to doctor or not to doctor?

[hermanntrude]

Before:

After:

Which do you prefer?

 

[Niflmir]

Did you use a polarizing filter to take the original?

 

[hermanntrude]

no filters. A very basic camera, just messed with it a bit on the computer afterwards

 

[DurkaDurka]

I like the doctored version better, the sky stands out nicely providing a nice contrast to the fruit.

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

sort of hard to say....the before seems nice enough...the after seems too bright in the sky ...maybe....

remember the structure contest in Raw.....this would be an awesome entry

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

I like the doctored version better, the sky stands out nicely providing a nice contrast to the fruit.

yeah i hear what yer saying here durka....maybe just knowing it's doctored gave me a bias

 

[hermanntrude]

That's what I thought too... maybe people are anti-doctoring just because they know they're being lied to.

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

Brill!

 

[Niflmir]

I use the polarizing filter whenever I can. I am a sucker for a bright blue sky and reflectionless lakes. The second picture reminds me of a typical winter sky where the initial picture seems more autumnal.

 

[hermanntrude]

the light was actually fairly poor at the time, the sun being quite low in the sky, and I was glad to be able to pull that much blue-ness out of the photo. I do think I might have overdone it just a touch, though.

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

Interesting point Niflmir....Some people say, like me , the seasons bring with it a different sunlight....some don't notice any change at all.
My favourite light is middle september

 

[Unforgiven]

You can't beat great light that works for what you want to shoot. For something like the picture you have against the sky, midday is the right choice with the most amount of available light. That deep rich blue would be on a day after a good rain or storm that clears the particulate out of the air mass.

I find when shooting structure, early morning is nice light to shoot in as the sun cast long deep shadows that add contrast when you've got the angle with the sun to the object right.

Lastly, the problem with the web is often people have their monitors set to the warmth or coolness that they prefer to look at. So what you see, isn't always what they see. Always try and shoot in the highest resolution you possibly can and reduce it if need be on your computer.

I like the retouched better as you have found a little more brightness in the berries and the wood has just a little more depth to it. Nice subject.

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

Maybe it's my monitor but the wood, now that the subject has been brought up, seems more detailed in the untouched picture

 

[hermanntrude]

and less blue, too

 

[karrie]

If I were picking one to hang on the wall in my house, I prefer the more muted sky of the untouched pic, as it doesn't compete with the brightness of the berries.

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

and less blue, too

yeah there is blue in the wood in the touched up photo.....

maybe the photshop yer useing is crap

 

[eh1eh]

I like the bluer sky of the touched up one. Although karrie has a point, the softer blue does lend itself to more of an art feel.:smile:

 

[karrie]

and when in doubt, one should always listen to karrie. so there's your answer.