8 replies to this topic

[Merco_61]

First a message from this week's file submitter, nbanjogal.

This image was made for one of our music challenges from this summer. It was taken near sunset on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA.

 

Dropbox file:

Dropbox - NCF-20160904-DSC_7987.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.

 

 

[deano]

Nicole, thanks for a most unique photo to work with.  I have been to the Great Salt Lake a number of times and continue to marvel at it's vastness.  With that in mind I didn't do any cropping.  I wanted to emphasize the setting sun and the bit of setting sun on the models backside, and also to highlight her face.  I then converted it into b/w, which I think enhances the photo.  All edits in LR5.  B/C conversion done in Topaz

Attached Thumbnails

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[Malice]

First up, my thanks to nbanjogal for letting us play with this very nice exposure.

 

In my opinion, the original is so well rounded, there really isn't much that "needs" to be done with the image.

 

Not having read the description properly, my first impression was of a sunrise and not sunset situation. Based on that, I decided to move my interpretation into the "the dawn of the new day brings new hope/new chances/new confidence" direction.

 

(using LR4 from here on)

 

Therefore, I also wanted to bring the model and the flower in her hand a little more into the foreground, to reduce the "lost in this vast scenery" impression a little. To get the bright line in the horizon to the lower 1/3rd intersection without moving the model to the centre of the image or losing the sun on the left hand side, I chose a free hand crop, which resulted in a slightly non-standard format (the ratio is 1:1.57; i.e. not quite 2:3).

 

To emphasize on the directional sense and the contrast between the sun and the darker parts (for which she somehow needs to collect her confidence/resolve), I applied a graduated neutral density filter from left to right, with an exposure setting of -1.25. 

 

The other settings are as follows:

Exposure: +0.75

Highlights: -100

Shadows: +20

Clarity: +25

 

In the color panel:

Luminescence > Yellow channel > +50 (to bring out the flower a little more)

 

I also stamped away a slight lens flare to the left of her right shoulder.

 

> Export as TIF

 

To finalise, I added some sharpening with Raw Presharpener (Nik Collection) in high ISO mode, reduced some noise with Dfine (Nik Collection) - both at the default automatic settings -  and turned the TIF into a JPG with Apple's Preview.

 

And here is my result:

 

 

(one of these days, I have to learn how to insert smaller preview images into a thread)

 

So, thanks again and have a nice weekend.

[bani12]

This time I have prepared two iterations. I wanted to enhance subtle light from the original image.

 

First image:

 

with settings I used:

 

Second image:

 

with settings I used:

 

 

Thank you, Nicole, for this beautiful and subtle portrait image.

[Jerry_]

Thanks for lending this capture for the exercise, Nicole.

I processed the capture in DxO10,.
So it started by applying the corrections for the camera-lens combination.

Next I went for a 16:9 crop, a ratio applied for screens rather then for prints, which I feel that it better translates the landscape outlook.

I also removed the flare identified by Malice, as well as increased the shadow light by 9 points.

This gave me


Then I applied a split toning of

resulting in


As an extra interpretation I applied a Bergger BRW 400 Plus, after having applied a 10 points ClearView.

[Bart]

An intriguing image, Nicole.

Makes one guess about the story behind this scene.

 

I started in DxO Optics with the camera-lens module, a slight leveling with auto crop. Other than that, I didn't change the composition.

I used the tool Spot Weighted to work on the lighting.

Lets you select a number of areas that will influence the outcome of the lighting settings more than other areas.

I also warmed the colours up a little.

 

 

with this outcome:

 

 

 

Created a virtual copy and this time in Optics, I applied a film emulation of Kodak Portra 160VS and some resulting further changes in the lighting

 

 

With this as my colour version:

 

 

(spot removal in LR)

 

I took the dng version of the original outcome into Silver Efex for the b&w interpretation.

 

 

 

 

After this processing, some spot removal in LR was needed.

Which is often the case.

 

Thanks you, Nicole for lending us this great image to work on!

[Merco_61]

A nice, challenging and very open capture to do something with. I decided early on to go for a sense of loneliness, but less of feeling lost than the original capture with some light from the setting sun to give some hope.

 

All basic edits done in Capture NX-D

A quite severe crop to get her eyes in the upper left thirds-intersection, the horizon about 1:3 up and lose a bit of the lost in the wilderness feeling.

Exposure -2/3 steps, ADL Low.

Picture Control set to [LS]Landscape.

 

 

Over to PS CC for further edits.

A soft gold reflector effect in CEP, carefully brushed in to enhance the light from the setting sun.

 

 

I tried to make a monochrome version, and I will probably come back and try some more but I simply couldn't get the look I want for it.

 

Thank you, Nicole for letting us play around with the photo.

[leighgion]

My first time in one of these challenges. Thanks Nicole, for putting your shot up.

 

Like others here, I saw no happiness in this image, just possibilities of bleak loneliness. In that spirit, I took inspiration from Goldfrapp's recent music videos, which are probably their most melancholy music and imagery to date, I went for a similar low contrast, overexposed B&W effect.

 

I pushed the file through Aperture, but ultimately it was irrelevant as all the real work was done in Silver Efex Pro.

 

The large amount of sky didn't add a lot of interest to me, so I cropped down to the Panavision 2.40:1 ratio which I think suits the composition better and gives the image a classical cinematic aspect.

 

Applied the following effects in Silver Efex:

 

Brightness 47%

Contrast -82%

Green filter

Fuji Neopan ACROS 100 film effect (default settings)

#14 "Coffee" toning

 

[nbanjogal]

Sorry! I am late for nearly everything these days! 

 

I really enjoyed seeing everyone's interpretations of this image--mine seems pretty humble in comparison.

 

Dean, I liked both of yours quite a bit, but I especially like the color you were able to coax out of the image. It makes me wish I had tried it in color! The flower--you brought it out wonderfully. 

Malice--another color version that makes me rethink my choice. I see you also really brought out the flower, which I just love. I think you succeeded quite well in remaking the image into a brighter, more hopeful image. 

Urban, those are both gorgeous, but I am finding myself drawn to the sky in the first one over and over. The tones and light in the sky are fantastic! 

Jerry, the split toning really added some drama--I think that middle image is my favorite. The warmth in the bottom of the image created by the split toning is quite nice...and now I need to figure out how to achieve a similar effect in Lightroom. I know it's possible, but I haven't done much of it. 

Bart, you and Jerry may convert me to DxO. Such lovely results! You are a pro at black and white conversions, but I find your color version with the Portra emulation just stunning.

Peter--I really like what you did with the highlights around the model. It really gives the image some spark, and I think the loss of those highlights is what miss most in my own interpretation. The crop is very nice--I am glad to see more of Stansbury Island behind her!

Leighgion--fantastic interpretation! The toning and cinematic crop work so well. I find it interesting that you took inspiration from music videos. This was an outtake from our August music challenge, where we used Max Ablitzer's Ghost Song as inspiration. Thanks for the intro to Goldfrapp though--the music is beautiful, and the video makes me want to become a videographer...

 

 

 

 

At the Great Salt Lake by Nicole Fernley, on Flickr

 

Thanks everyone for taking the time to play with my image--it was fun and enlightening to see it through your eyes!