I find when I’m on holidays and taking those precious holiday snaps, my habits can be divided quite simply: 1) This looks kind of interesting but I’m in a bit of a hurry so I’ll grab a quick snap and pray and 2) Oh my God I’ll be able to sell this as a limited edition print so let me shoot 5 or 10 or 20 different compositions and/or exposures to get this one right. When I get home or back to the hotel and download all of my photos I can usually see what I was trying to accomplish but it never is accomplished.
Enter Photoshop.
For the most part I find a can make something of just about every shot I’ve taken. I kid you not. Sadly I’ve yet to sell any limited edition prints but that’s another thing. This particular shot could easily have been a pass or a throw-away. For you it probably is. But I was there and it’s my holiday and I want to capture the mood and the memory. So yes, I spent a couple of hours on this silly little holiday snap. And I like it. Click the image below to go to a wide (1200 px) combined image of before, after and zoomed results of my efforts.
In a nutshell what I’ve done is used a lens blur filter to draw the eye down the alley to focus on the painting resting on an easel at the end and make you say, “oooooo, I wonder what’s down there”. Next, I grabbed the burn tool and darkened the midtones of the subject (the painting) and a few other areas that looked washed out. Finally I applied an unsharp mask to sharpen the details. The result for me is a throw-away I just may keep.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Holy crap. Nice work. The Carmel Beach Surfers shot is amazing too.
Both great photos. I like how the only thing that appears truly crisp is the surfers, and how the sunlight is just barely kissing their side. I can hear the roar of the surf.
In the above photo the leading lines draw you right to that painting. You’re right Joe, it makes you go, “What’s down there?’ The overhead vines add to that effect and make it feel more closed in.
Joe, your a great photographer! Your pictures are all amazing. I love the one looking through the tunnel. I do want to know what is down there.
It makes me really want to go to all those places.
Joe, HOLY COW! If I had a talent like that I would have photos all over my house. Absolutely gorgeous! Oh, and tell us what was on the easel…I was immediately curious just like everyone else.
I don’t know if y’all visited the photoblog (link top right of the page) but you’ll see the name of the photo is ‘Kinkade Alley’. At the end of the alley is a little grotto with a cute little Thomas Kinkade gallery at the back. I’ll post a pic of that later iffin you like. The easel is just an promotional framed poster for the gallery if I recall correctly.