Boy on a Bicycle, Can RAW file. Optimize this! :)

[Asher Kelman]

I took this picture in Munich this summer when I visited with Rainer to see him, his family and his art.

I like the texture of the cobblestones. Cobblestones are always interesting being a blend of human craftsmanship, real hard work, wealth and nature.

A path has interesting meanings. Here is the actual RAW file and below an idea of subject.

http://download.yousendit.com/66094B605E948675

http://idisk.mac.com/med007/Public/Boy With Yellow Bike on Cobblestones_MG_0718 400 PIXl colorRAW copy 2 copy.jpg

So work this as you wish and give your own titles but include © Asher Kelman 2006 in the final jpg at 700 pixels wide.
He is a delightfull fellow totally by himself, exploring the place! This would be great in color, B&W, toned and cropped as you please.

Asher

[Asher Kelman]

I added a small picture. I think I'll post 1 per week. When you have finished please delete the RAW files. Thanks :)

Asher

[Brian Lowe]

Here is my version.

I went for the antique b/w look.

I adjusted in Adobe Lightroom with the Grayscale Mixer and a little dash of Split Toning tweaking to taste and cropped to finish it off.


Hope you like it,
Brian

http://brianlowe.smugmug.com/photos/105179802-L.jpg

[Mary Bull]

This is a delightful little fellow, indeed, Asher. I truly enjoyed working with his image in LightZone.

As I was adjusting the crop, I accidentally hit the Rotate button on the LZ toolbar. It so intrigued me to see him headed "downhill" that I worked with that idea. I backed the rotation off to 12.1 per cent to the right, so as not to give the little boy too extreme a pitch on which to control the bike.

http://static.flickr.com/111/278736838_be7711687e_o.jpg

"Braking Time?"


Other manipulations which I did in LZ before settling on the rotation and the crop:

1) Warmed the temperature, using the White Balance tool by the least amount possible, to enhance the sunlit effect.

2) With the Color Balance tool pushed the red very slightly, to further warm up the cobblestones.

3) With the Hue/Saturation tool, I chose the Luminosity slider and adjusted the brightness slightly with it, to enhance the sunlight on the boy's hair.

4) With the Noise Reduction tool I backed the Gauss radius off slightly and pushed the color intensity to almost double.

5) With the Rotation tool and the Crop tool, I completed my vision of the image, as mentioned above.

6) Reduced the size proportionately, to keep the aspect ratio, with the tall side set at 800 pixels, and exported the image as jpeg.

7) Opened the image in Irfanview and inserted a text copyright notice overlaid in the bottom lefthand corner. This was to avoid spoiling the downhill effect--I wanted the cobblestones left as in the original image.

Please let me know if you find the rotation distracting. The image looks pretty good unrotated, and I saved a copy. But that rendition is tamer, to my eye.

Mary

[Jack_Flesher]

Well Asher, this image was certainly a challenge! I see three main elements that are not ideally connected in the composition: the boy's face, his shadow and the manhole cover. Here is my rendition, an effort to better consolodate those three elements. Raw file processed with RSP, all other processing done in Photoshop:

http://jack.cameraphile.org/albums/album08/Boy_With_jacksversionYellow_Bike_on_Cobblestones_M G_0718_01.jpg

And in B&W:

http://jack.cameraphile.org/albums/album08/jacksversionYellow_Bike_on_Cobblestones_BW.jpg


"Great job Ivan!"



I think I slightly prefer the B&W version; I think it looks more like it would fit in a "street" portfolio.

Cheers,

[Carl Harsch]

Processed with DxO, then moved to PSCS2 where I used a Nik Filter to increase the color of the foilage, used the shadow/highlight tool to regain some of the shadows from his face, added a text layer for the copywrite info, resized, converted to sRGB 8bit, added a 3px inside stroke around the image, sharpened.

I opted to retain all of the original data and compostion as shot.

http://www.never3putt.com/photos/Boy%20With%20Yellow%20Bike%20on%20Cobblestones_MG_ 0718.jpg

[Asher Kelman]

Thanks Brian, Mary Jack and Carl! I just came back from celebrating mt wifes birthday with my boys who flew in the the event. I came back to these pictures and what a wonderful surpise.

Yes, Jack,that the compositonal elements are challenging, (I might add, especially if one removes the color!).

Dierk has intimated that, draining a picture of color, can be the way lesser pictures are rescued. However, color, the raz-ma-taz of our life, masks lack of balance too! Beautiful colors can mask poor design.

So here we have the opposite, removing color exposes the strong design issues which are hard to reconcile, creating a tension. Still the boy is exploring. I found that the round manhole was much more powerful than everyting else. The boy and his shadow couldn't come to balancing the heavy cast-iron manhole cover. Worse, if one is not careful, the boy's face will be lost and overpowered altogether!

We'll see what other ideas people have. Mary, you make me laugh; a smart accident you had. Art can also be derived from acidents. What makes it smart is one's ability to recognise the value of that chance mistake as a new option of expression.

Maybe the kid racing down a hill might add something!

Asher

[Mary Bull]

Thanks Brian, Mary Jack and Carl! I just came back from celebrating mt wifes birthday with my boys who flew in the the event.
Then a belated "many happy returns of the day" to your wife, Asher.
I came back to these pictures and what a wonderful surpise.

I have enjoyed seeing the one that Brian (my very intuitive fellow-amateur, whose technical skills surpass mine) posted, with the antiqued b/w look he chose.

And I found that Carl's rendition managed the disparate compositional elements quite well--I think it's the way that he gave the light and color a more natural feeling. Pushing the contrasting greens of the grass and the foliage helps to offset the manhole cover a bit. One could walk into this scene as Carl presents it and feel at home.

Then, Jack's two renditions are a really big help to me, in understanding what is going on visually here.

And even more, Jack's analysis. I didn't know why I couldn't use the manhole cover, when I was working with the original image--since I wanted, essentially, a portrait of the little boy--but after reading what Jack said about the compositional elements, and your reply to those comments, I understand my instinctive reaction that I had to eliminate the round intrusiveness of that cover.

If it had been directly ahead of the cyclist, I might have kept it, for the sense of danger downhill. But, then, I don't know. It would still have competed with hia face. Too sculptural--almost 3D in its impact--too much "see-me-first" in that manhole cover.
I found that the round manhole was much more powerful than everyting else. The boy and his shadow couldn't come to balancing the heavy cast-iron manhole cover. Worse, if one is not careful, the boy's face will be lost and overpowered altogether!

I found it so. And, actually, the shadow of boy-and-bicycle competes, as Jack and you note. That's why I decided to warm the temperature and increase the luminosity--I thought perhaps the emphasized light on that golden hair would pull the eye where I wanted it to go.
We'll see what other ideas people have. Mary, you make me laugh; a smart accident you had. Art can also be derived from acidents. What makes it smart is one's ability to recognise the value of that chance mistake as a new option of expression.
Well, I wasn't too sure of the judgment call I made. I almost didn't post this rendition.

My instinct for what is good art is very shaky, when I compare my intuitive likes to the comments on images made by the professional artists and experienced amateur visual arts practitioners who post at OPF. Sometimes what I think is good turns out to be what the consensus of posts here say is good.

And, in contrary mode, quite often, I like something that others label pejoratively "postcard" or say isn't well composed or too blurry or something.

So, at this point I have shaky judgment as well as shaky camera focus (at times) and my taste is still in process of formation. I am here to learn, and Learning I Am < Yoda's disciple speaks > .
Maybe the kid racing down a hill might add something!
Future competitor in the Tour de France?

I love this little boy. He arouses all my maternal instincts.

Mary

[Ivan Garcia]

My take ... I hope you like it Asher
http://www.escueladebaile.co.uk/ivan/asher1.jpg

"Stone Rider"

[John_Nevill]

http://www.eospix.com/images/BWYBOB-JLN.jpg


"Nearly there!"


As you can see I tackled this differently (and a little bit rushed), but wanted to emphasize the dynamic lines to focus attention, hence the rotation in the other direction. I added lots of gaussian blur and dogding, some cloning, finished with a soft focus and then went with B/W.

[Mary Bull]

WOW!

I really, really like it, John.

Mary

[Mary Bull]

Not waiting, myself, to hear what Asher says--I like what you did, Ivan.

How did you extract those marvelous, varied colors in the cobblestones?

I processed the RAW files through LightZone and I didn't see anything like that.

Usually I put my own through Adobe DNG and take the DNG into LZ, but I forgot, with Asher's file.

Did you get that cobblestone color info in the RAW converter or in your image editor? And, BTW, what editor were you using?

I think having the extra colors in the cobblestones helps moderate the intrusiveness of the manhole cover.

Mary

[Ivan Garcia]

Hi Mary.
I did two conversions, one for the shadows and one for the highlights.
I joined both images in CS2, masked out the cobblestones in the highlight layer, adjusted levels and shadow highlight, flattened the image, provia action at 46%, de-saturated reds and yellows by 6% resize and sharpened to web
Total time 5 mins

[Mary Bull]

I am in total awe!

Mary

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Ivan,

A very suitable approach to unifying the pictures. There is a yellow-red-rusy array of colors in the cobblestones and in the manhole cover. I like it. Also the use of yellow in the © signature acts as a counterwight to the yellow bicycle!

What is so interesting is how fragile the colors on the boys face are. It is very easy to ruin the skin color by any adjustments to the pictures as a whole. Doing at least two conversions, as you did, is the way to go!

Several crops are more intimate and show more of the boy's concentration.

Mary's crop focuses on the boy and his face. I think that John's crop allows this to breathe more and the bicycle has, it seems, more path to ride into!

I like the way, this exploration, without restriction of a title, allows extra creativity. It is, in a way, a second chance to look at a scene and them make a selection based on one's own sensibilities and imagination.

Could you each provide titles to your own contribution. If you PM me I'll simply add the titles you choose. I want to see how the interpetations have developed as a family of ideas.

This, to me is a rewarding excercise. I am learning from everyone of you! Still looking for more!

Asher

[Mary Bull]

Asher said about John's crop and mine:
Mary's crop focuses on the boy and his face. I think that John's crop allows this to breathe more and the bicycle has, it seems, more path to ride into!
I do agree. I like John's crop better than mine, and also Ivan's crop. And I particularly like Ivan's layering of two separate conversions together.

It was very interesting to me that John rotated the image so that the boy is pedaling uphill. I didn't even think of playing with that, as soon as I was seized with the idea that he might be riding downhill very fast.

In my youth I have ridden a no-gears, balloon-tired bike up a little cliff on a farm near Brentwood, Tennessee. That was very hard work, for a recently emigrated flatlander like myself.


Mary

[Ivan Garcia]

Thank you guys.
I must say all the knowledge used on Asher's Image, I've learned here at opf, everything you guys are teaching me, helps me with my workflow. 7months ago, I could not have tackled this image with any confidence, so a big thank you for all your generous teachings.
Asher, I like to entitle the image "Stone rider"
Kindest of regards
Ivan

[John_Nevill]

Its great to see differing creative viewpoints of the same image. That's what makes us individual and provides invaluable learning.

I had to look twice at Ivan's and then saw the underlying subtlety of his work. The broad DR and fine colouring is very good indeed. I bet it looks great full size. Asher, perhaps one to print?.

I must confess that Mary's image inspired my decsion to rotate the image. To be honest I didn't look at the uphill element first, but rather the shape, contrast and form.

Its ironic but the cobbled stones didn't interest me, I saw them as a distraction from the intimacy of the main subject.

I personally wanted to find something that would draw the eye, darkening the foliage and grass and then placing the rail in the corner set the the subject up based on gut feel. It then dawned on me that the lad was quite focused and the uphill component worked.

The softening and blurr elements took other distractions out and added a late afternoon sunkissed feel, even though the sun seems quite high.

I'm not very good at giving images names but i'll go with "Nearly there!"

[Mary Bull]

I love it!

Both the image and the name.

Mary

[Jack_Flesher]

Great job Ivan! I like the strength the additional saturation in the cobblestones adds to the color image.

A+

Cheers,

[Nikolai Sklobovsky]

I left Asher's original in this post for comparison reasons...

http://idisk.mac.com/med007/Public/Boy With Yellow Bike on Cobblestones_MG_0718 400 PIXl colorRAW copy 2 copy.jpg

Asher[/quote]

Boy on the Bike

http://nik.smugmug.com/photos/105479912-L.jpg


"Riding the cobblestones of memories"

Sorry, the photograph got a bit torn during the process..:-)

[Ivan Garcia]

Awesome Nick.... Fluid mask for the cut out?
Ivan (IGD)

[Nikolai Sklobovsky]

Awesome Nick.... Fluid mask for the cut out?
Ivan (IGD)
Thanks!
Manual masking, paths, vanishing point, warping.. the works. :-)

[Asher Kelman]

Why am I not surprised, Nikolai!

You are an original guy and always thinking at the edge. Very impressive concept. I'd like to know your title, related not to Nik or Asher but to the image! What are you going to call it?

I love your rendering so much. It is fine, immediate, engaging and if we had a product to go with it, this would sell it!

Asher!

[Nikolai Sklobovsky]

Why am I not surprised, Nikolai!

You are an original guy and always thinking at the edge. Very impressive concept. I'd like to title, related not to nik or asher but to the image! What are you going to call it?

I love your rendering so much. It is fine, immediate, engaging and if we had a product to go with it, this would sell it!

Asher!

Thank you!

I was long thinking to try the OOB (out of bounds) technique, as well as vanishing point, and this picture of yours looked like a great object to try them on...

I'd call it " Riding the cobblestones of memories", or something to that extent...

[Ray West]

Hi NiKolai,

Outstanding (or upstanding), ('Magritte Rides Again')

Best wishes,

Ray

[Joe Russo]

Nikolai,

Terrific job! I really like your treatment of Asher's photograph. The thing that I like the most is the distillation of elements down to just the essentials - the boy on the bike and the cobblestones. My only nit (and it really is just a nit) is that I would've liked to have seen the shadow on the boys' face lightened up just a tad.

[Mary Bull]

Nik, it's wonderful!

As you know, and as the best critics here all say.

I am longing to have a folder on my own machine labeled "Nik's Creations," with copies of all the images you've put on OPF to date. My personal Nikolai gallery.

I don't guess that's possible--or if possible, maybe not legal--or if legal, not ethical?

Nevertheless, I long to have it.

Mary

[Carl Harsch]

Nikolai...excellent rendition. I had thought about going off the wall, but wasn't sure of the guidelines and how much creative latitude was allowed or encouraged. Nicely done!

[Mary Bull]

Act first, get permission later, Carl! < said with a smile >

Seriously, how about putting up your off-the-wall version for us to see here, now?

Mary

[Carl Harsch]

Act first, get permission later, Carl! < said with a smile >

Seriously, how about putting up your off-the-wall version for us to see here, now?

Mary

I didn't let it go beyond my thoughts....yet :)

[Nikolai Sklobovsky]

Hi NiKolai,
Outstanding (or upstanding), ('Magritte Rides Again')
Best wishes,
Ray

Thank you, sir! :-)

[Nikolai Sklobovsky]

Nikolai,

Terrific job! I really like your treatment of Asher's photograph. The thing that I like the most is the distillation of elements down to just the essentials - the boy on the bike and the cobblestones. My only nit (and it really is just a nit) is that I would've liked to have seen the shadow on the boys' face lightened up just a tad.

Thank you for looking and commenting!

I agree with your "nit". My only - and fairly lame - excuse is that I spent so much time on the "cutout" that I simply decided not to touch exposure, colors or anything else in the original file.

[Nikolai Sklobovsky]

Nik, it's wonderful!

As you know, and as the best critics here all say.

I am longing to have a folder on my own machine labeled "Nik's Creations," with copies of all the images you've put on OPF to date. My personal Nikolai gallery.

I don't guess that's possible--or if possible, maybe not legal--or if legal, not ethical?

Nevertheless, I long to have it.

Mary

Thank you, you're very kind!

What stops you? Right-mouse button, "save picture as" - and you're done:-)

Cheers!

[Nikolai Sklobovsky]

Nikolai...excellent rendition. I had thought about going off the wall, but wasn't sure of the guidelines and how much creative latitude was allowed or encouraged. Nicely done!

Thank you, appreciate it!

As May and Dirty Harry said, "shoot first, ask questions later":-)

Cheers!

[Mary Bull]

Off to do it!

The one time I ask before shooting, i get the go-ahead! Yay!!

Beware of flying paint-balls! LOL

Mary

[DLibrach]

Hi all,

Here is my attempt:

http://DLPhotography.smugmug.com/photos/105554410-L.jpg

It's hard for me to say exactly what I did as I tend to work by how each image speaks to me and that can change as the process evolves.

My thoughts upon seeing the photo was that it reminded me of some of the old family photos that we have kicking around. I love the colours of those photos and tried to duplicate that here.

There also seemed to be a bit of dead space on the sides so I cropped it a bit. The manhole was a definate point of focus for me and I wanted to emphasize it a bit more and I accomplished this by warping it slightly.

Cheers,
Dave

P.S. I apologize for not being able to explain it further but I am still relatively new to photography and PS. I tend to experiment freely as I work on an image and not really pay attention to what I am doing. This can make it difficult for me to repoduce an image but also can make each image a fun and unique experience.

[Asher Kelman]

Carl,

There are two types of RAW processing challenges in OPF.

1. With the author's intent expressed in a) a title and b) anything else. Here the topic is contained to express the intent of the original creator of the picture though the skills and mind of all of us.

2. The author of the pictures is silent about intent. The picture then becomes a scene that one sees for the first time on one's computer screen as if looking at it in real life. So all of us start the arc of creation independant of much of outside interference and influence as possible.

Here, we are dealing with families of expression that have uncontrolled lattitude. There are, then, no limits, except out capability to imagine, conceptualize and implement an independant meaning from the scene on the scren.

Each of the two methods carries the broadest range of creativity, only the first completes the arc of intent of the original photograph.

Each of these, however, builds our photography skills and at the same time bonds us as a group of artists.

Asher