Old blacksmiths shop

[ANDYSUDS]

Took this pic of old blacksmiths shop which my friends father worked for years,any C&C is welcome.

Thanks....Andy

[Olli]

This is an environment I like a lot. You have captured it very well with good details. You might consider to selectevely increase the contrast, to make the image 'pop' a bit more.

[RAPhotography]

this screams out for a b&w version, or even sepia if you're in to that sort of thing.

a very busy shot, but, I don't think that's a problem. I find myself enjoying all of the subtle details.

ryan

[Yiskah]

Great shot. My dad had a friend who was a blacksmith- the last in our area-... man, how I wish I could have visited his shop and taken a photo like this one. A human element would have even added a nice touch. Do you have any with the blacksmith in the corner/edge of the photo?

[mickdo100]

Hi there this is a great shot well done

[mi_reefy]

i love the scene..
and agree with Ryan about the b&w / sepia conversion ...

couldn't help myself.. hope u don't mind...

just a quick edit:

[poppie guy]

I wouldn't convert it to B&W, I think it's very nice as is.

[chauncey]

I can smell the iron in the air.

I hope that the image "was/can be" done in RAW as it has enormous potential, B&W conversion being only one route.

[masayako]

Cool, looks like one of those images from 1st person shooter PC games :)

[LesleyAnn]

Love your photo just as it is Andy

[Picture North Carolina]

I wouldn't convert it to B&W, I think it's very nice as is.

Ditto! The tonality and soft color / tint are what makes this photo. BW would be too harsh and I think sepia would distract from some of the great, sharp detail.

[lama_duke]

Great scene, I'm waiting to hear the clang of the hammer. The image is great as is and I like the tone and feel of it. I've looked at it for quite awhile now, and keep finding new details which is awesome. It's as close to exploring a blacksmith shop as I will ever get. In my humble opinion I like the original image. B&W would work, but would not necessarily be better.

[betebete]

Awesome.
This is a perfect setting for a greater shot.
I think this photo would improve 500% with a old blacksmith hammering away at some heated iron object with his tools.

[SwingBopper]

Awesome.
This is a perfect setting for a greater shot.
I think this photo would improve 500% with a old blacksmith hammering away at some heated iron object with his tools.

I agree, a grizzled old smitty would do nicely!

[Walczak Photo]

Just my own $.02 worth here....

Personally, I would NOT turn this into a black & white. The soft colors of this shot work perfect for it...any change in that regards would be a big mistake in my opinion. It could stand maybe a slight contrast boost, but I think that would be about it.

The one thing I would change about this composition is simply the angle it was shot in the room or possibly even just the crop. First, having that vice there in the foreground on the left side there is distracting to me. Also having the forge that close to center feels a little awkward. In my mind at least, while this shot is about the over-all look and feel of the room, the forge is really the anchor if you will, so I would have put it further to the left in the composition (rule of thirds).

To be honest here, I think I might have moved around this room a little more and tried shooting it from a few different angles. Again I love the over all feel and the soft saturation but to me there is a lack of symmetry or something here that throws the shot off a bit.

Again just my $.02,
Jim

[acchildress]

I like this shot a lot. It looks like a good start on one of those "find the items" computer games.

[ANDYSUDS]

Cant believe the replys i have got,all comments are taken on board.

Thanks....Andy

[cmb64]

I really, really, really like this pic...well done you!

[chomish]

Cool, looks like one of those images from 1st person shooter PC games :)

Haha i was thinking the same thing, but more int he lines of an RPG.

Great shot!! Love looking at all the equipment and stuff in the shop.

[baltawfiq]

Great tones. I like that you left a little bit of open space at the front, some breathing room - makes it feel crowded but not overfull, you can still walk around it with your eyes.

[capt_tast]

Looks great exactly as it is.

[Al Heline]

The vice is my only problem with it (as it was shot). No B&W here, and the sepia is already there sufficiently. Try cropping the left to eliminate the vice and notice that your eye no longer jumps around. Very nice shot.

[photoguy6405]

It is "busy", but that's exactly what I think makes it.

[Bill Boehme]

The soft muted tones and almost mono color are what really brings this image to life -- I can almost feel the dusty environment. Don't change a thing.

i love the scene..
and agree with Ryan about the b&w / sepia conversion ...

couldn't help myself.. hope u don't mind...

just a quick edit:

While technically a good demonstration of controlling tonal range, for me, it changed the mood of the scene from its warm feeling to an image of a dark old building without anything compelling to draw the viewer into the scene.

Ditto! The tonality and soft color / tint are what makes this photo. BW would be too harsh and I think sepia would distract from some of the great, sharp detail.

Absolutely!

Just my own $.02 worth here....

Personally, I would NOT turn this into a black & white. The soft colors of this shot work perfect for it...any change in that regards would be a big mistake in my opinion. It could stand maybe a slight contrast boost, but I think that would be about it.

The one thing I would change about this composition is simply the angle it was shot in the room or possibly even just the crop. First, having that vice there in the foreground on the left side there is distracting to me. Also having the forge that close to center feels a little awkward. In my mind at least, while this shot is about the over-all look and feel of the room, the forge is really the anchor if you will, so I would have put it further to the left in the composition (rule of thirds).

To be honest here, I think I might have moved around this room a little more and tried shooting it from a few different angles. Again I love the over all feel and the soft saturation but to me there is a lack of symmetry or something here that throws the shot off a bit.

Again just my $.02,
Jim

Agree except about the vice. It is in sharp focus and I feel that it really does a great job of giving depth perception to the image even though it is just a supporting element on the periphery. Additionally, it does not compete to become the center of attention-- it just helps bring the viewer into the scene almost as if just walking past it.

[1shot4u]

Awesome shot..love it

[neumanns]

Throw a vignette on it and call it a day...Filter > distort>lens correction, (-100,+50)