First photo post. C&C Appreciated

[Eplez]

Hi,

After about a month with my first dSLR, I was just going through some pictures and starting playing with Post Processing in RawShooter and Photoshop and I'm having a hard time deciding which effects I should use on my photos and which place could be better than this one to ask for help

I know the picture doesnt stand up to most of the posts here, and it could have been composed better like getting the whole part of the house to the left, and removal of the two cables to the left (will be cloned out on the finished version). I mainly wanted some opinions on which effect looked best, or if I should go for another one (suggestions please).

I have the original file in 3471x2311 in RAW, so I have a lot of options and open for suggestions

Don't be harsh please. Only been photographing for a month

#1 (Original)


#2 (Simple PP in PS)


#3 (Tone Mapping)



Thanks

[Radtech1]

Wow! Very nice first post!

I think you have a real winner there, and I SO ENVY you having that kind of scenery nearby. For me to get that I would have to go thousands of miles.

As far as post processing goes, if it were mine, I would stick with the first iteration and just work on contrast and density. The second iteration, (Simple PP) though lovely and dreamy, lacks the personality of the creator. The third iteration, (Tone Mapping) needs to be taken out back and shot.

Again, well done.

Rad

[StewartR]

I agree with Rad. (Again.) I definitely prefer #1. If I'd only been photographing for a month then I think I'd be out there taking more photographs, rather than playing with extreme PhotoShop effects. But that's just my personal preference.

[Hellashot]

What were you trying to do? #1 looks ok. #2 looks just blurry and most poeple like sharp landscape pictures. #3 is just horrible. Looks like a badly exposed/overexposed film shot.

[Lin-z]

I like #1 best... the others I am not soo sure about what is going on there... Nice location!

[TRM]

i like Rad's version. but i tried my own approach. great photo to work with to experiment w/ PP!

original

http://marsavius.net/fotografia/imag...nal_resize.jpg

the building just seemed a little flat...typical for digital photography in my experience. i think i over-cooked the "pop" on the mountainside however.

http://marsavius.net/fotografia/imag...resize_TRM.jpg

PS: my monitor here at work is not calibrated.

[POD77]

Rad nailed it.

[Eplez]

Thanks for all your replies.

Yeah, the last one was my first attempt on tone mapping with a single RAW with 2, 0, -2 EQ (scrapping that idea for the future), and the second one was just an effect that have worked well on some other photos, but I guess a landscape photo looks best sharp and clean.

Does anyone know how Radtech1 made the changes? It looked awesome and I've played some in photoshop (brightness/contrast and such) but can't get it similar to his version.

[Radtech1]

A thousand apologies. I got your PM and I was at work, so I couldn't really answer, then something else came up, and so on and so on. In a nutshell, I forgot.

Again, my apologies.

My processing methods involve making multiple layers, setting the blend mode on the middle layer, then erasing the top layer to reveal the altered middle layer below it. Um hmmm, you say, right.

Rather than me retyping a lot I am going to direct you to three threads where I have typed this up in some detail. Here, Here, and Here. Please take a look at those links and read what I did, because that is what I did with your shot. AND THIS IS IMPORTANT - On your shot, I processed each area differently. I did the sky more than the mountains, the white walls more than the red roofs, etc.

Reading that over, may seem overwhelming, but with practice, it becomes quick and intuitive. On that third link, be sure to follow the link there where I thanked Belmondo.

Again, sorry I forgot to answer you message.

That ought to keep you busy for a while.

Rad

[Eplez]

Ah, no worries

Yeah, I do get what you're saying about the layers and looked at the posts. Used some of the techniques when following an airbrush tutorial. Also familiar with blending modes and erasing etc.

I was wondering if you could give a quick description on how you got the worn out effect (see the red rings on the picture below) on some of the parts of the picture. I tried to make the top layer normal and the middle with color burn and delete from areas on the top layer and played with the opacity settings, but it seemed so fake.

[Radtech1]

If I remember correctly, for that I pushed the contrast a lot and the brightness some on the middle layer, then very lightly erased the top to reveal it in specific areas.

Key caveat: If I remember correctly

EDIT: so I think I left the blend mode on the middle layer set at Normal, and went to Image/Adjustment/Brightness and Contrast for the adjustment.

Rad