You can start with an image, and you can start doing things to it, and will never stop. Well, you have to stop some where. (I feel like I am channelling Dr Who) Something similar to that happened to me today. I picked the image I was going to work on for you today, which ended up not being the image I thought I would use. Here, just let me show you, oh by the way this is the original.
This was taken on Sunday morning. The sun was starting to come up, but not behind this. When I first looked at this image, I was a little disappointed because you couldn’t see any car light trails, but then I realised that the image is almost devoid of life, and well, it seemed very fitting then. There are people on the steps under the clocks, but not many. I realised that this is a real strange image, do you know how hard it would be to get a HDR without one car in any of the frames? This is a 3 image HDR.
So I started playing.
This is the image as it was going to stay. I really didn’t do a lot to it, I think you can tell that. I did some vignetting and, well, nothing else really. I think, if you can believe it, I quite liked it the way it was. I like the vignetting, and I think it has given it a little more depth. I don’t really notice it too much. I do love the colour of the sky.
Like I said, I was going to leave it at that, but it was early in the day, there was no hurry, so I thought, mmm, I wonder what would happen if I put a texture over the top and did some blending. Well, I couldn’t stop, here is what I ended up with.
There are about 4 different texture levels here. I kept laying them over the top, blending them, then adding another one, fading another one slowly. The image ended up quite dark, so then I had to use some curves. I don’t mind the final look, something different, let me know what you think.
It fun to just say, whatever, I’m just going to have a go. I always had the original, so it didn’t matter what happened to subsequent images. It is also a great to learn. Hope I see some experiments from all of you soon.
Xandré Verkes said:
Wow – great shot btw!!!! I prefer the more crisp shot!!! The first is great & obviously the enhanced one as well!!!! I’m not sure about the textures (for me)!!
**
Leanne Cole said:
Yeah, see what happens when you have too much time on your hands, haha
or should that be 
? I thought the shot quite eerie, but I like all of them, though for different things and would use each for different things.
emiliabrasier said:
I like the texture but I also like the first one without the texture. I like that the texture detracts from the power lines. I have been trying to teach myself about photoshop and find that playing around is fun and informative.
Leanne Cole said:
Yeah, the power lines are a pain, but an unfortunate side effect of living in a city with a huge tram network, the lines are everywhere for the trams. I hadn’t even noticed that you didn’t notice them with the textures, thanks for showing me something new
Photoshop is fantastic, there is so much help out there. If you ever need help or want to know something please ask, I may not be able to help, but I can try.
Morten Høj said:
The middle one is to me the greater one
– What a capture!
Leanne Cole said:
Thanks Morten, lovely to hear from you. Yes, I suspect you might be right and it might prove to be the most popular one out of them.
Chronic Engineer said:
I love all of them, but the last one with the textures is excellent! Do you do all your editing in photoshop?
Leanne Cole said:
Thank you, It is great playing with images to see what you can do. I quite like how the textures came out. I don’t do all my editing in photoshop, I do my HDR’s with Photomatix, then I use Photoshop and a plugin called Topaz Adjust, which I have just discovered, and it is amazing. I love it.
Chronic Engineer said:
Oh, I will definitely have a look at Photomatix and Topaz Adjust. I started playing around with Silver FX pro and I love it. Will post some pics soon! Thanks for letting me know!
Leanne Cole said:
Silver FX is the next one I am thinking of getting. I look forward to seeing your images.
EllaDee said:
Spectacular. I can’t believe there are no cars and negligible people. The images have a surreal feel / something of a huge circus tent just before opening time (have you read The Night Circus?) feel to them, and the last one evokes Van Gogh’s Starry Night paintings for me.
Leanne Cole said:
I know EllaDee, how eerie is it. It looks dead, which is not at all what it usually looks like. Maybe I should have mentioned in my post that it is one of the busiest intersections in Melbourne. I love the way you have described them, wonderful. No I haven’t heard of the The Night Circus, perhaps I will look it up. Thanks again.
gardenfreshtomatoes said:
Great project – worth getting up early for!
I love seeing what you do in processing – how do you keep track? Every time I try, I start adding things, and at the end, I have no idea what all I’ve done…
Leanne Cole said:
I was disappointed at the time, it wasn’t what I was expected, but I am really happy with what I got, it was way better.
The editing, well, I tend to do the same things each time, I do vary it a little, but that makes it easier when I am doing it. Sometimes I do something really wild, haha, but then I save the images in different stages, so I can go back and see what I did. In printmaking it was called states, probably a good way to go. I hope the some of the method in my madness helps you work out yours.
Colline said:
The image looks as if it belongs on canvas. Definitely looking like a piece of art Leanne.
Leanne Cole said:
Thanks Colline, adding textures can do some pretty amazing stuff to the final look, I wonder what it would look like printed on a canvas.
Colline said:
I think it would look amazing.
Liz said:
i like the original best. Funnily enough until I read the comments I didn’t even notice the tram wires – funny what we become blind to.
Leanne Cole said:
That is so true, I knew they were there, but I think, to me anyway, they are a part of the landscape. They are always there and they are everywhere. I don’t mind the original either, thanks Liz.
zelmare said:
Love-leeeeee…
I like them all, but my favourite is the original. It does sound like a lot of fun to play around like that. I think, if I ever get myself a new laptop (or should I be optimistic and say ‘when’?) , I’ll get photoshop as well, so I can play around a bit. 
Leanne Cole said:
Thank Zelmare, it is a lot of fun.
WHEN you get your new laptop, talk to me first, you probably don’t really need get photoshop, I suspect Photoshop Elements or Lightroom might be better for someone starting, and either are so much cheaper than PS. 
zelmare said:
Tricia's Blogs said:
Ah, textures, that is what you meant by layering. Textures are not something that my default photo editors have, so I don’t use them. They sure make for fun playing around don’t they? I get it now! I see what you mean. I am new to all this so thank you for sharing the process. By the way, I like the original photo a lot!
Leanne Cole said:
Thanks Tricia, seems the original is most peoples favourite. I like all of them. Glad you are picking up stuff from the blog. I like helping people, that is something that this blog is starting to make me understand. I have even started looking at teaching some courses.
Richard Guest said:
Very interesting – I really like it, and I really like the fact that the photograph is just a starting point – it makes me want to have a go myself.
Leanne Cole said:
You should have a go Richard, you never know where you will end up. Just remember to keep the original as original, that way if you do something or go to far, you always have that to fall back on. As photographers we can change the world as we see it.
Curls & Q said:
HDR is my next learning curve!
Your photos are fabulous!
Leanne Cole said:
HDR is a fantastic way to take photos, well to process them and you will not regret learning how to do it. I first learned how to do it with Photoshop and then Photomatix was recommended to me. Trey Ratcliffe at Stuck in Customs has some tutorials and you can get the software through him with a discount. Let me know how you go.
Curls & Q said:
Have you tried one of the cameras that have a HDR setting? I have Photoshop, will look into Photomatix. Thanks! Really do love your photography!
Leanne Cole said:
I tried it with my phone and an app, but not seriously. I think you should avoid camera settings and stuff. I like to be in control as much as possible, oh, does that make me a control freak?
I do bracketed shots, average 5, but if I am hand holding I don’t do anymore than 3. What sort of camera do you have?
Curls & Q said:
I have a Canon – can’t remember the model. Definitely not top of the line. My husband has been researching cameras since Feb. He just finished a photo class. We’re still undecided as to what we should purchase. We are amateur photographers.
I sent at link to your site for him to see. (I’m in Montana talking care of my mom after her surgery. ) I know he’ll love your site too!
John Smith said:
Ahaa….. !
I have come over to Oz very quickly after you visited my blog in Scotland….. its a small world…… just to check you out……… and immediately I see quality…… immediately…. I am following you.
I will be back to look further. The work here is by a true photographic artist….thanks for your visit Leanne, you have made my day.
Leanne Cole said:
Thank John, have to say you blog is pretty good too. It is a wonderful thing about blogs, being able to visit other parts of the world. I will have to continue checking on you as well. Thanks for coming to visit me as well.
Karen's Nature Art said:
The last one has a lot of atmosphere to it. Hard to decide which one I like the best! Thanks for visiting my blog!
Leanne Cole said:
Thanks Karen, it is hard to decide, I often have trouble with that myself. Thank you as well, for returning the visit.
christinapertz1 said:
I love it textured! It went from morning to a dark stormy night! Lovely!
Leanne Cole said:
Thank you, I hadn’t thought of it like that, will have to go back and look again.
Wayside Artist said:
As soon as I opened you blog page, I said, “OH, WOW!!!” Great photography. I really enjoyed reading about your “play.”
Leanne Cole said:
Thank you, and thanks for coming to visit. I am so glad you enjoyed it. I am going back to the play tonight, so there will be some photos of the play in the next day or so.
George Weaver said:
I like all of them. If only I could manage to capture the first one, I wouldn’t dare to touch it!
I think the first and third are great for different reasons and would fit different applications. This is superb post processing, Leanne. I am thrilled that a photographer who is as accomplished as you are would bother to look at my photographs. That just tickles me! Thank you very much! George
Leanne Cole said:
You would be able to capture this image. It is just a long exposure taken very early in the morning. Touching it is easy, as long as you make sure you only play with a copy rather than the original. I so glad you like my blog George, and I am more than happy to look at anyone’s blog, it is a great way to learn, and a great way to judge how you have to go and how far you need to go. It’s been lovely meeting you and I hope we get to know one another more through our blogs.
Judy said:
Your photos are awesome! I love the middle image, but the one with textures is cool, too, as a nice version of its own. I have Photoshop Elements, and really don’t know all there is to do with it. I use the basic editing tools, but layers are beyond me! I enjoyed reading about your processing. I’ll return! Thanks for the visit to my blog!
Leanne Cole said:
Thanks Judy, you know I was talking like you not that long ago. I made it my mission last year to learn as much as I could. I used tutorials on the internet and, in Australia, we have a couple of really good magazines that help explain a lot. I am sure you will learn it all in time. If I can help, please ask.
wannabephotographer87 said:
Sorry I haven’t been around to comment! I’m visiting my grandpa and don’t get much of a chance to go online, but I love this! i love what you did to it and everything
Leanne Cole said:
I will admit, I had wondered why I hadn’t heard from you and I did miss you. Glad you are OK, and hope everything is good with your grandpa. So nice you found some time to let me know what you thought, I really appreciate that.
Keep well 
wannabephotographer87 said:
Thank you! Yes I’ll be back soon lol
tacts said:
I love going into the city early in the morning. Melbourne is kinda like a ghost city during this time, eh? I particularly like your header image of Jolimont Rail yards (well, I do like anything to do with trains
)
Leanne Cole said:
I haven’t done it much, but seeing how quiet it is, I will have to do it some more. I like the header as well, possibly my favourite photo so far. Thanks.