PP Which is better?

[BlueEyes01]

2 different techniques,
Original

1 Threshold, curves

2 Contrast adjustment

 

[ANDS!]

Wheres the original -

 

[BlueEyes01]

Original added to original post :mrgreen:

Other suggestions for PP welcome.

 

[UtahsRebel]

I'm voting #1 It makes the wings look almost translucent.

 

[ANDS!]

I prefer the original, with no Auto Contrast, but an auto-levels (if you don't have the RAW file - if you have the RAW file I'd use that to correct the underexposure issue). Then I would go into "LAB Mode", and adjust contrast using a curves layer. You'll see Luminosity and just apply the "S-curve" - pull the just before the darkest blacks and a smidge, and pull the just before the lights whites up a skoosh. And then a 70/1/0 UnSharp Mask. Then profit. Try it out -

 

[UtahsRebel]

Here's what I did with playing around.

 

[Sim]

I prefer the original too. I like the green of the leaves better than the second version and in the third I lose some details in the lower left hand corner on my monitor.

 

[manaheim]

Here's what I did with playing around.

Not too far from what I got, but I think you oversharpened it.

The key problem with the image is it is waaaaaaay too dark. It took a +65 on the brightness in photoshop to bring it up to where it should be.

Other than that, the image is pretty solid as-is.

 

[jwsciontc]

and made the wings to bright,

i like number 2's leaves with the original butterfly

 

[morganleigh]

i like #1, with more of a crop.

 

[BlueEyes01]

Thanks for all of the opinions! This one is a bit dark, I catch a lot of my butterfly photos at the park but this one was in the insectarium at the zoo so where the butterfly section was lit well (as it was in a glass house & it was a sunny morning) it also had a few dark pockets.

Its so interesting to see how everyones opinions differ. My opinion was that #1 looked too PP and a bit unnatural but that ended up being the overall favorite. I didnt want to give my opinion when I posted these because I wanted everyones natural reaction and I was even more surprised at how many people liked the original. Hmmmm...

Anyone else?

 

[BTilson]

My biggest thing I try to do when critiquing my own PP work is to try to look at it as if I were someone completely unattached to the picture and unfamiliar with photography in general. While it is always very nice to have experienced eyes look at your shots and give thoughtful critiques and advice, I'd say that 99% of the people who are going to look at your work (in general, not here on the forum specifically) aren't going to be familiar enough with your work to really evaluate or even notice some of the more subtle tweaks.

For instance, at first glance when trying to look with a novice eye, your #1 modification simply looks brighter than the original. Nothing more and nothing less really. #2 almost looks identical to the original.

To me, that is what it really boils down to. There is immense satisfaction in capturing and modifying an image to our exacting tastes, but in the end most of the people you show it to aren't going to know or care about how much work you put into it, they're simply going to see a pretty image.

All that said, I think I like your second edit better, it looks a little more natural to me overall.