Darkroom Challenge Digital Darkroom Derby #217 - CLOSED + Results posted

[Irene McC]

Start Date

Jul 29, 2024

End Date

Aug 3, 2024

Start Date 29 July 2024
End Date 03 Aug 2024 at midnight GMT

This is Digital Darkroom Derby #217, a digital image editing/processing challenge.

These challenges are open to everyone. If you have any interest in practicing or improving your image editing and post-processing skills, please feel free to join in!

Please read the rules here. Short version: Host provides the challenge image and selects the winner, who then becomes the next host.

This past Saturday a prestigious event in the cat show calendar was held in Cape Town : COTY (Cat Of The Year). I was shooting without flash indoors with artificial lighting. See what you can do

jpg is here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kx0p...ey=rn9efehazbf3uskekkwjc3auf&st=d86kzkci&dl=0
NEF is here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7tkn...ey=1vmt4szf3zc0zf0gyrbims1sc&st=licilf0y&dl=0

Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[WhidbeyLVR]

Start Date 29 July 2024
End Date 03 Aug 2024 at midnight GMT

This is Digital Darkroom Derby #217, a digital image editing/processing challenge.

These challenges are open to everyone. If you have any interest in practicing or improving your image editing and post-processing skills, please feel free to join in!

Please read the rules here. Short version: Host provides the challenge image and selects the winner, who then becomes the next host.

This past Saturday a prestigious event in the cat show calendar was held in Cape Town : COTY (Cat Of The Year). I was shooting without flash indoors with artificial lighting. See what you can do
This is Cat Number 56, Gr Pr Silkenclaw Monkeys Paw, American Curl Red Pointed Bi-Colour with owner Ahmed Dockrat


jpg is here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kx0p...ey=rn9efehazbf3uskekkwjc3auf&st=d86kzkci&dl=0
NEF is here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7tkn...ey=1vmt4szf3zc0zf0gyrbims1sc&st=licilf0y&dl=0

View attachment 485579

Irene, if you edit this thread and enter the start and end dates in the date widget, this challenge will be featured on the home page and should be easier for folks to find.

 

[Irene McC]

Irene, if you edit this thread and enter the start and end dates in the date widget, this challenge will be featured on the home page and should be easier for folks to find.

I'm sorry but I don't have a clue where to find that and how to do it. Mods?

 

[WhidbeyLVR]

I'm sorry but I don't have a clue where to find that and how to do it. Mods?

 

[gecko]

Entry #1. Edited raw file in DxO PL7 then tweaked in Elements (with ON1 Effects and Topaz Photo AI plug-ins). Main change was cropping the cat's (out-of-focus) owner out of image.

Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[griffljg]

Entry #1:

This was a challenging image for me. - More from the point of view of getting the white balance right than anything else.

I adopted my usual procedure of:

NEF file -> DxO PureRAW 4 (Lens correction and noise reduction purposes) -> DNG file -> Capture One Pro (Contrast, Highlight recovery, Clarity, Cropping and White Balance fiddles) -> JPEG file.

Initially I tried matching the White Balance to some of the colours in the background, but felt that was still a bit too warm. Then I noticed that Capture One had a "Tungsten" setting among its White Balance settings and decided to give it a try:

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[griffljg]

Entry #2:

As for Entry #1, but then masked out the background and wound back the Exposure in the background a lot. Cropped out a bit more from the bottom.

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[WhidbeyLVR]

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From the RAW file, using DxO PL7 and Gimp/Nik/G'mic.

I did two major things. First, I cloned/scaled to get the owner to "cozy up" to his pet while simultaneously reducing his size. Secondly I tried to deal with the white balance and lighting issues. I treated the white balance on the cat, the owner and the background as separate elements with their own color casts and tried to correct to what seemed natural to me.

 

[gecko]

Entry #2: Using entry #1, reduced saturation slightly.

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[Peano]

Not competing. Here's lookin' at ya. (PS B&W adj. layer with tint added)

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[Peano]

Non-competing full color version . . .

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[doobs]

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Up close and personal....

 

[gecko]

@WhidbeyLVR: Lyle, a question please: it has been my understanding that one is allowed to modify or even replace one's entry at any time during the Challenge open period. However, having just re-read the rules, I don't find that this is stated explicitly. Having replaced both of my entries after gleaning more information, I will, of course, revert to my original entries if changing one's entry is not allowed. Please let me know. Many thanks.

 

[kae1]

Entry #1 DXO PL7 then Elements and PhotoAI

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[kae1]

Entry #2

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[Irene McC]

There are a few hours left - all cat lovers (and everybody else too!) have a go at this challenge!

 

[RobD]

Here's a late entry (we are Aug 4th now Australia, but I think there is 1 hour to go GMT).

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[Irene McC]

Now officially CLOSED
Winners to be announced soon

Thank you all for participating

 

[Irene McC]

I would like to thank all of you for participating.

The difficulty with this challenge was the white balance. Regardless of cropping, the colour is what makes or breaks this cat portrait.

The first entry to get it in the ballpark was @WhidbeyLVR , whose clever cloning and manipulation of the owner raised the bar. I was particularly pleased to see the owner included - these owners have
worked hard showing their cats for the duration of the preceding year to gain sufficient points to go through to Cat of the Year, and there is a lot of pride in participating.

@gecko 's entry #2 was reedited after taking a cue from an image I posted in the Cat thread and well noted! Having seen the cats in the flesh (in the fur!) I know that there is no yellow cast in the coat.
* I notice now that this entry has been reverted to its original state? It would have done well had you left it as per your re-edit. Your query was not addressed to me in the thread, and I totally overlooked it.

@griffljg - The purplish shade that the background walls have taken on is misleading

@Peano - I always like close crops and both of yours are appealing. Not a fan of the artificial star burst catch-lights though

@kae1 - very nice and close to my own colour attempt. There are some halo-ing artefacts around the owner's shoulders .

@kae1 entry #2 : I love the sharp details in this B&W cropped version.

@doobs - I'm not sure what introduced the noise in your crop? Also there are white balance issues

@RobD - almost there, but still rather yellow; I do like the rendering of the fur and the eyes. The background colour is well handled and not too blue or purple.

My results in order:

1 - @WhidbeyLVR (over to you for the next challenge)
2 - @kae1 (colour entry)
3 - @RobD


This is the official show photographer's photo of the same cat, taken in an on-site studio using 5 lights (credit : Ursula van der Riet)

 

[WhidbeyLVR]

I would like to thank all of you for participating.

The difficulty with this challenge was the white balance. Regardless of cropping, the colour is what makes or breaks this cat portrait.

The first entry to get it in the ballpark was @WhidbeyLVR , whose clever cloning and manipulation of the owner raised the bar. I was particularly pleased to see the owner included - these owners have
worked hard showing their cats for the duration of the preceding year to gain sufficient points to go through to Cat of the Year, and there is a lot of pride in participating.

@gecko 's entry #2 was reedited after taking a cue from an image I posted in the Cat thread and well noted! Having seen the cats in the flesh (in the fur!) I know that there is no yellow cast in the coat.
* I notice now that this entry has been reverted to its original state? It would have done well had you left it as per your re-edit. Your query was not addressed to me in the thread, and I totally overlooked it.

@griffljg - The purplish shade that the background walls have taken on is misleading

@Peano - I always like close crops and both of yours are appealing. Not a fan of the artificial star burst catch-lights though

@kae1 - very nice and close to my own colour attempt. There are some halo-ing artefacts around the owner's shoulders .

@kae1 entry #2 : I love the sharp details in this B&W cropped version.

@doobs - I'm not sure what introduced the noise in your crop? Also there are white balance issues

@RobD - almost there, but still rather yellow; I do like the rendering of the fur and the eyes. The background colour is well handled and not too blue or purple.

My results in order:

1 - @WhidbeyLVR (over to you for the next challenge)
2 - @kae1 (colour entry)
3 - @RobD


This is the official show photographer's photo of the same cat, taken in an on-site studio using 5 lights (credit : Ursula van der Riet)

View attachment 487061

Many thanks, Irene!

DDD #218 is live!

Darkroom Challenge - Digital Darkroom Derby #218

This is Digital Darkroom Derby #218, a digital image editing/processing challenge. These challenges are open to everyone. If you have any interest in practicing or improving your image editing and post-processing skills, please feel free to join in! Please read the rules here. Short version...

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