An Experiment: I'm trying to decide what to do with this image. I originally took the picture because I was fascinated with how the apples were eaten from the top {squirrrels, I...

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I'm trying to decide what to do with this image.

I originally took the picture because I was fascinated with how the apples were eaten from the top {squirrrels, I presume} and to test bokeh on my Soviet-built Mir-1 lens, which has a ten-blade aperture and is known for its bokeh {so I shot it at f/2.8, which may have been a tad too much opening}.

Actually, I took eleven pictures, of which this was the darkest {I was having trouble determining from my camera's LCD which angle and settings were best}. Much of the image is darkishm but there are two portions of the apple on the right side that spike suddenly at (255,255,255) - in fact, it is such a sharp spike that I had trouble seeing it on the camera's histogram.

(Download)

Frank2013 Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.

Not sure I understand what you are asking for....

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Frank2013 wrote:

Not sure I understand what you are asking for....

I guess I'm not sure either. Does this image have a future, and if it were yours, what would you do with it, I guess. Or should I just toss it as I would toss the apples? {I don't have much experience in this sort of thing}

Frank2013 Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.

rehess wrote:

I guess I'm not sure either. Does this image have a future, and if it were yours, what would you do with it, I guess. Or should I just toss it as I would toss the apples? {I don't have much experience in this sort of thing}

There is pp that can improve it if that's your question. Whether it improves it enough for you to keep only you can answer.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

If there is interest for you in the apples and the background behind, I'd suggest you crop a lot from the left and a lot from the bottom. In the end, you're still left with unappetizing fruit IMO

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

rehess wrote:

I'm trying to decide what to do with this image. b... (show quote)

I love experiments and do a plenty myself, so was attracted to figure on this image.

The sharp little spike in the brights looks like it is mostly in the apple itself, though the bright areas at the bottom with those boxy green and orange forms are more a aggravation from a compositional standpoint. And yes, there are heavy darks, with little detail. There is also come CA lurking in there (turquoise variety) in the junctures of extreme bright/dark.

My own processing thoughts tend to gravitate to the brighter side in most cases and this is no exception. Raising the darks, lowering the brights, and cropping from the bottom and right to get more focus on the subject and less bright distraction will go a long way to making it a keeper. Resolving the darks will show up the bee which adds interest and is all but invisible now.

I rebalanced the brights and darks in ACR, then ran it through a couple of NIK filters for tonal contrast and a film filter that emulates duplex, both at reduced opacities, and got a version with a bit more richness to it.

Thanks for the puzzle!

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

minniev wrote:

I love experiments and do a plenty myself, so was ... (show quote)

Do we get to see it?

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

rehess wrote:

Do we get to see it?

Just one interpretation of many, without anything radical...

(Download)

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

minniev wrote:

I love experiments and do a plenty myself, so was attracted to figure on this image.

The sharp little spike in the brights looks like it is mostly in the apple itself, though the bright areas at the bottom with those boxy green and orange forms are more a aggravation from a compositional standpoint. And yes, there are heavy darks, with little detail. There is also come CA lurking in there (turquoise variety) in the junctures of extreme bright/dark.

Because the K-mount dates back to 1975, and a simple ring adapter allows use of the even-older M42-mount lenses, many Pentax users become involved in exploring old lenses. I've been back to using Pentax for less than two years, but I quickly fell into that practice. According to its serial number, the lens I used to take this picture was constructed in 1985, and the basic design was nearly thirty years old then, so I guess having CA issues shouldn't be much of a surprise.

I have a little trouble using it because the aperture rings are at the front end while the focusing ring is next to the mount, but it makes everything a little less routine.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

minniev wrote:

Just one interpretation of many, without anything radical...

Oh, yes, that is much better than the one I gave you.

Incidentally, I didn't even notice the bee myself until several exposures later, when it crawled onto the light part of the apple.

{ Thank you very much! }

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

rehess wrote:

Oh, yes, that is much better than the one I gave you.

Incidentally, I didn't even notice the bee myself until several exposures later, when it crawled onto the light part of the apple.

{ Thank you very much! }

Once you beat back the contrast caused by harsh light, you can then go in a number of directions that are unavailable to you while you are still hamstrung by blacks and brights. In the end, you may have to add some contrast back in to make it realistic and avoid a pseudo HDR look, but you have more options. I chose a warmer one, after experimenting with a few others.

And that CA is not surprising but it was big and stubborn. Bet you'd have better luck addressing it in the raw file.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

minniev wrote:

Once you beat back the contrast caused by harsh light, you can then go in a number of directions that are unavailable to you while you are still hamstrung by blacks and brights. In the end, you may have to add some contrast back in to make it realistic and avoid a pseudo HDR look, but you have more options. I chose a warmer one, after experimenting with a few others.

I had been hoping for a cloudy day today - in fact the sun was hidden until just before I got there. Taking a picture under a tree on a sunny day is kind of asking for problems, I guess.

minniev wrote:

And that CA is not surprising but it was big and stubborn. Bet you'd have better luck addressing it in the raw file.

I spent the last few minutes looking at on-line reviews of that lens. They basically say it has a serious CA problem when open wide, but the problem goes away as you close it down. Since part of my intention was to see what the bokeh actually looks like, wide open made sense at the time. I guess I'm going to have to re-think any use of that lens. {because I value context so much, I hardly ever open a lens much wider than f/5.6, so I guess using it wide open at f/2.8 was another experiment.

Again, thank you for your help and advice.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

rehess wrote:

I spent the last few minutes looking at on-line re... (show quote)

I am hoping some one else will step in with other suggestions.

There's always more than one way to skin a cat.

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

If you wish to test your lens you made find this informative article very helpful -

http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/How_to/ha_Testing_lenses/a_How_to_test_a_lens.html

Finding apples that squirrels have chewed from the top fascinating is obviously a personal issue and I can but wish you luck with that one! The shot is more interesting than it seems at first glance and I assume will soon be gracing the living room wall in rehess towers? A simple natural wood frame and light grey mat perhaps?

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

rehess wrote:

I'm trying to decide what to do with this image. b... (show quote)

Looking at both posted versions, I like the crop in the second version a lot better. Still, there is a lot of vegetation that gets in the way of the composition by competing with your two subjects. Don't have any really good ideas for pp. It is a worthwhile experiment; but I think it just misses. There is not a lot of impact here for me. Sorry, but that is my take.