jak86094

I really like this photo, which was taken by my fiancé (who died last February) in the Straights of Magellan. We were supposed to take Zodiaks from the ship to the shore to walk among penguins, but the wind and rain were so severe that the zodiac trip was cancelled. I found this photo on the memory card in Nancy's camera recently and love the image with the birds (Cormorants or Shags) spread across the sky and the lighthouse on the island below. I think the sky is dramatic, and even some of the water spotting over the birds is interesting...almost as though they are flying through low clouds. I would like to remove the rain spots and smears over the water and land...not worried about the sky. I've tried the cloning tool and healing brush with only moderate success. Any suggestions?

(Download)

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

No, please, don't remove or try to disguise a single raindrop. Some images are perfect in spite of themselves.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Exactly. Remember her for when she captured the image.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Jak, that photo is as perfect as it's ever going to be. My suggestion is don't mess with it.
--Bob

FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County

What they said!
Sometimes imperfect really is perfect.

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

I would want the shot remembered as she took it, not how I fixed it....fine shot!!

Stephan G

And then there are those shots that cannot be "improved" even with re-shooting.

What you have is a tone-poem of a instance of time and condition which cannot be improved. It is very rare when it happens.

CSand Loc: Fayetteville, Georgia

Nancy's capture is lovely. A beautiful moment for you.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Don't touch it. It's wonderful as is.

Alafoto Loc: Montgomery, AL

If any perceived 'imperfections' are corrected or removed, it will no longer be Nancy's photo. No matter how beautiful the edited version may may become, it will no longer represent that day that you spent together. Please leave it as she made it.

JoAnneK01 Loc: Lahaina, Hawaii

I'm sorry for your loss. Your fiancé had a wonderful eye for beauty. This is why she took this photo. Please leave it alone for it is her work and a great remembrance. You can not improve on her work. I'd frame it and hang the photograph on the wall as a great remembrance of her. Please leave the photo as it is the day she took the photo.

nanaval Loc: Cornwall

I would leave it as your fiance took it. Looks great to me rain spots and all...

jak86094

Thanks to all of you who took the time to address my post of the picture taken by my fiancé, who died this past February. I won't further process the photo as taken by Nancy. We were on a tour of Patagonia (both Argentina and Chile) which we extended with an ocean leg through the Straights of Magellan. The weather varied from hour to hour and that one landing just didn't work out. We loved Patagonia and the people of both countries. My loss of Nancy can never be replaced by the wonderful memories of our time together, but those memories plus the experiences of my current hobbies (biking, birding and photography) help me fill my time and the void of her passing...something I learned about after my wife of 33 years died in 2006. So what you are seeing in my posts are some of my efforts to keep my mind and body busy. Thanks for the kind words and supportive thoughts. When I have time, I'll try to print Nancy's photo and hang it on my wall near a picture of her. I'll also share it and your comments with her son and daughter and their families. Nancy was an artistic, creative person...a landscape architect who added her joy for living things to all her projects. Many of the parks and public projects in Orange County bear her imprint. These include some of the planning of Fairview Park in Costa Mesa and the Botanical Preserve (e.g., check out the maze) and new children's play area at Crown Valley Park in Laguna Niguel, where she worked for over 20 years. If you ever visit those places, you will experience some of her creativity. Thanks again, everyone.

CathyAnn Loc: Apache Junction, AZ

I really like the image as is! It's gorgeous.