Older picture from an Italy trip, comments please

Tom3 · Dec 1, 2008

The original picture was taken a few years ago, on a D70. It was taken at night time, with no flash, pretty high ISO and relatively long exposure (around 1sec)

Because it was noisy, I filtered it with NeatImage and then changed the color tone with LightRoom; I also cropped the right side in order to hide the handbag.

And this is the original (which I always liked for some reason):

jong · Dec 2, 2008

i like the original better

LaFoto · Dec 2, 2008

I'm not surprised to see why you have always liked this photo. You captured the photo of a very pretty young lady!

I think you did well in the pp you applied, though the edited photo does no longer look like it was taken at night AT ALL. Not in any way (while the original still suggests it was night and the only light was from a street light - I assume).

Tom3 · Dec 2, 2008

The young lady on the pic is my wife

We did a lot of shots in Italy, but as this was 3-4 years ago, the pics I liked back then don't look as good, in my eyes, as time wnet by.

The only lighting in this shot came from a wall bouncing light off a street light. Maybe I should have kept some of the yellow tint in order to preserve the night `vibe`.
What do you think?

LaFoto · Dec 2, 2008

It much depends on what you want. If you want a technically (more) "sound" portrait of your wife (congratulations!), then stay with the edit. Her skin tones and detail in her face are better there than in the original. If the fact that it was nighttime and actually pretty dark matters more to you, then leave some of the yellow, though her skin looks quite yellow in that light, too.

Wise move to crop off the handbag!

bahubb · Dec 2, 2008

I like the original better. The red paint on the wall was immediately distracting to my eyes on the edited version. But ya, I like the picture it's well done.

ANDS! · Dec 2, 2008

Wow. I'm all for artistic interpretation, but hot damn there is no way I'd ever consider the original more pleasing than the color corrected version. The yellow isn't just stark, its a slap in the face of unreality.

The young lady on the pic is my wife

Nice.

Tom3 · Dec 2, 2008

thanks

I agree the yellow is too strong, but I think I might have removed a bit too much of it; it's true it doesn't look like night at all now.

I'm also wondering if some of the noise, in the original shot, doesn't actually add some 'authenticity' to the picture.

MikeBcos · Dec 2, 2008

The original may not be a "perfect" photograph but it is good, it is what you saw that night and it is what you will remember. You took a photograph to record a moment, not as an artistic endeavor, keep whatever you prefer.

Tom3 · Dec 2, 2008

MikeBcos said:
You took a photograph to record a moment, not as an artistic endeavor

right! I never looked at it that way, but this is totally correct!

MikeBcos · Dec 2, 2008

Tom3 said:
MikeBcos said: You took a photograph to record a moment, not as an artistic endeavor, keep whatever you prefer.

right! I never looked at it that way, but this is totally correct!

That is what I do, I have been taking photographs for 33 years, I have maybe 12 I would post here as "photographs", the other thousands are "memories", I record life, they may not be artistically perfect but they tell a story. Each person has their own style and that is mine.

Craddie · Dec 2, 2008

I like the original better as well. I would bet it would be stunning in a well-done B&W conversion, with that great texture in the wall....

ANDS! · Dec 2, 2008

Tom3 said:
thanks

I agree the yellow is too strong, but I think I might have removed a bit too much of it; it's true it doesn't look like night at all now.

I'm also wondering if some of the noise, in the original shot, doesn't actually add some 'authenticity' to the picture.

If you feel you have lost contrast in the original photo, then do the color correction in the LAB colorspace.

This is what I came up with quick and dirty in LAB, just messing about with the yellows in B (toning them down to bring it more in line with what I'm GUESSING the actual colors were). Contrast/Luminosity untouched.