old ranch house

[lonnycaughron]

pleas critique for me. curious about composition, exposure ect. . .

the first photo is unchanged except for USM and resizing. The second is a provia action. do you like the effect. or do you think b & w would better suit this image

http://www.pbase.com/image/30010837.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/image/30010838.jpg

thanks for you comments

lonny

[LightHunter]

I prefer the second but I have the impression nothing is in focus.
Did you do that deliberately?

[lonnycaughron]

I prefer the second but I have the impression nothing is in focus.
Did you do that deliberately?

There is something going on when I use photoshop to convert to jpeg for web. I don't know if the resizing or the conversion to jpeg is what is doing it. The full resolution jpegs don't appear to be out of focus although i do have to apply some usm. here is a link to a full resolution picture but it is a large file.

http://www.pbase.com/image/30023842

of course I did have lasik done on tuesday so i do see better now than when i took the picture

lonny

[LightHunter]

There is something going on when I use photoshop to convert to jpeg for web. I don't know if the resizing or the conversion to jpeg is what is doing it. The full resolution jpegs don't appear to be out of focus although i do have to apply some usm. here is a link to a full resolution picture but it is a large file.
http://www.pbase.com/image/30023842
of course I did have lasik done on tuesday so i do see better now than when i took the picture
lonny

This original looks much better! What is lasik?

[rick barclay]

Lasik is a form of eye surgery using laser technology.

[MrChevy]

Here are a couple quick tries at it Lonny. First we will compare the original with what I did to make it.

http://home.comcast.net/~kenchevy/lon.jpg

Then one at:
Levels 0/.70/205
USM 35/1.0/0
Convert to sRGB
Save for Web

They do look quite a bit more in focus than your posts. I don't know where you might be going wrong. What is your workflow Lonny?

http://home.comcast.net/~kenchevy/lon70.jpg

[Jemmind]

I agree the original is much sharper, but then again the softer feel seems more....nostalgic? to me....Almost like the sharper one is just a picture of a shack(albiet very nice), but the soft one evokes more emotion to me, makes it feel familiar, almost like a memory. I can't really put it into words:(
Nice shot though either way.

Julie

[lonnycaughron]

Thanks for everyones help and suggestions.

Here are a couple quick tries at it Lonny. First we will compare the original with what I did to make it.

They do look quite a bit more in focus than your posts. I don't know where you might be going wrong. What is your workflow Lonny?


Sorry that I have not gotten back to you. I've been working alot lately (about 76 hours this week). I usually us PSCS to convert raw to 16 bit tiff files. For this picture I used a Provia action that I have, used levels to improve brightness/contrast and then usm at 100/1/0. Then save for web during wich i resize the image. Color and sharpness is fine until the save for web. I have been leaving everything in Adobe RGB (as shot) because the place i get my prints made uses that color space. Maybe I need to convert to sRGB before the save for web or apply more sharpening. I'm trying to avoid over sharpening the pics. I've been using ps for about 10 years (since about version 3) but have only recently started getting serious about it since I purchased my 10D. I will soon be buying color calibration equipment to help with getting what I see in prints.

Here is another that i took, color did not look so great but I think B/W makes the picture look better.
http://www.pbase.com/image/30013419.jpg

I've been thinking of setting up a small side business for selling prints. Several people want to buy some of the pictures that I have taken. Although I know that i'm no professional, would be nice to make 10 dollars or so off a picture that i've taken. (would also be nice to be able to write off the $6000 worth of camera equipment that i've bought since feb).

Lonny

[Laziferous]

You definitely need to resharpen your images after you resize them. Resizing softens them, as you can see.