Jim-Pops Loc: Granbury, Texas

On one of our trips we saw some old steam engines and other steam run equipment. This was at Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway. The picture here was taken most likely in the automatic setting and exposed for the background not the foreground tractor. I'm posting the image before any processing to see what everyone will come up with. As you work on the picture you'll find there is a lot of information in the shadows that will make for an interesting image of an old steam tractor. I have made my edits for my final image and will post it when we see the winner for the challenge. I know we will see several different variations posted for this tractor. When posting please give us the name of your main software you used to draw out the image and if you used another software for your special effects please name that software too. I think this software information will be informative for people new to editing and wanting to purchase some editing software.

jpg is posted here and the raw image can be downloaded from the link below....
https://www.dropbox.com/s/205x1xoexb8hurp/Engine_Eureka%20Springs.nef?dl=0

Feel free to download this image to your computer. Then you can edit it any way that you think is an improvement. Composites, black and white conversions, textures, sky swaps, inverted images, solarization, or whatever else you think will improve the photo are acceptable techniques for your edit. When you are finished, post your edit in this thread. Edits will be accepted until 9pm Eastern time on Thursday. No edits will be accepted after that time because we will begin voting then. Thank you for your efforts and your participation.

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SoHillGuy Loc: Washington

Edited the picture with PS CS5.
Adjusted Shadows.
Adjusted using Vivez2
Added an On1 HDR Filter
Used a selection tool to replace the open lid on the front of the engine.
Added smoke to the stack with a smoke brush.

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yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Nice image to work on Jim - here's my view:

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Jim-Pops Loc: Granbury, Texas

Thanks for the software information Gayloard. Might help with others in deciding what software to purchase.

These first two edits show how much information can be brought out of black/shadow areas. Black areas are not always as black as first thought when presented an image.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Woops - sorry Jim, forgot about the software info. The NEF file was initially processed in DXO Pure Raw and finished with the current version of Photoshop.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

This was all done in Lightroom. I would have changed the sky if I'd had the software to do it because I was getting funny effects in the sky that Lr seemed to shy away from correcting. Global adjustments can take you only so far with this type of image (one that needs a lot of HDR treatment), so there was a lot of brushwork involved.
.

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MattPhox Loc: Rhode Island

Steam Tractor: my view

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NJFrank Loc: New Jersey

I thought I would go in another direction. The Good Ole Days.

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jburlinson Loc: Austin, TX

Great image to practice with. I'm learning DXO Photo Lab 4, so that was my main software, but I also did just a tad in Viveza (NIK collection) because I couldn't figure out how to make the Photo Lab local adjustments work right. Then to lightroom for cataloging.

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Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Great.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Great.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Great.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Great.

SoHillGuy Loc: Washington

***
I hope you don't run out of Great(s).

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Thanks. Any chance of an offering from you?