Creative Effects Challenge No. 164 - RAW Officer's Row

[hmca]

RAW CHALLENGE

Looking at this picture on the computer, the photographer wondered if it was worth saving?   It will be interesting to see if your creativity can save it.

1. After checking with the regular participants of this challenge, it was decided that including a screenshot of your edits in your RAW converter is no longer required. So I will leave it up to you if you would like to share them.
2. Following their initial edits members may use whatever “tools" they wish to create an image that portrays their artistic vision for the image
as long as the character of the original image is not lost.

3. Including information on plug-ins, actions, external editors, textures, sky replacements etc that were used will only help to inform members
of some of the creative options that are available to today’s photographer.

4. Including layer stacks may be something to consider when presenting a final edit.
5.  You may not add items that aren't in the original picture.

You have until Thursday Dec. 23rd to submit your edits. At the end of the challenge the three favorite edits will be chosen.

Comments are restricted to complimenting another member's edit.

This is a screenshot of the image that we will be working on:



You can find the RAW image for download with this link.

[michelb]

PSE 2022 raw, preset artistic 05.

In the editor, correct camera distortion, vignette +60

Stoke inside black, 20 pixels.

[fotofrank]

Opened in duo pure raw - applied defaults for camera and lens
Exported DNG to photoshop - Crop, and edits
Sky replacement Luminar template

[michelb]

Are we allowed a second version?

[hmca]

Being the photographer had such doubts about this image, it is wonderful to see how it has already sparked your creative vision.

michelb, Your first submission has a beautiful serene feel to it that was basically created right within the raw editor. I note in particular the reduction in clarity and the lightened vignette.
There is no limit on submissions to this thread. I am pleased to see your B/W edit as well. I think the image definitely lends itself to a B/W conversion.

fotofrank.......you have taken a much different approach. The starlit night has transformed the scene into one that I could see included in an illustrated book of the area.

[tourerjim]

   

[pontiac1940]

hmca
Helen, 
You said, "You may not add items that aren't in the original picture." I added text for "date" reference as I was going for an old-school image as did michelb
Removed (by cloning) most of the house in the far left and cropped a wee bit off the left side. Created assorted layers and texturized one layer (sandstone) and reduced opacity. Merged layers. Fiddled with clarity, saturations and contrasts and added "tint" to yield the slight "pink" and was trying to emulate a hand-painted postcard of the day. Somewhere along the way I created a second layer that was slightly blurred and then with a soft brush, erased parts of the blurred layer specifically around the row of houses. I only use shipped fonts and was not totally pleased with the one I settled on.  
Herewith is the fictitious Coldspring by the Sea, 1925. 
Clive

 

[tonyw]

Interesting one to work on. I decided it needed a crop to focus on the officer's row buildings and get rid of some sky and foreground. Dull day when taken so brightened it up some and replaced the sky with a more interesting one. Much of the time I spent in Lightroom playing with the new selective masking tools to understand how they work. Here's where I got to:



Tony

PS - I did add two new items - a new sky and a frame but I believe that's allowed - but you couldn't add a whale emerging from the depths! 

[hmca]

tourerjim when I first looked at your submission the images labeled 2, 3, and 4 weren't visible. I was immediately interested in how you achieved the soft golden glow so appreciate the added panels.

pontiac1940......I am pleased to see that Michel's image inspired you as well. Your "postcard" has a definite vintage feel with a well-chosen font. As Tony has rightly pointed out, you're good as long as there are no whales, boats etc. added to your image.

tonyw.......your crop draws our attention to the row of buildings. I like the way the line of clouds seems to mirror the landscape below.

[fotofrank]

B&W Version Photoshop with BW artisan pro and a new sky

[hmca]

Darker in tone your B/W version has a completely different feel to it, Frank. I have been meaning to take a look at artisan pro.

[fotofrank]

Helen, the nice thing about artisan pro is that you can skip step 1 (convert to B&W) and it works just as well in color.

[hmca]

Thanks, Frank. Took a quick look but need to go back and take some more time checking it out. I mostly like to keep things simple.

[tonyw]

One more - in B&W. This one used it's own sky which I processed separately and then relocated - so more of a sky modification than a sky replacement. Most of the other adjustments were done in Silver Efex Pro 3



Tony

[hmca]

I like the way you have brought out the contrast in the sky. I find your black and white conversion very natural looking.