · #23

too bad about the pixelation though :(