Darkroom Challenge Digital Darkroom Derby #001 (closed, results posted)

Location
Whidbey Island
Name
Lyle
This is the first DDD, a digital image editing/processing challenge. The rules are here. Please read them.

The basic idea is the challenge host provides a source image and participants process it to taste and post one or two entries. The host selects the winner and that winner becomes the host for the next challenge. Because this is the first one, the image will be pretty basic and folks can see how it works. The best images are usually ones with fixable problems and a lot of latitude for modifications. But let's start simple. I also have a time crunch, so this one will be shorter than the usual 60 or so hours.

This challenge will end at 1800 (6 PM) Seattle local time (UTC-8) on Monday, December 20, 2021

DDD001_web.jpg
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The raw and original resolution jpg source files are on Google Drive (off the forum): DDD001 - Google Drive

Enjoy!
 
I'll bite.
Initial adjustments in Adobe Camera Raw.
Opened in Photoshop as a Smart Object (a conservative move - the image is good enough that it never had to go back to ACR.)
Made 2 rasterized copies. The first went to Topaz DeNoise AI for sharpening. The second was first blurred (Gaussian Blur ~6) and then subjected to a clipped curves layer (adjust contrast) and a clipped hue saturation layer (darken and desaturate). PS's Select Subject is really very good and took most of the sport out of constructing a mask that let the sharpened bird and blossom shine through. Finally, some burning and dodging to balance things on the bird and enhance legibility in a few areas.
DDD001-1.jpg
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I decided to try a monochrome version, I wanted to replicate a fine-grained film (though I ended up turning the grain up in size just a little). DXO PL5 to convert the RAW, it has just a little (like 12%) DeepPRIME NR, and a control point around the hummingbird's head and another around the flower and hummingbird beak, to up contrast and sharpness just in those local areas. Then Silver Efex, "low key 1" with subsequent tweaking and the Ilford Pan F 50 film simulation.

DDD001_Nik_DxO.jpg
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Cool challenge. I also get to relive my Olympus past with a raw file.

DDD001.jpg
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Darktable 3.6. I applied my "silver monochrome" workflow first, then decided it doesn't need much more. I however decided to mask the background to soften it to better separate the bird.
 
Entry number 1

DDD1.jpg
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EDIT to say what I did while I can still remember. Opened the raw file in DXO PL4 to use the deep prime NR and exported to photoshop. In Adobe Camera Raw I changed the color and contrast. Duplicated the layer, added texture, and painted it in on the bird via an inverted mask. Flattened the image, converted to LAB colour. Inverted channel A/B with a plug-in from Harold Davies which resulted in a layer of vivid greens and reds (the plug-in generates a number of vividly coloured layers which Harold refers to as a 'palette of possibilities'. You don't use all of them!). Used this extra layer to paint the green in on the bird via an inverted mask. Flattened image, converted back to RGB, duplicated the layer, added gaussian blur and painted that in on the background. Vignetted and added a border.
 
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