Darkroom Challenge Digital Darkroom #49 - Winner announced

kae1

All-Pro
Location
West Yorkshire
Name
Ken
This is Digital Darkroom Derby #49, a digital image editing/processing challenge.
Please read the rules here. Short version: Host provides the challenge image and selects the winner, who then becomes the next host.

Taken through the window from the steam train just as it was leaving Ingrow station on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway.
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RAW and JPEG images are here #DDD 49

Competition closes on Wednesday 29th June at 08:00 BST.
 
Accomplished in Adobe camera Raw. I saw taming the reflections in the carriage window as the major task. As far as I took it, it needed several different local adjustments. A bit of perspective correction and straightening. White balance (sampled the top of the black hat). Lifted exposure in the shaded portions of the faces. Cropping to simplify.

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Entry 1 (Color)
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Raw file through DxO PL5: barrel correction, perspective adjustment, crop, color, contrast, and extensive local adjustments to mitigate carriage window reflections and haze-glare (not entirely successful).

Tweaks in Gimp/Nik/G'mic: among many dozens of small things, I got rid of the sky reflections "on the bricks".
 
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I think it might be a throwback to sending off a roll of unexposed film and then waiting to see what the processed images look like but I enjoy taking photos not knowing how they will exactly turn out until I review them later. Then I can see whether they’re a load of rubbish or if anything can be done with them.

This was from a burst of several taken through the window as the train left the station – I knew there was a guard on the platform, the window was mucky, there were reflections, there could be steam from the engine, the train was moving, but I didn’t know what else there was. So what did I get .... although nothing’s particularly sharp I liked how the arrangement of the three gentlemen turned out in this picture.

So now you’ve been exposed to Ken’s “Let Me See” approach to this highly technical subject let’s see what you’ve been able to do with the resulting image. Hopefully you had fun.
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As usual I’ve not been disappointed. It is after all a heritage railway and suits B&W, muted colours, retro colours, stonger colours but IMO needed a bit of a crop to balance the three to so they could tell their story. I can see merits in all your submissions and could make an argument for each of them, but have plumped for colour versions as my preference. Choosing a top three from the colour submissions is harder and I’ve come up with my top five :-

Runners up - @WhidbeyLVR #1 – love the crop, the perspective adj, clearing up all the reflections, the warmer colours and the clarity
@Irene McC – love the crop, the muted colours, the contrast and the clarity
@Hendrik – Love the crop, the colours, and the contrast
@gecko ~#2 – Love the crop, the colours, and the contrast

Winner – @Stiga – love the slightly stronger colours, the crop, the replanting in lieu of the fence, and the clarity.

Congratulations Martin, and over to you!
 
I think it might be a throwback to sending off a roll of unexposed film and then waiting to see what the processed images look like but I enjoy taking photos not knowing how they will exactly turn out until I review them later. Then I can see whether they’re a load of rubbish or if anything can be done with them.

This was from a burst of several taken through the window as the train left the station – I knew there was a guard on the platform, the window was mucky, there were reflections, there could be steam from the engine, the train was moving, but I didn’t know what else there was. So what did I get .... although nothing’s particularly sharp I liked how the arrangement of the three gentlemen turned out in this picture.

So now you’ve been exposed to Ken’s “Let Me See” approach to this highly technical subject let’s see what you’ve been able to do with the resulting image. Hopefully you had fun.
View attachment 319765

As usual I’ve not been disappointed. It is after all a heritage railway and suits B&W, muted colours, retro colours, stonger colours but IMO needed a bit of a crop to balance the three to so they could tell their story. I can see merits in all your submissions and could make an argument for each of them, but have plumped for colour versions as my preference. Choosing a top three from the colour submissions is harder and I’ve come up with my top five :-

Runners up - @WhidbeyLVR #1 – love the crop, the perspective adj, clearing up all the reflections, the warmer colours and the clarity
@Irene McC – love the crop, the muted colours, the contrast and the clarity
@Hendrik – Love the crop, the colours, and the contrast
@gecko ~#2 – Love the crop, the colours, and the contrast

Winner – @Stiga – love the slightly stronger colours, the crop, the replanting in lieu of the fence, and the clarity.

Congratulations Martin, and over to you!
Phew, I really did not expect that!

Congrats to the also rans. I'll get a new set of images up asap.

Martin
 
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