Almost thrown away

I was about to throw this shot away, when I decided to bring it into PS for a little. I quite like the outcome.
BTW- I took this shot while we were driving.

Before:

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

Good attempt at recovery - I can appreciate why you're pleased to have made the most of something dubious. The blunt truth is it's probably still better in the bin: the branches against the sky have that tell-tale blueness that comes from over-exposure, and the tree unfortunately blocks the house behind, the main tree's trunk carries the eye straight up and out of the photo (especially for being practically a silhouette, and those at left are chopped into enough to appear incomplete and lead the eye out too. It does have some charm in the curvature of the road and the positioning of the tree, and having your name on a black strip helps counterbalance the tree, so again I can appreciate you've seen something in it. But, if you're aiming for something professional enough to warrant a fancy font at the bottom and your own web site, then this won't cut it. Cheers, Tony

Thanks for the opinion Tony.
Obviously this isn't meant to be a showcase worthy piece, just a random shot that after edited, is something I'm pleased with. Sure it breaks most of the rules of photography, but not everything has to follow the rules in order to be appreciated. Some of my best technical shots are ones that some people hate, while other shots that are awful in that regard, people love.
This isn't a shot that would end up on my website, however it's not a shot that I'm ashamed of either.

I don't meant to sound ungrateful for your opinion, since I do value it. I just felt like explaining a little bit.

Thanks

No worries Bob... quite agree with what you're saying, and in general I do try not to let purely technical concerns distract me from considering and offering some feedback on the overall appeal of a shot. I consider myself reminded, which I value too. Cheers, Tony

you shoud still thrown it away

So what did you do to rescue this image?

How long did it take you?

I think it was worth rescuing. Pulling the reds back into it really helped.

I'm not sure the image itself is really strong enough to warrant the time/effort to fix it.

If I were going to try and save it though, I would likely go with a b&w conversion rather than try to bring back colours that have been severely damaged by over exposure.

Your sky is still very badly damaged even after trying to save it.
_

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chrisu002 wrote in post #7936884
you shoud still thrown it away

Thanks for pretty much, nothing. BTW "shoud" is spelled should

nuffi wrote in post #7936963
So what did you do to rescue this image?

How long did it take you?

It only took five or so minutes. I mainly just messed with color balance and levels, plus a little crop etc.

Christopher Steven b wrote in post #7937708
I think it was worth rescuing. Pulling the reds back into it really helped.

Thanks Chris

LeuceDeuce wrote in post #7938888
I'm not sure the image itself is really strong enough to warrant the time/effort to fix it.

If I were going to try and save it though, I would likely go with a b&w conversion rather than try to bring back colors that have been severely damaged by over exposure.

Your sky is still very badly damaged even after trying to save it.
_

Thanks.
The main thing that I like about the edit are the colors and tones. It's how I envision that area when I think of it. A nice warm country area. I don't think it's that strong of an image either, but before I thew it out I wanted to see what I could make of it in PS. Thanks for the edit though.

Bob

vroom_skies wrote in post #7941194
.....Thanks for pretty much, nothing. BTW "shoud" is spelled should .......

And in that context, he should have also written "throw" not "thrown" as it's not past tense

Nice recovery work though!

~Ronen

I think your recovery effort was very good.

I also think the B&W conversion makes it better than the original.

I think the recovery effort was pretty decent but unfortunately I'm forced to agree with the general consensus here in that this shot really just isn't that impressive.

The feel I get from this shot is very much what I would probably have felt if I had of been there...I feel like I'm waiting for something. I'm either on my way somewhere and I'm crossing this road and I'm waiting for the car to go past so I can cross or maybe I'm a hitchhiker and I'm waiting for a car or truck to come down the road so I can stick my thumb out. If I were standing there looking at this scene, I wouldn't stand there very long looking at it because there's not much to look at there....I'd probably walk over and look at the barn instead. I'm not trying to be rude, but the same is true of the picture...there's just not that much here to look at. To me it really lacks any kind of central subject...the road is foreground, the tree and fence is basically background...but what is (where is) the subject? An antique car, a farm tractor, a small child on a tricycle, a cow walking down the middle of the road with a dolphin stuck to her back....something.

There are other technical issues with this image as well but honestly they're not really worth mentioning or trying to fix without a central subject.

Anyways, just my $.02 worth as always...please take it for what it's worth.
Jim

Thanks you guys.

It seems like everyone has forgotten that this shot was going to the bin. It wasn't a shot I was planing on doing anything with. It was taken while we were on the drive back to my friends house. I was just having fun shooting random stuff, as I'm sure we all do.

However, before I throw my photos out, I like to see what I can make of them in PS. As stated in the above post, there is no main subject, add that to the list of all the other things "wrong" with the shot and your not left with much. Yet the fact remains that it is a photo that brings a smile to my face, and is that not what matters?

Maybe I'm the odd ball out, yet it just seems like everyone is caught up in the technical aspects and "rules" of photography, that they miss out on the real point. Did we not all start in photography for the pure enjoyment of it?

Bob

vroom_skies wrote in post #7947467
....Yet the fact remains that it is a photo that brings a smile to my face, and is that not all that matters?.....
Bob

Yes, that is all that matters
And our comments on its technical aspects may further fuel your wonderful memory of it and the memories that it brings up when you look at it

The only issue that comes up is that it may not bring the same smile to others who look at it... but who cares?

Great shot!

~Ronen

Yup, exactly.
What's funny is that I'm a very technical shooter for the most part. That shot is a far cry from what I would normally show to people.

Also, I understand where everyone is coming from, especially when this was posted in the critique sub forum lol.

Bob