[Larne]

First off, I know the image is not as sharp as it could be. I did a direct export from the Elements organiser rather than resizing and then saving from the editor and looking at the image on the website now I realise that was a mistake.

Having got past that, I would appreciate some feedback on this image. I had to change something in this image to make it work. This thing I had to change seems very obvious to me but I'm not sure if that is because I'm the one who did it. So to start off with I would like to see if anyone can immediately spot the 'edit' to the picture - that at least will tell me if it stands out as much as it does to me. On top of that I would welcome comments on the image itself. It's a tricky subject with the road right across the foreground and while I could crop the foreground out that left me with a picture I really wasn't happy with. So, all comments and suggestions welcome.



Thanks!

[silkstone]

Nothing obvious, Niall, but since you've said that there's an edit, it looks to me as if some cloning may have gone on with the grass/path at the lower left.

However, even if I'm right here, I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't said.

[Larne]

Good spot, and I'm glad it wasn't obvious.

The house out of shot to the left has recently been renovated and the front 'garden' is a stony wasteland. It was really dragging the eye to it so I used a layer mask to paste in some grass from a completely different image.

So, now I have 'fessed up - does it work?

Is there anything else I should be focussing on to improve the image?

[photoshopmad]

I know that you weren't happy with cropping the foreground but I do think that it would look better as a panoramic shot with the picture just cropped level to the bottom of the fence. The road isn't exactly beautiful is it? Nice picture of the pub though.

[brian wright22]

Yes I agree with Photoshopmad here,I would have cropped starting at the left hand side, level with the "brown" mark in the road. The pub looks good,do they sell real ale?
Regards Brian

[Markulous]

Pub looks good, road doesn't look too bad and edit is fine but, ironically, that big patch of green I find somewhat distracting - I'd be tempted to cut it in half

[Charlotte]

Another vote here for cropping the road out - it just adds too much grey to the image.

I think it could use an increase in colour saturation.

For some reason, I think it needs a slight anti-clockwise rotation.

For me the sky detracts - replace it with a nice blue sky with white fluffy clouds?? (She asks nonchalantly, never having tried replacing a sky herself )

The pub itself came out very nicely It's what's above and below it that give the image a rather gloomy look, because of the lack of sunshine.

[Larne]

I do have a version without the road but without any foreground or background you end up with a building without any context. It could be anywhere and the point of this particular photo documentary is to record images of the local village. It just looks like I plucked a building out of the ether and dropped it onto the paper. I might try with a crop cutting down the amount of grey without removing it entirely but one of the other factors is that I am hoping to sell prints of some of the images from this set so I need to try and keep them close to traditional print ratios.

Regarding rotation, the building itself is not square. Not sure exactly how old it is but there is some definite sagging going on. I drove myself mad trying to get it to look right and in the end I just went for what I thought was best.

It was sunny but the sun is fairly high in the sky and the sky was hazy. I don't think I'll try dropping a new sky in, that would be a tad challenging but thanks for the suggestion.

Reckon I'll have a fiddle later today and post up an amended version, see if I can improve on the current one. Really appreciate all the feedback, thanks!

[AQ]

I do not think that you want to chop off all the road just half of it. It you crop it to just above that light grey patch on the road it works quite well.

[Larne]

See the updated version below. I have tried to address all the comments above. I like the picture but the only way I could sell prints would be along with a custom frame due to the ratio so it is still less than ideal.

Still, what do you think?

[AQ]

As a picture I think it is now OK but I did not realise you wanted to sell it in a frame. How good are you at woodwork

[Larne]

Well I don't want to have to make the frames, but that's the issue. A regular ratio picture is easy for the buyer to go out and find a frame. Something unusual like this, well at the very least I would have to mount it.

Might look at making my own mounts for some of these images and selling them mounted. Would make it easier for the buyer to find a frame and I can charge more

[brian wright22]

Ok Larne if like me you don't do woodwork how about cheating a little on the aspect ratio.Regards Brian
url=http://www.pixalo.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/23059][/url]

[Larne]

Hehe - I'll get people asking where the new pub is