Tags
Awards, Blurring, grapes, images, photography, reworking, still life, Traditions, wine
Last night I stayed up late to work on an image to show today. I knew that I wasn’t going to have much time to do it today as I was off to the city this morning with Klara. We went on a tour of the Melbourne Town Hall and then off to the Aquarium. I really wanted to do the tour and the bribe to get Klara to go was the Aquarium. I am hoping that I might be allowed to get back into the Town Hall to take some shots. So I found an image I could use that I could rework for todays post.
This image was first shown to you in March in a post called Processes and Traditions. This was when I wasn’t doing so great with the HDR processing and was still finding my way around the software. I have learned a thing or two since then.
As I said, last night I worked on an image. I was worried that when I looked at it today that it would look bad. It doesn’t, but then I realised there was another major problem with it.
Can you tell the difference? I did the wrong photo. Can you believe it?
I could go and redo it, but to be honest, right now I am too tired. I am hoping you can tell what I have done differently to the first one. Look beyond the fact that the image is different.
I tried to bring out the textures a lot more. I have also done a lot more blurring than what I was doing in the past. I made the background much darker. I did lose the wine bottle, but I don’t think that matters. I love how the crystal glass comes out.
I was allowed to take some photos today of the inside of the Town Hall, but they aren’t great, you really need a tripod to take the photos. I will show you some from there and the Aquarium in the next few days.
Awards
I have been given quite a few more awards and I really need to acknowledge some people.
Versatile Blogger Award
Mike McMurray’s Forest Photography
Very Inspiring Blog Award
Liebster Award
Blog of the Year
Here is an award I have not seen before.
The Clements Award
It has been wonderful to be nominated by so many people, I truly am honoured. Thank you so much and I hope everyone else will go and visit the blogs.
scott2608 said:
Great still life photos!!
John said:
Great photos… the second is a little better. We have been watching the big tennis matches in your town every night here. What a beautiful city!
maxitnz said:
Both the images have turned out good but the first one is great. I with my limited knowledge would just say that the blurring of the candle light in the second one puts it in the second apot plus the brightness in the first one enhances the entire photo. Superb work though it is just waiting to pop out of the screen.
garyschollmeier said:
Silly me I was so busy looking at the picture, I didn’t see they were different.
I like the 2nd one.
Stephen Texeira Photography said:
Beautifully done. Time well spent.
grumpytykepix said:
To my eye the composition in the first is better, very like an old master (and I guess you liked it better originally as it was the one you chose). It will be interesting to see if I prefer this one ‘blurred’, but somehow I doubt it.
George Weaver said:
The difference is astounding! The reworked one is wonderful. The amount of blurring is just enough. You didn’t really lose the wine bottle. The light plays perfectly on the side of it to suggest a wine bottle. The enhanced detail and the deeper tones along with the black background create a painterly effect certainly. I like this very much.
niasunset said:
Beautiful photographs, as always fascinated me. Thank you and congratulations. Love, nia
dmgartphoto said:
And you changed the angle from slightly above the motif to the same elevel as it. The objects then gets more contoured and in my opinion creates a better image. Am I right or is it just and optical illusion?
benrowef64 said:
I prefer the first one more, the second image is darker and a lot of the shadow detail seems to be lost. As others have said the blurring on the candle in the second image is a little distracting for me. I do like in the second image the contrast and vibrancy in the colors as well as the composition and angle.
IMHO
greenbenchramblings said:
I like the richness of the colours in this shot.
janasaifi said:
great work!
Suzanne said:
Beautiful images – I actually prefer the composition in the first one. I like the way the glass is off to side. To me it dominates the second photo. That rest of the image seems to be there just to frame the glass. Just a personal quibble. Both are lovely crisp images.
the eternal traveller said:
I love the colours in both these photos Leanne. We’re back from our holiday in NZ and I’m suffering from blog withdrawal, so I’m going back over all your posts that I missed.
YellowCable said:
Congratulations Leanne.
Pairodox Farm said:
Put my vote down for Number Two. I like the angle better and the dark backdrop sets off your subjects more. Looking forward to seeing the shots you took in town – it’s always a pleasure to look at your stuff … kind of like Christmas morning … always a surprise. Congratulations on all the awards – you must have a tremendous readership. How long have you been blogging? I’m wondering whether you have a Facebook page to go along? I’d like a wider readership as well but have not been willing to following more than a very, very, small handful of folks – don’t have the time to read an comment. I suppose you’ll tell me that you get out what you’re willing to put into it – right? D
Grndma Chris said:
I can tell a difference, but they both look great and what an interesting collection for the photo. Also, congrats on the awards and enjoy your friday.
RoSy said:
I prefer the 1st. But – do like how the water stands out in the 2nd. Hmmm…let’s combine that
Easy for me to say huh – I’m not the one doing this.
And – WOW – Congrats on all of those awards!
Heather said:
both photos are wonderful…what do I know…only that I enjoy both photos…I understand the second has more work done to it but the first is equally as lovely to look at!
Congrats on your awards…they are well deserved!
pinchofpunch said:
Hi Leanne,
Beautiful still-life photographs! The light is always the most difficult thing. I like the first one, but the second really has the right atmosphere. When it comes to still-life’s I am also a fan of keeping it simple. Have you ever seen work by Henk Helmantel? He is a Dutch painter and this is his website: http://www.helmantel.nl/showpage.php?id=57
Another Thousand Words said:
The first image is beautifully worked, Leanne…yet I prefer the composition of the second, and that wonderful, romantic touch of softness you’ve given it! Also, the second has a finer ‘spatial quality’ to it…and both pieces of glassware came out spectacularly! Well done…worth the hard work, wasn’t it?
Another Thousand Words said:
Let me put it this way, after taking another long look: the first is a fine magazine photo, but the second is more like another ‘Vermeer’! You’ve caught his lighting and detail perfectly!
Noeline Smith said:
I’m not normally a fan of still life but this is lovely – very ‘old masterly’! Your processing is spot on and I prefer the first (apparently wrong!) image. I think the higher point of view shows off the objects better and the glass to one side feels better balanced. I find that the central glass in the second image acts as a bit of a ‘block’.
gleaningthenuggets said:
I love them both! What a lovely idea
elettracavendish said:
I’m always just a little intimidated by all the “likes”surrounding your work, so I seldom comment. I don’t have anything especially insightful to contribute, I’m afraid. I simply feel compelled to say that I was moved by the beauty of these still lives. I love still life as a genre. I love composition work like this. And of course I am a fan of old master paintings. My preference, for what it’s worth, is for the second piece, which I find more classical.
poppytump said:
I had what I wanted to say … but Another 1000 Words has pipped me to the post !
ps I have almost an exact match of your Edwardian etched tumbler
Nnena@NordicBLACK said:
love the image. But can’t help thinking how powerful it would be if the candle were black instead of white
viveka said:
I can see loads of changes .. like the water glass has been moved .. the wine bottle has been faded out … the open apricot is gone – and I like the lower photo, were the glassed has replaced the apricot. Both great. I wish you great weekend.
fragglerocking said:
the background in the first makes the shot stand out for me, whilst the second shot gives stark contrasts, the backdrop in the 1st gives cohesion. IMHO.
Richard Guest said:
Yes, I love them both – very nice still lifes. Looking forward to seeing the results of today’s trip.
Bella Remy Photography said:
Hi Leanne ! That is a lot of work you put into creating this scene. I actually like the composition and lighting on the first photo better. I’m impressed how you created this, I know it takes time and money!
lulu said:
You may have worked on the wrong photo, but the result is lovely, very much like a classical painting.
bluebrightly said:
It’s generous of you to go through your process with everyone here – I think you did make an improvement on the second shot, with the blurring and greater contrast. The only thing I might be tempted to do is slightly dim the brightness of the two fruits in the bowl that have a strong highlight on them. Thats just a detail, and what you can see by all the comments is – boy, people sure do see things differently!
spree said:
Leann I think the time you spent reworking the image paid off…love the darkened background….all the elements of the still life seem more vibrant as a result , and to pop off of this darker space. The bottles dimensions are still evident. The crystal is brilliant, the textures of the table linens are more obvious, and somehow the eye is more at peace (in my opinion) settling in with the second image. I think it feels as though there is less distraction, though I’m not sure exactly why that would be. Anyway, a very lovely image Leann!
petit4chocolatier said:
Gorgeous photos and congratulations on your award! Well deserved
Jean Huang Photography - Los Angeles Custom Portrait and Fine Art Photographer said:
I like the reworked version.
Congratulations on all these awards! Great job!
afternoonartist said:
I like the softly lit gray background of the first photo better. The cool grey enhances the warm color of the fruit. Yes, you’ve captured more texture in the second photo, but now the fruit seems glaring–almost over exposed. Loved your cycling photos. So amazing. Wish I could take photos like you. You are so talented.
wannabephotographer87 said:
I think it looks great, even though it’s a different photo haha! Don’t you just hate that? But it looks great and I really see the work you did
Hope you had fun at the Aquarium!
Mary EKlectic said:
To me, the second one is way better. I love how the darker tones and the softer look of it give it a much more artsy and dramatic feel. And I adore how it resembles an antique painting. I actually have a painting on canvas that has a similar look to your photos.
wnattawan said:
It’s a big eye-catching photo. I really like this activity of yours.
Little Brown Tomato (LBT) said:
Very hard to pick which effects are better but I liked the first because on my computer, it comes in with more clarity.
arjunsantosh said:
Reblogged this on arjunsantosh.