Battle Alley - comments please?

[butterflygirl]

What do you think? The star filter too much? I kind of like it though...just wondered if anyone had any tips to make it better. Please and thank you!

 

[Efergoh]

I like the shot, but the filter overwhelms the photo, and distracts from everything else, and in the end, all I am thinking about is the filter.

Was this an on the lens filter, or done in post?

 

[butterflygirl]

It was a lens filter.

 

[Andrew T. Mironov]

its a little to red for my liking, and the star effect is pretty distracting

 

[butterflygirl]

Ok...hmmm. Well is this one any better?

I like the first one, better than this one, but maybe others will prove me wrong?

 

[Efergoh]

I started tinkering with it. Nothing in depth, but I started thinking that B&W might be the way to go. Personally, I don't might the red cast, but that could be indicative of improper WB setting on the camera.

The 1st edit here is nothing more than the blue channel alone. Red alone would have been ideal, but the bright areas were pretty blown out.

the 2nd is a mixing of the channels. I don't remember the percentages, but I just played until it became appealing to me, and wasn't too blown out.

The 3rd is just simple desaturation.

 

[Efergoh]

Ok...hmmm. Well is this one any better?



I like the first one, better than this one, but maybe others will prove me wrong?

I much prefer this one. It has a lot more emotion, and the subject is more clearly defined...although the lights still distract, but not as much. The tone is more pleasing here as well.

 

[butterflygirl]

Thanks for the tips! I do like it in black and white - I guess I was just trying to have an "old fashioned" feel to it.

 

[butterflygirl]

I much prefer this one. It has a lot more emotion, and the subject is more clearly defined...although the lights still distract, but not as much. The tone is more pleasing here as well.

Which one did you like better? The first or second? Hehe - I couldn't tell.

 

[Efergoh]

Sorry, the second...

 

[butterflygirl]

Cool! Just wanted to make sure

I wasn't too sure about this one, since the upper part of the buildings are washed out. It's so hard to critique your own photos!

 

[cigrainger]

Both would be much better without the star filter IMO. I like the idea of simplicity too much to be distracted by that filter.

 

[Efergoh]

I agree. But, they are there, and they're not terrible, either.

I'm not a bit fan of those types of filters. I think they are gimicky...if that is a word. If they are used in shots where they would be more subtle, then that is one thing, but these shots have plenty of light points to 'star off of."