Officer of God

[Makonde]

I had to take some Remembrance day pics for our local web / magazine on a grey day. I tried to take a couple for myself as well as the usual 'photos of record'. This one is slightly tweaked to dramatise the message. What do you think?

(Not for the first time I notice that a photo uploaded to the gallery loses some of its crispness and brightness - part of the file conversion ??)

[Guest]

Re: Officer of God

(Not for the first time I notice that a photo uploaded to the gallery loses some of its crispness and brightness - part of the file conversion ??)

I quite like this image and the way the sky has been treated - but I think there is a 'better' picture sitting just inside.

A quick play has suggested (I use the GIMP, so the tools will differ a little in photoshop et al).

- Slide the grey point in levels towards black - brightening the image. Then in brightness/contrast give a heavy push up on the contrast slider and down on the brightness.

- Crop out the scoutmaster on the rhs and about the same from the bottom grass.

(I can post my amended image if you wish - then you can see that I'm wrong)

As to the second point - I agree sometimes something seems to happen - I've noticed it in the copyright/attribution on mine)

Nick

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Officer of God

(Not for the first time I notice that a photo uploaded to the gallery loses some of its crispness and brightness - part of the file conversion ??)

More likely the file compression I suspect.

Interesting photo. I think it might be better if the Priests cloak were lightened slightly to show some detail. As it is, the Priest almost looks like a silhouette, perhaps added in Photoshop, which rather unbalances the whole scene (especially as he or she looks very large here).

[Makonde]

Re: Officer of God

Thanks guys - always interesting, posting in here!

Here is the original, that I see I did crop in a bit. It's taken from low down and the silhouette is deliberate (and not enhanced in this one).

The version I posted is in fact an hdr of the one RAW. Somewhat surprisingly (to me) it seemed to work, lending drama and significantly enhancing the sky. But it left a strange grey artefact on the minister's cloak, so (as surmised) I lifted the black off the original and layered it over.

Working on Nick's suggestion I've adjusted blacks, contrast and brightness a little (10% or so) and here is the result. Probably I should go back to the RAW and start over... I do think there's a stark and dramatic photo in here somewhere!



By all means post your take on it - I have no sensitivities on that score and find this sort of thing stimulating and educative.

[Guest]

Re: Officer of God




I think this makes it punchier and brings out the fallen leaves against the grass (which I think is appropriate), but maybe reveals my lack of taste (I've always been partial to bottle blondes for instance).

Nick

[Makonde]

Re: Officer of God

I could go with that - I'd gone for the 'air of foreboding' angle....

The fallen leaves are definitely part of the symbolism, as are the blacks, the grey skies and cold granite, and of course that drop of red poppies...