The Lightroom Playground - Week 3

[Elemobe]

The purpose of this weekly challenge is to encourage creative experimentation with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. All Lightroom users are welcome to join in and for those who don't have Lightroom but wish to play, here is the link to the 30-day trial version.

Please make any adjustments you choose to the following image and post your results in this thread. Share how you processed the image and provide information on any develop presets used. All modifications on the image must be made in Lightroom with the exception of sharpening, noise reduction, and resizing. Matt Kloskowski's Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Killer Tips is a great source for Lightroom Develop presets.

Here is the link to this weeks photo. It is a large Jpg image not RAW, but as you know, Lightroom still works as well with it.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ilj8l4

[JulieM]

Linda,

I love your image! Hope to have some time tomorrow to play...

[JulieM]

I loved this photo, Linda. Thank you for an interesting selection! To me it was perfect for Matt's Surreal Edgy Effect. Here is my go at it:



I made a User Preset out of the settings and tried it on a bunch of photos in my library. Very interesting effects on all sorts of images.

[Elemobe]

Julie, glad you liked the photo. The edgy effect is perfect for this one and has worked really well. I love the sky, who would have thought that boring overcast sky could look that good.

I have done one but will wait to post until others have had a chance.

[bayhli]

This is a great image Linda. I wanted to focus on the wonderful vine on the truck and bring out the fall foliage, but I also wanted the stone fence in the background plus that great sky - what a cropping dilemma! So I left it all in. I did my usual basic developing steps on it, including sharpening in LR and was surprised as well at how nice the sky was afterwards.



Julie - Once again that Surreal Edgy Effect looks super on this image - well done! I MUST go and download that preset - sure a nice one.

Great photo Linda, thanks!

[Elemobe]

Oh, that has worked well also. Love the blue. Interesting how different effects can alter the image so much and work equally well.

I took this photo when I was out looking for panning shots for the "Understanding Exposure" exercise!!!

[Chuck S.]

I used the surreal edgy effect as well, along with some selective changes in hues and saturations and a WOW vignette at the end:

[bayhli]

Chuck, what I love about what you did with this effect was that you emphasized the leaves and vines - like they start from the ground, move toward and then swirl up over the truck. Love it! It seems to work better without a crop like I did.

I finally got to watch that video tonight, had to get iTunes back on my computer first. I'll definitely use this one.

[Elemobe]

Chuck, love it. You have pushed that edgy feel to....well the edge The edgy effect definitely suits this image. Great lesson to learn (and hopefully remember) that battered aging items are going to suit Matt's technique.

What I also like is the way the Lightroom adjustments have really bought out the sky. Actually, the adjusted photos are closer to the reality that day. It was dry but the sky was dramatic most of the day and then in the evening there was a beautiful sunset. The photo in my gallery was taken on the same day about 1 1/2 later.

Here is my take:

Indian Summer preset (like this preset for dramatic effects) - then adjusted more.

[bayhli]

Gold Star, Linda! Really like this one, even the leaves in the background pop out and that sky is beautiful with this preset.

Would you remember the link for this preset? Thanks.