Creative Effects Challenge No. 169 - RAW Oriental Garden Scene

[hmca]

The photographer enjoys visiting this oriental park.    Finding the best composition, framing and editing can present a challenge.   This photographer is especially interested in edits that portray the depth of the scene.
Use whatever tools you feel will best accomplish this goal. This scene will also lend itself to some creative interpretations.  Hope everyone has fun with this challenge.
 

1. Participants in the challenge may provide a screenshot of their edits within the RAW converter of their choice
along with the reasons for their edits.

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.

You have until Thursday March 3rd to submit your edits.   At the end of the challenge the image creator will select his/her three favorite edits.

Comments are restricted to complimenting another member's edit.


The RAW file can be downloaded here. You do not need a dropbox account to download.   Download button top left.

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

[pontiac1940]

Felt there was some extraneous parts in this photo so I cropped it quite hard on all four sides and also removed the two people on the left side. 
Played with levels and contrast to jazz up the colors....did not increase saturation or vibrance...was not necessary. (Contrast is a good tool.)    
I removed some CA in the sky and trees but unfortunately also removed from of the tree color ... but now I see that a faded darkened vignette might work all around to highlight the bridge a bit more. 

[pontiac1940]

2.0 ... darkened vignette. 
Perhaps cropped a wee bit too much on the bottom. 

[pontiac1940]

3.0 final answer 

[hmca]

Interesting to see the three-step progression your edit followed, Clive. Thanks for getting this started. You have certainly brought out the color in the scene.

[pontiac1940]

Feb 19, 2022 18:22:57 GMT hmca said:

You have certainly brought out the color in the scene.

Thank you Helen. Perhaps a good example of brightening color values without touching saturation or vibrance....merely contrast and selected levels. 
It is a good example of my willy-nilly editing style, i.e., fiddle until I like something. And rename files several times so I have a access to previous versions.  

Looking forward to what others see and do. 

[fotofrank]

All edits done in Photoshop ACR. Applied my ACR base settings and applied a number of local mask and edits. Cropped the Image, removed people and sign.

[hmca]

I like the golden tones you have added, Frank. I can already see that this is going to be a fun challenge.

[hmca]

Started in Camera RAW in LR where I added a couple of radial filters. Then took it into PS for some clean-up and to use modified CE4 skylight and dynamic contrast filters. I like to apply the CE filters in PS as then I can layer the effect over the original and adjust the opacity. Created a composite. Finally added a sky blue layer beneath the composite and changed the blend mode to darken....masking out where I didn't want the blue to show. Added a slight vignette. I left the tree on the left as I couldn't find a way to crop it that worked for me as I find the tree interesting.  Did crop some off the top.

[Lillias]

Opened in Camera Raw in PSE applied minor changes and on into PSE.
I like this image as is really so just cropped a little from the top.
I duplicated the image and used a levels adjustment on the top layer to brighten it.
I used a levels adjustment on the bottom layer to darken the image.
Then, hoping to convey the sense of depth that we have been told the photographer was looking for I applied a black layer mask to the top layer and brushed back in the light to the middle section of the image.
As I thought I needed a bit more darkness round the edges I created a new layer filled with 50% gray - used the overlay blend mode and then with the burn tool I added some darker spots mostly round the bottom of the image.

[hmca]

Very nice, Lillias. And good of you to address the photographer's wish for the image. I was thinking about it with my edits but your result makes it more evident.

[tonyw]

I found this a tricky one to decide what to do - so thanks to the submitter for picking a good challenge!

Mostly done in ON1 Photo RAW as I just updated my old version to 2022 so needed some practice. Did a bit of straightening and decided to crop using the trees on the left and top to frame the scene and left in the bamboo fence on the right as a lead in to the bridge and pagoda. Added some dynamic contrast and a vignette. Having just seen Lillias I think I could have made the vignette a little darker.



Tony

[hmca]

Feb 21, 2022 0:21:52 GMT tonyw said:

I found this a tricky one to decide what to do - so thanks to the submitter for picking a good challenge!

Agree! Seeing the variety of the initial edits illustrates that point.

[PeteB]

Made adjustments in ACR. Opened in PSE and applied filters in Color Efex. Added a sky using a gradient. Used Hue/saturation to make adjustments to the bright yellows and to reduce the saturation of the red bridge. Darken the background and added a dark vignette. Fixed the two trees where the vegetation on the pond "grew" up/out to cover parts of the trunks…cloning on the trunks and diffusion on the pond vegetation.

[hmca]

You also did a nice job addressing the photographer's desire to create a sense of depth, Pete.