Darkroom Challenge Digital Darkroom Derby #21 Winner Announced

[RichardC]

Welcome to the Digital Darkroom Derby #21, a digital image editing/processing challenge. The rules are here. Please read them.

Can't recall seeing a macro yet, so here's one to play with.

A fly of some sort in my garden from a couple of years ago with the amazing Olympus ZD 50mm macro.

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Entries close at 21.00 GMT on 7th March.

Files are here:

Jpeg: _7182848.jpg

ORF: _7182848.ORF

 

[Zeus1]

Beautiful!!! Tack sharp!

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[BosseBe]

Entry #1:

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I think you have a little bit of front focus here, but still beautiful and sharp!

 

[BosseBe]

I wanted to really see how sharp this was. So here is a 1600 x 1200 crop.
Entry #2:

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A picture to be proud of!

 

[BosseBe]

I don't know how big you can really print a crop like the above, but think of that in a large size on your wall! It will make your home fly free because of intimidation!

 

[BosseBe]

This is how the one above would have looked like if I had created a B&W.
(Oops, I just did! Totally out of contest!)

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[RobD]

#1. Great picture, how to improve on it? ACR & Photoshop

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[RobD]

#2. Removed more noise

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[Mrs B]

Not easy to improve on perfection!

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[kae1]

Entry #1 DXO PL5 then Elements and DeNoise

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[kae1]

Entry #2

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[Hendrik]

Two thoughts (first, the blossom mounts a mighty struggle for attention and, second, flies can be disease vectors) governed this alternative version.

Once the shadows were dealt with, the file didn't need much else in Adobe Camera Raw. The look is thanks to a LUT (FuturisticBleak) in PS. A bit of Denoise AI at the end.

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[Mrs B]

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[RichardC]

Challenge is closed. Results pending.

 

[RichardC]

Okay. Thanks everyone.

Not a bad lens is it? I am missing chasing flies around the garden. not long to go here in the UK though. Just waiting for some plants to start growing.

No bad entries, and there is only so much you can do with a picture of a fly.

My 3-2-1

3: @Zeus1
2: @RobD - Entry 2
1: @Hendrik - crop, colour grade and noise reduction are just great.

Well done @Hendrik - Your turn to play host.

 

[Zeus1]

Going to steal some attention, hope You don't mind Richard...

Over on Mu4/3, we continue with our "Post-Processing Challenges", ladies & gentlemen. Can I persuade You to take a peak and perhaps participate?
Number 743 can be found here and involves some nudity

 

[Hendrik]

Wow! Thanks @RichardC. And here I thought I had inoculated myself against even placing by throwing shade on that cute little fly. Silly boy…

I’ll post a new challenge shortly.

 

[Hendrik]

DDD#22 is live.