Make this perfect

[kat]

A little while ago I posted a photo of a lamp post for a friend. She really enjoys it and asked if I had more with the black theme. Most of which I have are ready but this one. Some of you have seen this, gotta love Flickr but in saying that, you never really get the "How to make it better" with Flickr.

Sooo..bring it on. Ohh...and that white patch up high on the photo will be gone. Should I leave the bluish tint or just b&w? I'll post both once I get it converted.

Much appreciated as always.

Kat

PS..She ended up picking the original lamp post..lol

[kiley9806]

hmmm... i like this shot, but i woulve rather seen the hooded person looking out towards the water, instead of down to the table. the downward head gives it more of a dejected & sad feel, rather than thoughtful or reflective. but maybe thats what you were going for!
i really like the tree line in the background! and i personally like the blue tinge, but im sure it would work in either this or b&w. maybe try a little sharpening on the hood, and possibly dodge the lake a tad... its a pretty solid photo though, so minimal touchup is required in my mind!

[F8&Bthere]

Not sure if, as a new member, I am allowed or considered qualified to contribute to these critique requests, but here it goes for what it's worth:
1. I like the shot, it is definitely moody
2. I prefer the bluish tint by a hair because it looks less "muddy"? I like the way the blue looks on the water especially- not so much on the grass in the foreground
3. I like the foreground and the water but everything beyond that (maybe just my uncalibrated monitor) I can't really tell what I'm looking at. It lacks definition but not in a pleasing blurred/bokeh kinda way, so I'd almost prefer that photoshopped just plain black as if total darkness, unless you can bring back some of the detail or exposure?

It'd be kinda cool to see what a moon would look like in the background
Nice shot!

[kat]

Hmm..guess I should of mentioned the title, Alone.

Well. Actually this isn't a night shot..but and HDR morning shot that I've made into a night shot. You'll notice the white halo around the man and the table and water..that would be an over the top hdr halo. This shot was going into the garbage bin but I thought I could use that halo for some good. So lots of darkening later I got this. The background past the water is only trees and mountain. Nothing much to look at even in color.lol. Nothing to make all black if a tree line isn't seen at all. I haven't printed this out and my screen is far from right.. so I'm basing this on what everyone sees too!

[Mad Aussie]

As far as the colour I prefer the blue tinge. It really gives that moonlight feel to it even if it was taken in the morning.

Kat, with my calibrated monitor, I can see some very strange shapes and things in the trees and mountains that appear to be artifacts from some excessive brush work or something. I fear those would show in a professionally printed version of this photo.

I never noticed it in your Flickr album but it is there as well.

I'd like to see the original of this shot or perhaps see it after you first made it blue if that was before you did any further work in that tree line.

[F8&Bthere]

...Kat, with my calibrated monitor, I can see some very strange shapes and things in the trees and mountains that appear to be artifacts from some excessive brush work or something. I fear those would show in a professionally printed version of this photo...

This is what I was talking about- it is distracting enough that if it were my photo, and if I couldn't recover the original detail or salvage it somehow, I would just blacken it all in my editing program to make it look like total darkness in the distant background.

Still really like the shot though! Alone would be the fitting title!

[Marko]

Kat, with my calibrated monitor, I can see some very strange shapes and things in the trees and mountains that appear to be artifacts from some excessive brush work or something. I fear those would show in a professionally printed version of this photo.

Good eye MA - I agree it looks like brush work.

I actually like the B/W shot here and do wish that I could see some face. In general, i want to see a face unless seeing someone from their backside improves the image. IMO it rarely does.
Hope that helps - Marko

[kat]

Okay. Here's the original HDR (sure wasn't how I wanted it). I turned it to B&W, I won't tell you how I got the background done..had my husband laughing for hours when I told him last night (been trying to do this on my own-lol, hard to do when you don't know anything). The blue was just from a hue change.

Going to try it again with some new knowledge on how to actually do it..


I would of preferred a face too but sometimes that doesn't happen with people, if you know what I mean. Ohh..to find models!!!

[Mad Aussie]

Looking at that final B/W image I think all it needs is that halo reduced to the same darkness as the surrounding detail, and then the water burned a little perhaps.

This should be fun to watch you nut this out

[jjeling]

Nice job Kat, I really like the final BW image.