Short DoF in the Front Yard

[form]

It seems I run into a blind spot when trying to critique my own shots, though I can often pick up on the details in someone else's. How are these?

Thanks for looking.

[Unreal_Nature]

Both pictures are pretty, but they seem a little too soft, to me.

Have you tried upping the contrast a little, and digging for color in your out of focus background?

My edits are crude, but may help illustrate what I mean.

-Julie

[form]

I actually didn't do any PP short of a little unsharp masking. No cropping, saturation, contrast, etc.

No, I didn't think of any of that. Subtle things like enhancing the bg colors, I don't usually notice, even in someone else's images.

I think I see what you mean as far as enhancing the background. Tell me if this edit is following your idea.

I tried to imitate what you did, by tweaking contrast and using a soft light layer brushed in the background and around the borders. Then, I upped the saturation a little more than yours. And...I cropped it like you did. I understand the left edge's greenery was unnecessary.

Thanks for your assistance.

[Rhinotherunt]

The second one is interesting...

[saad]

I agree, the second one is a lot more interesting. What are they, by the way?

[form]

They're decorations like wind chimes, hanging near the front door.

[Unreal_Nature]

Very nice. You did a beautiful job. I especially like that you added your own touch (the increased saturation) because that is what **you** wanted.

Do you have any interest in changing the second picture? I can think of things I might do with it, but I am not going to show you until/unless you show me your own edits first. I don't want my edits to influence what you do. [Please don't feel pressured to edit if you like the picture just as it is.]

-Julie

[form]

If I were to base editing of the second on the ideas from the first...

I suppose the loose thread without anything hanging on it could be removed...the background highlights could be smoothed so they're not so halo-like, as the 50mm f/1.8 II tends to do (though to be honest I thought that effect seemed to make it look all the more..chimes/chandelier-like in overall image effect). The white-ish highlight in center reduced somewhat; a little soft brush, a little contrast, a little saturation..maybe left side cropped a little.

[Unreal_Nature]

Very nice. I like it. I don't usually mind the lens halos, though I don't think they added anything to this particular picture.

In my edited version: I kind of liked the organic/irregular shape of the individual chimes (weights?). The subtle variations in the line between the nearly repeated shapes seems to catch my attention. Any time I see a thing/shape repeated over and over in a picture, the similarities or differences between each of them tend to interest me. I'm probably weird...

Anyway, here is my edited version. It is in no way better than yours, just different.

Because you took the picture, you have already, a remembered intent (why you took that picture; why you pushed the button at exactly that moment). As a viewer, the picture is already made, so I have only three choices:

1) I see your intent and don't like it > move on
2) I can't understand what you are trying to say, but I do see things of interest in the image > so I edit it to show/accentuate/illustrate what I see
3) I see what you saw, like it, think it is just fine, but I also see a variation that I find interesting > so I edit it that way and show it along with yours.

In the case of this picture, my response to the original posted picture was number 2. My response to your edited version is number 3. I like what you did with it, and also see another possiblity.

Thanks for a very interesting and fun exercise.

-Julie

[chansh]

The only problem I find is the highlights in the background is a bit distracting

[form]

I just noticed that you warmed up the picture. I hadn't considered doing that, but now that I see it and am trying it myself, the effect seems to work well with the earth tones.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions and input.

Perhaps the blue is a bit strong, though I could've sworn I noticed that and toned it down before posting my edit.

After considering the 2nd shot, it seemed most appropriate for a postcard or similar picture, with plenty of space for "words of inspiration" to the right of the chimes.

[form]

In fact, going back to the original uncropped version, if I add warmer tones and a slight purple to the blue...(first)

And then, perhaps adding some darker colors to the bokeh...(second)

I suppose I'm just experimenting.