One Photo Focus Challenge – April

This is my first attempt at One Photo Focus Challenge, I find this challenge fascinating and at the same time a little daunting. Everyone working on the same image to see what they can come up with. The possibilities are endless and I guess for my first effot I am playing a little safe. The photo is by Cee Neuner and I found it interesting and difficult at the same time to alter someone else image. I know I can and have almost destroyed my own stuff by playing around in Photoshop and with Nik Software etc (I always work non destructively these days). However with someone else’s image you cannot know what vision they had planned. I started off going in 3 different tangents.   This first version, which is my final posted version is my favorite, all I really did was crop it a little, altered the light with a curve layer and then add a Nostalic 2 Filter from Nik SilverEfex Pro. I felt it has given it a soft old world charm. The foliage is still tangible and the door is bright and welcoming, as are the wrought iron chairs on the porch, just perfect for a late afternoon catch up over tea (or something a little stronger)!

This second version, which was almost my final one, there is something intriguing about the final look. Almost an animated feel to to. Again the image is cropped slightly and I have altered the levels with a curve layer. I then added a Poster Edge from the Artistic Filters and then added and Oil Painting Filter. I then ran through Nik Color Efex and heightened the saturation a little more. However it no longer ‘feels’ like a photo so for this month I decided to disregard it.

The next version I played with, by adding some Fog in Nik Color Efex and then I had another layer with noise and a motion blur and then a plastic filter to sort of simulate the look of rain. I have done this a few times, but I feel I am yet to get the feel right. I then overlaid an image of a window pane and made it look like the photo was shot from inside on a rainy day. I decided I really was not happy with it, but decided to keep it in the post as a point of reference. Perhaps someone out there could offer a few pointers on rain. I think I have puddles down OK, but just not the rain.

The Final Shot is Cee Neuener’s original – completely untouched

I cannot wait to see what everyone else has done.

– Julz