This will be the last exercise before Easter. We will restart with the week ending April 19.
The informal challenge from December is still available here if time permits. It would be interesting to see what some more of you can do with those files.
First a message from this week's file submitter, Mr_Leeman:
We found a spot in the woods not far from where we live that was a like a fairytale early last year. I recently went back through some old files and this one really jumps out. Would like to see what you guys can do with it. Have fun!
Dropbox file:
Dropbox - _DSC0236.NEF - Simplify your life
And then the rules:
The exercise is weekly, a new thread with a new raw (preferably) or jpg fine file for each week.
The exercise officially runs until midnight between sunday and monday pst (UTC-8). Even after the official deadline, the exercise is still open for new interpretations.
This is a round-robin exercise, the order of submitting the week’s raw file is based on an alphabetical list of applicants’ user names. If the next submitter on the list is unable to post at his/her turn he/she may ask the thread master to be moved down the list no later than friday morning. Late applications will be added at the bottom of the list.
We will revise this when every applicant has had a go, and perhaps change this model.
The submitter for the week must make the file along with any specific text for the post available to the thread master during the weekend preceding the challenge week. The thread master will then copy the file to a Dropbox location for the challenge and make the starting post for the week.
The exercise is open to all members, not only the file submitters.
Images provided, as well as the images resulting from the exercise remain the sole property of the photographer who took them. Those participating in the editing exercise may not use or display the photo outside the exercise thread.
It is allowed to make derivative interpretations on other participants’ work (a collaborative approach). If you base your take on someone else’s work, you must indicate what you started from.
The owner of the photo comments on the work done, highlighting what he liked best (both the interpretation itself and the technique used to get there) after the original week is over.
As this exercise is a tool for learning and inspiration, multiple entries are not only ok, but encouraged if a participant gets a new idea for how to present or interpret the photo, including artistic interpretations.
Participants must share how they have achieved their take on the photo.
Participants are explicitly not limited as to what software is used for the exercise.
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Editing exercise, week ending March 29 2015
#1
Posted 22 March 2015 - 04:09 AM
#2
Posted 24 March 2015 - 07:10 AM
Here is my take:
Open in CS6
In ACR:
Adjust WB
Basic exposure settings, see screen dump
Adjusted the tone curve, see screen dump
Enabled lens corrections
Set Camera calibration to camera standard
Opened in PS
Noise reduction in DFine
CEP polarization
CEP Foliage
Crop to 5:4
In LR:
Masked the face and raised exposure locally
#3
Posted 25 March 2015 - 02:27 PM
"Like a fairy tale" is right!
A lovely and adorable image.
Started in DxO 10, Colour rendering to camera body and applied the camera-lens module.
Black point 5/3, White point 250/252, Smart lighting to Medium and ClearView to 18.
Contrast to 18, Fine contrast to 17.
I did some additional tweaking of the lighting with Selective toning, Midtones +12, Shadows +14.
Then I opened up the shadows some more with the tone curve, protecting both the blacks and the highlights.
A applied a crop as well - unrestricted.
Result:
I saw some other possibilities I wanted to explore and changed the crop more.
I also changed the Smart Lighting to Strong, upped ClearView to 50 and set vibrancy to 5 (out of 100).
Result:
I picked the second version for further interpretations.
Imported the dng output in LR and sent to Color Efex where I dug a little deeper than I usually do.
Starting from the Recipe Sepia Glow, I added quite some control points for local adjustments:
Result:
Would this work in b&w?
I tried in DxO but I thought I could get a better result.
Same dng was sent to Silver Efex, started from the preset Fine Art High Key - discarding the border.
Then I sent the result to DxO FilmPack to add some toning.
(High tones = Sepia gold and Low tones = Selenium)
Result:
Finally, I did a quick visit to Topaz Impressions - Georgia O'Keefe I.
A kind of interesting result.
I really enjoyed this exercise.
Thanks for lending us your image!
#4
Posted 26 March 2015 - 05:02 PM
Nice capture - here are my interpretations:
Started, as Bart, with importing to DxO for basic camera-lens corrections.
For a first interpretation I started with an uncropped capture, to which I added a ClearView of 10p and a vignetted Blur of 20p, which resulted in
However I felt that this did not put enough focus on your son, so rather went for a cropping, applying the initial ratio, but excluding the piece of wood in the foreground, while having the head centered.
Settings here are a vignette Blur of 20p with a radius of 30; adding also 5p on contrast and 10p on microcontrast, as well as 5p on shadows
Still I felt that the structure on the trees was not well rendered and opted to open the picture in IntensifyPro for applying the 'Smooth shadows'-preset
Finally, for a black and white version, I imported the capture in TonalityPro, where I started with a film emulation preset for an 'Ilford Pan F Plus 50', which I then altered by changing with a Glow of 20p and a reduction of highlights by 50p
#5
Posted 27 March 2015 - 10:48 PM
My Take....
Nikon Forums Edit Challenge by Crew One Photography, on Flickr
Basic fixes in Lightroom, then exported to Anolog Efex 2 to create the look I wanted. Then sent the same image back through Anolog Efex to make a second copy where I added heart shaped bokeh. Sent both of those through PS to create layers to bring the subject back though the bokeh I created (that make sense?)
edit: Gotta say I'm proud of my own efforts... lol. This worked out better than I thought.
#6
Posted 30 March 2015 - 12:15 AM
I decided to make a tilt-effect manually as a second edit.
I started from my last version.
Open in PS
Enter Quick Mask mode by pressing Q.
Marquee tool, reflected gradient and a vertical stroke in the zone I want sharp to create a mask.
Leave Quick Mask by pressing Q again.
Filter>Blur>Lens Blur, adjust until it looks right. I remembered to set the effect for a rounded heptagon iris. This makes the blur look more natural when the lens is one of the AF 50/1.8 versions.
#7
Posted 30 March 2015 - 06:01 AM
I always love how different people interpret an image. I like them all in their own right, but drawn particularly to Jerry's B&W, which I avoided due to the colours, however it makes it a simpler version. I also like dcBear's take, whith muted colours and the bokeh. Great efforts all round!
My take was to really push the fairy tale idea, so did minor tweaks in lightroom to the shadows and highlights. I also added some complimentry colours to the highlights and shadows. Then of to PS and cloned out the distracting twigs in the foreground as well as the stump. I added in some dust particles to enhance the woodland feel and also introduced some rays of sunlight from the top right corner, hoping they are subtle enough not to distract. I added a flare also in the top right. As Peter, I also lightened the face as it was getting a little lost.
Blue Bell Dreams by mr_leeman, on Flickr
Thanks all for playing with my file!