I'm new -- experimented with desaturation

[Foolish]

Hey all, only a few posts on POTN, but I like these forums a lot. I wanted to offer a couple of photos I tried tonight. I've been wanting to experiment with desaturation for a while, after being inspired by a few things here and there.

I processed these in Lightroom, desaturating them to about -48, warming up the color temperature a bit, and then playing with the saturation levels of the orange, red, and/or yellow tones. Messed with the contrast a tiny bit (maybe could've done more).

I'd love to know what people think. Do they work? What could've improved them? Thanks in advance. (Hope the sizes aren't too wacky..)

1.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2801/4401933167_f938f4fedb_b.jpg

2.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4402698116_67ea7b52c4_b.jpg

[mpistone]

The desat is nice in both of them, a sorta sepia look. I like the first shot (except I don't know any of the books :P), it's a nice composition.

[Foolish]

Thanks, Matt. I actually heavily re-saturated the blue and yellow tones in the first shot (of the books) -- I was trying to emphasize Barry Hannah's tome (Airships)... he died yesterday.

I'm posting another version of the amp with some vignetting that I added. I think it works, but maybe I overdid it?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4403945106_866886fbd7_b.jpg

[mpistone]

I definitely prefer the second edit for that one, not just the vignette but the crop too. I think it had too much door going on in the first. :)

[Foolish]

Cool, thanks!

[theextremist04]

I like them! I think the edit with the vignetting is good- it's definitely not too much.

And I've heard of one of those books- The Things They Carried was pretty good.

[Foolish]

theextremist, thanks :) Yeah, lots of folks study Tim O'Brien in school.. The Things... is great; I definitely recommend it.