Challenge: Bring out Feelings in this snow scene!

[Asher Kelman]

Marc Coons just joined OPF. He calls himself a photohobbyist.

Well I went through his website and found that he's a lot of school Jazz Band shots. Here for sure lighting would have alllowed one tog get more mood.

I also came across this simple image. Here's the challenge, can you process and or alter it this anyway you want to make it work better for you? All you have is the Title, "Waiting".


http://musicman5.smugmug.com/photos/130236336-M-1.jpg
Resting © Mark Coons 2007


I'm really interested to see what can be done. Snow is difficult in itself.

Asher

[Kevin Bjorke]

The obvious thing is to paste-in a threatening figure with a pistol, right behind him

[Asher Kelman]

Well Kevin,

Now's your chance!

You can download the RAW file here (http://www.yousendit.com/download/bHlBck95VnN3TGg1VEE9PQ).

Add © Mark Coons and remember the creative work is all donated back to the © holder in return for its use!

Snow is always tough. But it seems that this subject is ripe for creative insight! I look for lots of use of the shapes and shows plus whatever your training, skills and wisdom allow!

Asher

[David J. Eves]

No it isn't, Snow is very easy to take photos of..

IF...................you turn that LIGHT METER OFF!

125 @ f 16 100 ISO and I can walk around for years, and years, with this one settng and get perfect results EVERYTIME.

http://majikimaje.com/bath.jpg

I literally threw my lightmeter away in 1973, A Gossen Luna Pro w/attachments!

I haven't used a lightmeter since, and I live in a place that has snow, 9 months of the year!

If your DEPENDING on that light meter to give you the CORRECT exposure. NOPE! it won't happen usually, any light meter, no matter what they call it or name it, can only do one thing, average the data it collects !

Where as.. I used the time tested well proven, "shoot from the hip" method! LOOK at that light and determine what I need to use for a shutter / F-stop combination to make that PERFECT EXPOSURE. I have been doing this for over 30 years, I only expose one frame of film for any subject I create or capture. THAT IS HOW CONFIDENT I AM.. of the results I will RECORD

http://majikimaje.com/3GIRLSDOGs.JPG

I will be explaining my "shoot from the hip" method on another thread in explicit detail, and forgive me, BUT I WILL REPEAT my self at times.. TO DRIVE THE POINT HOME!

[Dawid Loubser]

Original link to RAW file expired (again!) so here's my view based on the small version posted above.
http://projects.solms.co.za/temp/130236336-M-1-dawidl.jpg
Original © Mark Coons, post-processing by Dawid Loubser

As you may have noticed, i"m a sucker for B&W, so I converted it (giving red channel preference) and pulled up the shadow areas a bit for more visible detail on the character. I did this in Apple Aperture, and then used GIMP to make the DOF appear a bit shallower (this may or may not have been a mistake, but this is a tele shot, and I would have used a large aperture to isolate subject) and then some selective dodgeing/burning to bring out the face and snow on the shovel, etc. I would have composed the shot differently (completely off-centre) but with this small thumbnail, I can only crop so much, so I didn't bother.

(Interestingly enough, though I usually edit the images of Asher's "mod challenges" in something like GIMP, I never ever do the same to my photos. I never dodge/burn/clone out stuff/etc - this is in a what what I like about Apple Aperture. It's a very "pure" photographic exposure tool, with only very minimalist cropping/rotating/patching tools, and no selective editing/masking/painting. It forces me to treat my digital imaging sensor kind-of like film, in that I try to take much more care upfront, i.e. focus on the purely photographical aspect.)

[Asher Kelman]

Mark Coons has kindly supplied his picture for the latewcomers!

Here's another chance to work with the original files (http://www.yousendit.com/download/WUJZblR1dzhwM2swTVE9PQ).

Asher

[Mark Coons]

I assume I can re-visit this image myself. So here is my revised entry.

http://MusicMan5.smugmug.com/photos/149275734-M.jpg