Advice, help, suggestions, trash can?

[hukari]

I took this photo about two weeks ago, and I really liked the subject. But somehow, I can't get it to look interesting. The only thing I have done to it is remove some wires, do a general levels adjustment, then a levels adjustment mask to lighten up the deep shadows under the roof and a gradient on the sky selection (because the wire removal was not perfect; the sky is exactly as blue as in the original). I tried converting it to B&W, but it still didn't "pop". Is it just plain uninteresting, bad composition, what??? What would you guys do with it?:confused:

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/12uSNgqwGRMdZUHKthvNTx1AAYBQB30_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=12uSNgqwGRMdZUHKthvNTx1AAYBQB30)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/16xsVuAgUTR4MfgPtOF9XCmaisiil_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=16xsVuAgUTR4MfgPtOF9XCmaisiil)

[NickLewis]

Hi Reka,

I know what you mean - it looks as though it should be a good shot, but doesn't quite make it. I think it's a composition issue.

Personally, I'd crop in tight on the broken down building. I think that that old building is really interesting, just a bit dark. But for me the main problem is that its lines lead my eye across the picture into an empty area of grass, and to the other building, which isn't as visually interesting, and is partially obscured.

Here's what I mean:

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1vomzZWKTuTdEEuFvcHRFLOsX9snE1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1vomzZWKTuTdEEuFvcHRFLOsX9snE1)

I've also tried to lighten the shadows a little, using Fill Light in ACR, but you'd probably be more successful using the original file.

Another possibility could be to flip it horizontally. Because we tend to move our eyes left to right, that may keep attention on the old building rather better.

Nick

[smiles]

Hi Reka,
here's what I did, I used the homework lesson # 15. I just loved it. But, I don't know exactly what you are looking for. I think it adds just enough for a keeper!
I wouldn't be to hasty to trash, others will be along with more suggestions!
smiles
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1iqQqdpZ0qT3f7HfsT30WpcNAgkM_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1iqQqdpZ0qT3f7HfsT30WpcNAgkM)

[Stoney]

Reka,
I think there are several great photos that will pop in this one photo. A few crops that might be considered are attached. I did not realize there were goats in the old barn. Depending on the ratio of sky to ground, amount of old barn to overall photo, etc would make for some great crops. The barn is overwhelming to me as it stands in the original. I think it all about composition. Keep in mind my comments are obviously subjective and most of all I know nothing about which I speak.
As a side comment, my wife and I with another couple sent three weeks in Italy two years ago and loved it. From Rome to Sorrento, Amalfi coast, Assisi, Florence, Venice, Cinque Terra and back to Rome. Every second was a "Kodak moment".
David (Stoney)

[NickLewis]

The barn is overwhelming to me as it stands in the original. I think it all about composition.Funny old world, isn't it? You think the barn's overwhelming, and I think the problem is that the eye is being drawn away from it.......:)

It'd be a shame if we were all the same!!

Nick

[Stoney]

Nick,
I agree with you.
Crop 4 highlights the old barn which I think is a great subject. Might lighten up the shadows a little to see the goats. Or the old barn and texture of wood could be emphasized and not even consider the goats.
If we all thought alike, it would be a boring world.
David

[scrapperjlc]

How about a Diffuse Glow? Gives it a misty feeling.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1SujwF9JSVuVAQJVx2F1A2VzJRidz1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1SujwF9JSVuVAQJVx2F1A2VzJRidz1)

[Rusty]

Scrap it, Reka,

Technically good picture. Two very good subjects; too bad they are both in the same image. This is a great setting; go back while the wild flowers (weeds?) in the field are still blooming.

You can do good things with either building. I agree with both Nick and Stony on competing "eye lines". The problem is that both are in the same image. But, you don't have "enough" of either one to do a single-building crop that makes sense.

Rusty

PS - obvious caveat --- all opinion; what do I know, etc :D

[Daviskw]

How about just playing...:p

Butch

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1RGk9oVWtsuuxuA37IbraNN9c3eQPU_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1RGk9oVWtsuuxuA37IbraNN9c3eQPU)

[mottcru]

Oh, now that's really cool Butch!! Can you refresh my memory about how you did that?

[Daviskw]

Hi Betsy

The first and hardest thing was to replace the sky… I could make the selection ok but the trees were translucent because of the lighting. When I tried to insert a more dramatic sky I had too much trouble with fringing. I could have grouped a layer with the selection and painted the blue out but I decided to do it the easy way…. Make everything darker then on the layer I grouped to the selection I painted the trees a dark brown.

That way I could backlight them with a dark colorful sky… which I did. Then I darkened the foreground and used a warming filter and hue/saturation to somewhat match the color to the sky.

Because of the strong shadow of the building I decided to insert a rendered lighting effect on a gray layer set to overlay in the right hand side of the sky.

I used a blank layer set to multiply to darken the left side of the building to match the setting sun direction. I also inserted a black layer over the top and reduced opacity and attached a mask…. Then brought back some of the highlights thru the darkening from the overlay.

The left side of the picture just seemed a little uninteresting so I decided to insert the little girl and highlight her somewhat.

I’m sure I forgot something… but I just had fun.

Butch

[Jancy]

Reka I like the shot and I think it is amazing how many different ways you can see it. I love what everyone has done to it. You have a few great shots out of one.
Dave That is absolutely FANTASTIC I Love what you did to it!
Jancy

Dave you don't happen to have a video of you doing it, do you?????:D :D
I would love to watch that being done! Your AMAZING!Jancy

[scrapperjlc]

This really is a fun image to play with! I had to play with it as a B&W a bit. Came up with this:

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1WMmGNRmOtMM2RX2hjC8QV7wdkfdv0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1WMmGNRmOtMM2RX2hjC8QV7wdkfdv0)

First, I did a hue/sat adjustment to just the yellow to lighten the dandelions, then I replaced the sky with a sunset sky, then did a levels adjustment, then reduced the saturation, and then did another levels adjustment.

[hukari]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I liked them all; they were way better than what I came up with! And I will try to learn from them if I can remember them all!

Nick, Cropping helped, and flipping it really did too. You are right about looking from left to right. My original might go over better in the Arab world!;)

Shari, I liked the dandelion idea, too. It leads the eye from the right to the barn then up to the other building.

Stoney, crop #4 was good! tell me if you lighten it up enough to see the goats. Then I'll have to ask you if your name comes from the Weed, since there were none in the barn!;):eek:

Jodi, I tried combining the diffuse glow with B&W. That made it look even more interesting.

Butch, as usual an awesome redo. Probably beyond my expertise to do. But wonderful!

I think Rusty may be right, though, the composition may be the problem. I will have to try it again sometime. It was taken that way because there is a modern house behind the barn to the left, but maybe I can find a better vantage point.

[Elemobe]

What a great thread. Really interesting what you can do. It was a good photo to start with, just lacked that something.

Butch, that is fantastic. I like the extra touch with the little girl popped in there - very funny:D

[nkeevers]

Butch and Jodi, neat effects to spruce the pictures up! I love both of them!

[cats4jan]

If you want to keep your original composition - Stoney's "Crop 1" works for me.

I think that the two items in the photo are fighting for attention - but the crop helps that issue.

B&W seems to work well with a photo with that subject matter - maybe highlight one building with color - leave the rest B&W?

Don't scrap your photo - inspiration may hit at a later date -

[Stoney]

Reka,
I only considered the effects of various crops.
It sure looked like a goat with his head under the rail maybe eating grass and his tail in the air. Maybe I should have lightened the photo to see all the detail.
Don't do weeds. Maybe if I did weeds, I would not have seen a goat. No telling what I may have seen.
It is more like ol' age creeping up on the ol' man.
Have a good Italian day..........Stoney

[mottcru]

Butch - Thanks for taking the time to explain how you did that great effect. I've been out of the loop for a while and it was a great refresher about combining techniques and just being creative.

I thought everyone did a great job putting a different spin on the photo!!

[Steve Cat]

Very Nice Job! I usualy don't like this sort of thing, especially the kind generated by a well known program, they just say canned Terry Redlin(SP?). Your handmade approach really does elevate it to the status of art as oppossed to art effect if you know what I mean. It really does have a haunting/melancholy approach that I'd love to copy. The face could be taken as hokey, but you pulled it off, maybe just a tab less opacity. All in all a nice output that really hit me. Do you have a gallery?

[apasskey]

Ohmigosh Butch - you did it again. I wish I could live in your brain for a week!! You are so creative and you ALWAYS amaze me with your results. That is COOL!!! :cool: Andie