4 replies to this topic

[Merco_61]

First a message from this week's file submitter, Merco_61.

This is an old mill house, now the county museum. It was built in 1766-68, the upper floor added in 1850, converted to steam in 1910 and folded in 1946. The museum took over the building, rebuilt inside and opened in 1959.

 

Dropbox file:

Dropbox - PES_2017-02-14_12-44-51_24mm_A.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.

[Red83152]

This was a tough one for me to consider.  I originally thought that the image was mighty dark and the sun-flares and glare made the dark image even harder to see.  My eyes are not the best.  So, here's what I did:

 

Converted to black & white

Lightened shadows

Raised the highlights and whites

[Bart]

A challenging and interesting image, Peter!

With the flare and ghosting.

I thought the best way to approach it was to 'embrace' these effects.

 

Working in DxO Optics with the camera-lens module, I did some perspective correction and added a fair amount of contrast and 'ClearView'. This cuts through the touch of veiling flare and enhances the sunburst and ghosting.

Rather than brightening the image, I darkened the parts in the shadow. When you look into the sun, the shadow parts do look dark outside. Because it's easy now to lift the shadows, I think we tend to forget this.

Crop 'unconstrained' applied.

 

 

Result:

 

 

I used DxO FilmPack for another interpretation in colour:

Kodachrome64 and some minor tweaks

 

 

 

 

I used Silver Efex on the DxO output, going for a strong contrast b&w.

 

 

 

I tried my hand at removing the lettering on the truck in LR afterwards.

 

 

Thanks Peter, for lending us this image to work on. It was an interesting exercise! 

I'm afraid I made the image more about light and shadows and gave a second role to the historical setting.

[deano]

Loving your town Peter, so much history.

I didn't have much time this week but managed to get one rendition done.

I lightened up the mood and tried to bring out some details in the shadows.

Attached Thumbnails

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[Merco_61]

Thanks all of you for your different takes on this far from easy capture to edit.

Red83152 and dean, you both got a fair bit of detail out of this but in very different ways

Bart, I really like how you let the mill stand in the shadow of the cathedral without brightening the image. 

The lens I used for this (AF 24/2.8D) is very prone to flare with well defined 14-beam sunstars closed down fully. This makes for interesting captures with character rather than the technical perfection of the 24/1.8 or the 24/1.4. Both the f/2.8 and the f/1.8 have their place in my bag, especially on the D300 like this. They complement each other well depending on what rendering is wanted. 

 

Here is my own take:

Basic edits in Capture NX-D.

ADL changed to Normal from Off

Picture control changed to an even softer one derived from D2X Mode 1

LoCA removal activated

Distortion control activated

WB changed to 7500K

 

 

Over to PS for further editing.

Straightened the cornerstoning.

Painted in some raised contrast locally on the sunstar, water and the stone wall above the water.

 

 

A monochrome made in SEP to this recipe from the finished colour version.

 

 

What I tried to do is to bring out some details, but introduce some tension by the local contrast on the water

 

Thanks again for taking part, it is always interesting to see how others interpret the same file.