Feedback on this poorly lit photo

[VirtualRain]

I posted a variant of this in the POTD thread yesterday and got some good feedback there, so I thought I'd share the outcome of some of that feedback and invite further discussion on whether this photo was even worthy of keeping, and if so, which of these variants stand out as a good interpretation of it.

Thoughts?

If anyone cares to play around with it and see what they can do, the RAW file is available here.

Here's the untouched photo:

5DM34598 5 by VirtualRain, on Flickr

Here's my original edit:

5DM34598 by VirtualRain, on Flickr

Here's a few different variants based on feedback:


5DM34598 1 by VirtualRain, on Flickr

Additional lifting of shadows...

5DM34598 2 by VirtualRain, on Flickr

As above in B&W...

5DM34598 3 by VirtualRain, on Flickr

Original edit in B&W (darker shadows)

5DM34598 4 by VirtualRain (Junk Photos), on Flickr

 

[kenoh]

OK, time to show how clueless I am.

Could you take the castle lighting of image 3 and make a composite of it and the untouched imaged? just to give some more detail in the untouched one?

The one of the water only needs the little bit of visible shoreline cropped off the top then it would be good too...

 

[Apple fanboy]

Here's a couple for you. I'm know expert though! Didn't like the feel of just the water crop I mentioned earlier.

Having a few issues uploading from my desktop. I'll stick them on Flickr for a day or two then delete theme (as it's your image not mine).

Color Efex & LR by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

Silver Efex edit by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

BTW you really need a sensor clean!

 

[VirtualRain]

Here's a couple for you. I'm know expert though! Didn't like the feel of just the water crop I mentioned earlier.

Having a few issues uploading from my desktop. I'll stick them on Flickr for a day or two then delete theme (as it's your image not mine).

Color Efex & LR by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

Silver Efex edit by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

BTW you really need a sensor clean!

Thanks. I really like the look of the second monotone one... What did you do there?

Ps. Sensor was cleaned after that trip... It was a mess

 

[Apple fanboy]

Thanks. I really like the look of the second monotone one... What did you do there?

Ps. Sensor was cleaned after that trip... It was a mess

Used one of the Silver Efex Pro 2 B&W filters, then tweaked it a bit in LR .

 

[VirtualRain]

Used one of the Silver Efex Pro 2 B&W filters, then tweaked it a bit in LR .

I did a similar treatment in SFX2 and Capture One. I like it the most of all the variations I've done. Thanks!

 

[Miltz]

 

[VirtualRain]

View attachment 567066

Also nicely done. I like it.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I did a similar treatment in SFX2 and Capture One. I like it the most of all the variations I've done. Thanks!

No worries. I have so much software I hardly use. I think I do 95% in LR and hardly touch the others. My Nik stuff gets the second most use. Trouble is I don't use it enough to get the best out of it.

 

[VirtualRain]

No worries. I have so much software I hardly use. I think I do 95% in LR and hardly touch the others. My Nik stuff gets the second most use. Trouble is I don't use it enough to get the best out of it.

Same here. I had completely overlooked NIK.

 

[TheDrift-]

just a very quick 5 min mess around on my lunch hour...

 

[VirtualRain]

just a very quick 5 min mess around on my lunch hour...

That looks spectacular... cool. I wouldn't go that far in my own post efforts though (although perhaps if it only took me 5min, I might change my mind). I'm envious of your skills! I assume you did this in Photoshop?

 

[TheDrift-]

That looks spectacular... cool. I wouldn't go that far in my own post efforts though (although perhaps if it only took me 5min, I might change my mind). I'm envious of your skills! I assume you did this in Photoshop?

Thanks, yes it was done is photoshop, I have still have the Psd I can post up if you want? Though it probably will have to be tomorrow as I am spending most of today away from my laptop.

 

[VirtualRain]

Thanks, yes it was done is photoshop, I have still have the Psd I can post up if you want? Though it probably will have to be tomorrow as I am spending most of today away from my laptop.

Would appreciate it if you would. Thanks!

 

[TheDrift-]

That looks spectacular... cool. I wouldn't go that far in my own post efforts though (although perhaps if it only took me 5min, I might change my mind). I'm envious of your skills! I assume you did this in Photoshop?

Would appreciate it if you would. Thanks!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/6574169/5DM34598.psd

Sure, sorry its quite badly labeled (as was only doing a quick job) but if you have any questions just ask...also after looking at it again i took the float out

thanks

 

[MiniD3]

My thoughts , B&W

 

[kevintheartist]

Great post. It's nice to see everyone's work. Thought I would join in. Hope you like it.
https://thecomplicatedelephant.squarespace.com

 

[swordio777]

Hi VirtualRain! I don't think theres any question - the image is definitely worth keeping!

As you've seen in your own edits, although the shot looks underexposed there's still loads of information in the file.

Of your own original edits, I like the version with additional lifted shadows the best. It's the closest to what I would aim for personally, although in my humble opinion, I think it's a little over-cooked. The shot looks like it was taken around dusk, and the colours seem just a little over-saturated for the light at that time of day. Please don't take that as criticism though - everyone has different tastes, and how far you take your retouching is obviously up to the individual photographer.

Unfortunately I was unable to download the raw file from your dropbox, so I downloaded the untouched JPEG from your flickr instead. Hopefully this shows just how much detail is available, even just in the JPEG file - so with access to the raw file I'm sure you'd be able to extract even more!

Thanks for sharing! It was great fun to have a shot at retouching someone else's image.

Best regards,
Iain