This barn should look better - why doesn't it?

[GDH]

I shot this at 8 degrees in a strong breeze with no gloves or hat. It really looked like something in person, but really misses on my computer. I coverted to BW and took out the power line and jet trail (poorly) and it still doesn't grab me. How could this be better? I posted the color version for your review.

[maderik]

How could this be better?

Well, you could do like Emeril and kick it up a notch or 3. Increase the contrast and/or saturation. bam! Add a warming filter. BTW, what do you *want* it to look like?

[LarryD]

It is an interesting barn....... Perhaps if you had moved in closer with a wide angle lens (to distort it a bit towards the viewer) and used some fill flash to show more wall behind the silo.... still, it has potential..

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa67/LD_album/junk/color.jpg

[hawkeye60]

It isn't level, and composition-wise it's just kind of there in the middle. Did you take any others from a different perspective?

[Minty]

Yep, needs 1deg CW rotation. I prefer the B&W, how about using some USM to increase contrast on the conversion.?

[FlyingPhotog]

I see this as an opportunity to get in closer and make a collection of detail shots rather than one all-inclusive shot with the barn just anchored in the center.

The lighting would yield some nice close up texture studies.

As it is here, the B&W is much, much stronger than the color (IMO)

[sunbeast]

I see this as an opportunity to get in closer and make a collection of detail shots rather than one all-inclusive shot with the barn just anchored in the center.

The lighting would yield some nice close up texture studies.

As it is here, the B&W is much, much stronger than the color (IMO)

I tend to agree.....without anything in the foreground or background to support the subject it's tough...i.e. trees to frame, old equipment or a road or path leading the eyes to the barn itself. But as suggested, the barn itself has a lot of character that could probably be best showcased through the aforementioned detail shots.

[gmacmt]

A quick edit. I am not sure it looks any better, just a bit different.
Convert to black and white, cross processed, converted to black and white again, reduced shadows and added a warming filter.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/193/3263791611_046946b43d.jpg

[watchtherocks]

Since we're all throwing up edits willy nilly, here's mine.
OP, this what you're after?

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/6034/potn1lx6.jpg

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/2429/potn2ob0.jpg

[gmacmt]

watch, I dig that second one. What did you do?

[GDH]

A quick edit. I am not sure it looks any better, just a bit different.
Convert to black and white, cross processed, converted to black and white again, reduced shadows and added a warming filter.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/193/3263791611_046946b43d.jpg


Love it! This is more of what I was thinking of. Here's two additional angles. I was so cold by this time, I couldn't work the camera anymore.

Thanks for the input and suggestions! I wish I was as creative as you all!

[fly my pretties]

To me it looked like it needed more contrast, and also a sharper gradient at the top and bottom of the picture to bring the detail out of the floor, but remove the distraction of the sky. I spent less than 2 minutes doing this, but I think it's a slight improvement. I also removed noise and then sharpened.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2m67fqc.jpg]

Might not be to everyones taste, I love high contrast images.

[poloman]

Here is a quick shot at the first.

[watchtherocks]

watch, I dig that second one. What did you do?

I went for an old look. I ran it through a lomo action, then applied a PS plugin to it. Didn't touch curves/levels or anything like that at all.

[theGTIguy]

Seems a little tight on the sides, IMO. Maybe three or four steps back would have bettered the composition a bit. I like some of the edits, there is definite possibility there. :)

[GDH]

I wish I could have expanded the view. There was a farm house to the left (out of view), poorly updated in the 50's. Totally wrong for the barn. Other than the few trees you see, the barn and house were alone in the field.

[Bill Boehme]

I think that the contrast may be about right, but some of the details look a bit soft which can give the appearance of low contrast. I think that some image sharpening and a bit of added saturation in the sky would help the most. Since the shot was made in the late afternoon, the lighting gives everything a slightly warm appearance. You might consider cooling the image a bit by tweaking the color temperature.

I like the color version best and I prefer the B/W edits over the sepia version. For some unknown reason, the sepia just doesn't seem to work as well.

Here is an edit that I did, but I am not satisfied with the adjustments that I made to the barn color which I think increased the saturation too much. However, I think that the gradient that I applied to the sky and some of the sharpening helped "brighten" the image.

341107

[michillebaker]

How about something like one of these 2. I did a muted color on the first one and then on the 2nd one i did a black & white conversion with a brown fill layer.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1364/3267422142_524a0fffbb_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3387/3267422066_a4967c9f17_o.jpg

[Max Demian]

LOL! Edit Bonanza!!!

Well, I'm at work so can't join the game but I'll throw my $.02:

I really think you could have gone for the (in)famous "Rule of Thirds" here and tried a more aggressive composition, perhaps letting some more dead space to either side to accentuate the featureless landscape other than this barn.

Correcting tilt is a quick fix so you should also throw it in as well.

When cloning something out off the skyline you should be careful where you set your source in relation to your cursor. Notice that the sky is more saturated and darker closer to the top of the frame (and to the camera) than far down the horizon. Try placing your source for the patch to either the left or right of your cursor but at the same horizontal level so that you keep this natural gradient pattern intact and avoid those unnatural looking shadows.

That said, I think it's an awesome picture. I love it! Just work the levels a bit on B&W.

[Bill Boehme]

LOL! Edit Bonanza!!!

Yep! Like a shark feeding frenzy! :D

[howaboutnow]

I think the B&W version looks the best!

[Bill Boehme]

......... I did a muted color on the first one .....

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1364/3267422142_524a0fffbb_o.jpg



The more I look at it, the more I like the muted treatment that enhances the rustic look. With the proper matting and framing, I think that it would work very well.

[michillebaker]

Thats what i thought when i was editing it. Thanks!The more I look at it, the more I like the muted treatment that enhances the rustic look. With the proper matting and framing, I think that it would work very well.

[fotogrl_08]

Another newbie here in utter awe of how amazing and different one picture can become using different edits!

[S.Horton]

I see this as an opportunity to get in closer and make a collection of detail shots rather than one all-inclusive shot with the barn just anchored in the center.

The lighting would yield some nice close up texture studies.

As it is here, the B&W is much, much stronger than the color (IMO)

+1

And, try shooting that at sunrise or sunset, see what happens when the light hits it just right.

You might also try a wide-angle, up close, almost on the ground looking upward -- force some drama.

If it is big, then get something into the frame which gives that idea -- a person, anything the viewer knows the size of, even a bike, for example.

[Chet]

How about this quick play.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/470899066_EspS3-L.jpg

[gmacmt]

Another newbie here in utter awe of how amazing and different one picture can become using different edits!

hahahaha, you will soon learn.

Fury, the sky pops a bit too hard in that edit. The barn colors look great though. You can kind of see where you selected out the barn. Try feathering the edges next time when you edit.