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Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Free Study 2007-04 (Expert Editing*)
Camera: Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II
Location: Puhoi Pub, Puhoi, New Zealand
Date: Apr 15, 2007
Aperture: f/8.0
ISO: 800
Shutter: 1/5 second
Galleries: Humorous, Digital Art
Date Uploaded: Apr 17, 2007

 When I first registered at DPC one of the photographers that first caught my attention was kiwiness. His portfolio contains a few images of this style and I've wanted to give one a go for a long time. This image in particular was my inspiration:


The village we live in is small so the barman at the Puhoi pub is a friend. I asked if I could take some photos one Sunday morning before the pub opened. My father-in-law was visiting for the weekend and he agreed to be my model. We went to the pub and I setup and took the shots. Amego the barman is playing the role of barman, and my father-in-law is the patrons.

This is the actual pub. Its walls are covered with banknotes from around the world, old tools, photos, and anything else people want to put up. Behind the main door is a large collection of bras that women have left behind!

I had a lot of fun doing this and the editing stretched my photoshop skills. I did learn a few lessons about this sort of shot:
(1) Plan ahead. I directed people at the time and as a result some of the shots had people behind other people and I had to use photoshop to move them. That becomes difficult when parts of them are obscured - the customer leaning on the bar only had half his legs!
(2) Switch to manual focus. I didnt and each shot has a slightly different DOF. It's not really noticeable in the end result but I notice it!

Anyway, I dont expect too much as far as score goes. There have been a few of these types of shot in the recent 'expert editing' challenges so the novelty value is not there. I'd be happy with a high 5 score on this.

Editing Steps:
Convert 8 different shots from RAW with the same settings
* exposure -0.30
* shadow contrast +13
* hilight contrast -13
* saturation +21
Combine each image as individual layers of a single file
Lots of cloning including
* remove distrating object at extreme left
* remove poster from side of wool-press
* remove protruding wool-press from extreme right
* remove coaster holder from in front of bar pillar
* replace bright window at back with photographs
With the bar fridge selected
* Hue/Sat, Lightness -7
* Colour Balance, Hilights, Blue +68
* Saturation +31
Choose 1 image as the "base" image and mask out everything but the people from the other 7 layers
Clone in missing bits from person leaning on bar as the shot originally had them partially obscured by the wool-press
Flatten
On everything except the jerseys of patrons
* tone map, 71% opacity
On the patrons jerseys
* Levels 0, 1.00, 152
Alter red on "taxi" sign above tv
Levels 10, 1.02, 252
Brightness -1
Contrast +10
With the pints of beer selected
* Saturation +23
Lightness -11
Flatten
Crop
Resize
USM
Add border
save for web

This is the image I used as the "base" before any significant edits:



Statistics
Place: 60 out of 573
Avg (all users): 6.4663
Avg (commenters): 7.5000
Avg (participants): 6.3277
Avg (non-participants): 6.7458
Views since voting: 1140
Views during voting: 250
Votes: 178
Comments: 15
Favorites: 1 (view)

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AuthorThread
Nikon Z7II
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120 f/4 S
 05/08/2007 12:38:17 AM
Hey there from the Critique Club

Camera Work/Technical: Very well-done. I will be the first to admit that I detest the expert editing rule set. Even still, I appreciate the time and effort that goes into an image like this. This is one of the best ones that I have seen done. The only figure that is a little awkward is the one at front on the left. I think toning the lightness down on him just a bit would have helped out a good deal.

Lighting: Well-done outside the figure I mentioned. You really convey the feeling of a small-town pub very well.

Composition/Content: Very nice. You put together a strong image that fit well within the rule set.

My Opinion: Again, I hate the rule set, but I really like what you put together. I think the score fit the image well. Congrats on another well-scoring entry.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a critique on your entry,
Eric
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Sony Alpha a7R II
Pentax A 50mm f/1.4 MF
 05/07/2007 11:36:27 PM
haha - nicely done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/06/2007 01:29:26 PM
Very cool! This is such a fun idea - I have to try it sometime! I wonder though... It seems like all the guys on the right of the shot are all the same distance away. I wonder if it would look more interesting if one was a little closer, one a little farther... if the distance was more varied or something. But it's still pretty cool. GOod job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L Macro USM
 05/05/2007 06:07:35 PM
Very well done and visually entertaining:)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-50D
Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II for Canon
 05/05/2007 03:27:39 PM
great great image!!! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 05/05/2007 03:14:45 AM
Heh! I like it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D300
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
 05/04/2007 11:28:15 AM
Creative idea with good compositon and a perfect title.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-7D
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 05/04/2007 08:30:13 AM
Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
 05/03/2007 08:41:49 AM
nice one. would have had more impact for me if the concept had not been done before, the latest one a couple of challenges ago (see "hair"). still one of the best in the challenge for me.
I like the setting.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-50D
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 05/02/2007 08:36:34 PM
I'm sure the owners of this bar were amused at you running aound taking these shots. I'm always impressed by these cloning shots - must have been quite a bit of work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M1
Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro
05/02/2007 07:05:21 PM
Only one bartender for all of those guys?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 ASPH
 05/02/2007 03:26:23 PM
nicely done....creative work
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D80
Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX
 05/02/2007 09:27:46 AM
Good processing job. I've tried this but not with this much success.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
 05/01/2007 01:47:37 PM
Nice setting but more interesting if there was (a) a change of clothes, or (b) a steady increase in intoxication of the model. 7.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-1D Mark II
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM
 05/01/2007 10:32:54 AM
xcellent job, 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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