im not sure why,...

[KmH]

...but i like this picture i took.

I opened your image and duplicated the background layer (Ctrl-J. The new layer gets named Layer 1.) Then at the top of the workspace I clicked on Layer > Layer >New, and when the dialog box popped up I changed the blending mode to 'Soft Light' and put check mark in the 'Fill the layer with 50% neutral gray' box and clicked ok. That layer gets named Layer 2. If you double click on the layer name there in the layer pallet you can name the layer whatever you want.

I then re-selected Layer 1. Using the the 'Quick Selection' tool I selected just the cig butt. With the cig butt selected I clicked on the 'adjustment layer' icon at the bottom of the Layers pallet and selected the Exposure adjustment layer. In the Exposure dialog box I added a full stop of exposure (+1.0). That adjustment only gets applied to what was inside the selection, the cig butt, nothing else. That is called a local edit.

Then I selected Layer 2, which has a gray thumbnail, and choose the Dodge/Burn tool. Areas that are lighter got dodged, areas that are darker got burned. I lightened the shadow on and under the cig butt some, but I also burned in there a bit after the dodging.

I kept the dodge and burn on diagonals, because diagonals forment a sense of movement.

 

[Josh66]

I guess I'm the only one ... but I don't really find pictures of cigarette butts to be that interesting... :scratch:

 

[tru_texan36]

I like the shot a lot. I also think that KmH's PP is awesome. I would love to learn to process pictures like that. So all in all, NJKILLSYOU, sweet shot!! KmH - awesome PP!

 

[white]

I guess I'm the only one ... but I don't really find pictures of cigarette butts to be that interesting... :scratch:

 

[vtf]

As interesting as tar balls.

 

[JR Davis]

The Cigarette Butts picture has a little grunge feel to it, might make a nice grunge type background or feel to a photo or marketing message.

 

[KenC]

Your original is the best one - I would crop a little off the top.

Why does NJ kill you? I lived there for a while with no ill effects, but then I'm not a smoker.

 

[NJKILLSYOU]

ive lived here for 24 years, i get worse every day.

thanks for the comments everyone.

O|||||||O, you arent the only one, i never thought i would find it interesting while sitting at the bus stop waiting. but i shot it anyway and i like it.

KmH, mind explaining what you did? :thumbup:

 

[KmH]

I added notes for you back up in post #16, above my edit.