Edit Me An Image #11 - December 3

Continuing the image editing thread, 11th issue!

General rules:

• A previous round winner presents a busy or just not so interesting image, having at least some potential for different crops or visions.
• Anyone (except author of original image) can edit the presented image, up to three distinct edits in separate posts are permitted.
• All edits must be based on original image, not on another people's edits (of course borrowing ideas would not be a problem).
• Short explanations about your editing intentions are encouraged, but not required.
• Once the deadline for images has been reached, no new image versions will be accepted. Questions and (polite) discussions of techniques are welcome, so that we can learn from one another how certain edits were achieved.
• The edited version gathering most likes within the announced period, wins and its author will start next round.
• On the closing day for voting, if there is a draw in the number of likes for two or more edits, then the person that posted the original image will decide the winner.

Editing rules:

• All "normal" adjustments (brightness, colors, curves etc) are permitted (both local and global ones).
• All geometric adjustments (perspective, cropping etc) are permitted.
• Artistic effects (brushes, textures etc) are allowed.
• No additions or replacements may be made to the main subject matter of the image; non-essential objects may be removed, and parts of the original image can be "moved" to a different position in the image. Sky replacements are OK unless the sky is the main subject. (We are still refining this rule).
• Generative AI must not be used

We are experimenting this week with a shorter submission period since most of our entries come in the first few days. Get your images posted by December 8. As always, you can vote during the entire contest plus one day after the image submission deadline. I'll post reminders.

About this image. It's a winter image shot at a local lake just before sunrise. Unedited jpg here, link to original ORF in dropbox here www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gj8tcmvadc2y02jb9cr03/_1280274.orf?rlkey=jli2a5l3opdxmqolpvzbrmd76&dl=0

Oops, I lost the jpeg in cyberspace! Here it is.

Pretty difficult so improve on this one. Just some minimal adjustment.

Some colour adjustment and a little local dodging, in Capture One.

Relaxation

The image is not very challenging tbh because it's pretty decent already. It's a very nice serene scenery. I wish there was a little bit more of the sky on the top but I refrained from using a generative AI to add more sky because it's not allowed.

Here's what I've got.

Very subtle for me, I like the pre-dawn feel.

I gave the foreground a bit more detail so it is more meaningful now, especially because the focus is on the foreground. The hump of grass in the foreground now plays a more important role in the whole composition and has its counterweight -so to say- in the group of trees in the background. I did not crop the picture because it is good as it is.

Too early in the morning

ORF converted by RawDigger. Cropped 16:9 at top right to increase the sky content ratio. Sharpened with two levels of USM to bring out the reeds. Increased Chroma and adjusted global Hue to emphasize the sky and it's reflection colors. I increased the lightness only by a bit, in honor of the time of day.

Last day to play! I can't show you my versions but I can tell you I make photos of these same dead water lilies every winter just so I can play with the crops.

The end is near

Ok, no more submissions. One day to vote then we announce a winner and pass the baton!

And this week's winner is...NCV with 6 votes!

So I pass the baton to NCV, and am sure he will find us an interesting challenge!

I'll be making comments on the submissions but NCV can go right ahead and get us started for the new week's contest.

Thank you all for the votes. I need a little time to dig out something a bit challenging.