Improving an image
With the realization from my last blog entry that details matter to such an extent I started to go through my collection to find things to improve. Below is example of before / after. I’ve always liked this photo and the before image is how I originally edited it. But I’ve had this lingering suppressed feeling that I could do it slightly better. I spent about two hours more on this photo that I previously considered finished. For me it’s perfect now. Note that I always have ”print” in mind when I work. The photograph must look like a piece of art when printed.
Lonely House Before and After (Press for larger view)
The new version of the image is vastly improved. To an untrained eye it might not seem like a huge difference at first but trust me, printed large it makes all the difference. The sky was over saturated and fake looking. Now it looks warm, natural and painterly at the same time. The house has been made the centerpiece as it should be with a clear deep red and it’s exposure brought in line with the sky. The trees have been brightened to show more of their tonal values. The foreground has been cleaned up by the removal of some long strands of grass. I also love details that you don’t immediately notice as it gives the image a certain ”longevity”. The blue flowers in the foreground offers that kind of detail and now contrast beautifully against the dark foreground framing. There are some really interesting light patterns on the grass that’s been brought up too. And finally the image has been straightened slightly.
Sometimes you just have to take multiple turns on an image. You exhaust your self creatively and need to regain more energy to take it to the next level. In essence, details matter and when you allow the creative process to take more time than you actually have patience for – you always find something new.
I can’t wait to get this printed large!
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