bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

In another topic it's being discussed if this section is about impressionism or photography. Thinking it was going impressionist, I drifted off. I've been reminded the section is about anything you can do to a digital capture to make a better story out of it. So...., here goes.

Lake Havasu City has large group of residents that build, restore and modify cars. There is no question that it is another "art form". I spent a couple winters there and struggled to find a way to "capture" the story of the "car art". Toward the end I tried to shoot odd compositional angles. Nothing ever looked good on the screen in Lightroom.

This was shot at high noon at a mall parking lot car show. I used a Sony RX100 (original version). Uploaded is a RAW straight to JPEG from Lightroom.

What can be done to make it highlight the artistic body and paint work? Can it be a "wall hanger"?

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Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Can we have your permission to work on it and post the results on your thread?

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Linda sent me a message saying I left out the permission part. I'm in the group that believes once an image is posted online in a public forum you have given it away. Download and work or play. You have my expressed permission to do whatever you might enjoy. Let me know if you make any money on it!!

I did find a Post Processing treatment. A framed copy was on my wall with two similar images until I donated them to a FFA auction. The highest bidder was only $60 for the set!

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Pure amateur wouldn't sell it or post it anywhere else. Might print it and hang it on my wall though.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Bill, thanks so much for this topic! It's a fascinating view of a super-cool "form." For me, the other elements distracted. I wanted to think a little outside the box, so instead of a vignette or replacing the background, I used a threshold filter to take everything to extreme b&w, which also reduced details, then created a layer mask to reveal the colors where I wanted.

I also did a bit of selective dodge (brighten) on the headlights and grill, and a little more contrast for pop of colors.

One major issue - which I hope someone can address with an easy fix - is the turquoise color that is reflected onto the fender on the right side. For the most part, I like the rest of the reflections, though perhaps not the large wheel.

With the threshold filter being a separate layer, you can play with blend modes. I was limited since there is no color in the background, but I did get one interesting look with "overlay" blend mode.

I encourage questions and commentary about the pp used by anyone who participates here - and in future topics. Thanks again, Bill. Congrats on the sale!!

If I've gone too impressionistic, I apologize. Hard to teach old dogs... You'll show us yours before this topic dies down, right?

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Normal blend mode of the threshhold layer

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Overlay blend mode of the threshold layer

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artBob Loc: Near Chicago

What a wonderful choice, flamboyant colors within graceful shapes emphasized by the camera angle. The car is the star, the rest is simply distraction, the colors and shapes being a useless mishmash that do not contrast nor blend with the subject. SO--out with them! In Photoshop, I selected the car, polished up the selection with "Select and Mask," reversed the mask, and put in the background as a gradient fill to make the colors pop and the gradient to go with the lighting (loved the sunlight-pierced shadow). First time, had two bad spots in the mask, so again polished up the selection with "Select and Mask."

I also darkened the shadow in the blower intake, because I liked that feature.

Loved the shot, loved working on it. Good eye, good technique.

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Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Great job, Bob!

L-Fox

It certainly could be...you did very well with what you had to work with. Sometimes one can do nothing about the background.

L-Fox

Bob, that's some superb retouching in your isolating the car.

L-Fox

Excellent, I especially like the first one.

kenievans Loc: Dallas

This car was meant to cruise the road!

I made a duplicate layer of the photo. On the background layer I used motion blur, adjusted the perspective then cropped, resized it and added a gradient filter. On the second layer I masked out everything but the car. It is not exactly the right perspective but it does give you the sense of motion driving down the road without distracting from the car itself. This was really fun to work with.

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Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

LOVE the idea! But where are the wheels?

kenievans Loc: Dallas

Well dang! I could see them on my PC monitor. I am hoping this is better. I can't tell until after I post it then check it on my phone.

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dannac Loc: 60 miles SW of New Orleans

Nice image bsprague.

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bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Love the responses. About the same time I took the picture I was completing a Photoshop Elements course on Lynda.com with Jan Kabili. With new to me tools, how could I get rid of every distraction. What are the distractions? Everything that was not hand crafted by the body and paint crew had to go. Selections, layers and masks were still too challenging. What about simply painting black over everything that bothered me. I did it pixel by pixel.

In my mind, the first and significant story is the intense craftsmanship. The second story is that it is a "selfie". If you look in the right place, you can see me laying on the ground with my tiny RX100 camera. You can also see the other people enjoying the fabulous cars. How can anyone paint and polish a car to that mirror like quality?

From my traditional point of view, this is no longer a photograph but is as close to an impressionistic interpretation I've ever produced.

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