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Darkroom Challenge Digital Darkroom Derby #59 - Closed - Results Announced
- Thread starter Hendrik
- Start date
- Location
- West Yorkshire
- Name
- Ken
- Location
- West Yorkshire
- Name
- Ken
- Location
- Massachusetts
24 hours (or so) left. IOW, plenty of time left to drive me as crazy as I've driven some of you... 
- Location
- Massachusetts
Time's up, contest's closed, results to be posted.
- Location
- Massachusetts
2004, Nikon Coolpix 5700
My wife spent many summers as a girl on this beach, visiting with her grandparents, who lived up the hill a short bit. The plot that house stood on has a chance to become waterfront property if climate change isn’t arrested. The waterfront already looks different, thanks to some severe storms and their attendant surge.
How fitting that the challenge image should be similarly vexed. I hope you all have some hair left. I can identify several problems with it –– demons, if you wish. First and foremost is the fugitive color of the film stock, which, combined with the dreary day, made breathing believable vibrance back into the image a tough row to hoe. The film surface added some grunge most of us were happy to leave behind when converting to digital. The sky is not featureless but nearly blown out - slide film was never known for dynamic range. The corners are hopelessly soft, too. Toughest to spot, though, is some veiling flare from the blown out patch of sky that makes for some wonky contrast differentials across the scene.
I was not disappointed in my belief that, in the face of such difficulties, you folk would respond with a range of solutions, some technical, some artistic as well as blends of the two approaches. About half of you attempted a conservative, near-digital color rendition aimed at “true” color. There were some differences in color but for me they varied most significantly in treatment of saturation. Some color versions went beyond believable but each was very effective in its own way. There were attempts at antique presentations but, for me, allowing mid-century television antennas to appear in an earlier photofinishing style was jarring. The monochrome versions ranged from versions with strong contrasts and crushed blacks (not my style) to more modulated tones.
If I were judging on realism, my short list would include @Zeus1 and @RobD with the nod going to @WhidbeyLVR. If I were judging on punch, my short list would include @gecko #1, @Piano with the nod going to @Stiga #2. If I were judging on “antique”, my short list would include @betamax #2, @Irene McC with the nod going to @Herbert Hound #2. If I were judging. It seems clear to me that the range of entries makes judging across the spectrum on some rational basis unnecessarily difficult, way above my compensation. Choosing what gives me joy is much easier. But still difficult - all entries gave me joy. So, congratulations all! I don’t think there’s a version that would not have appeared on some “If I were judging for x” short list.
Tomorrow I may come to my senses, but today let’s say that the results are:
Second runner-up: @WhidbeyLVR. Superb rescue! But it’s the only drugstore print I’ve ever seen with symmetrical borders.
First runner-up: @Stiga #2. Eye-poppingly colorful and surreal.
Winner: @Herbert Hound #2. Somehow, the solid presence, green cast and cream oval surround just get to me. Who knew?
Take it away.
I played along, too. I came up with several approaches. One I rather liked was to simulate a light mist with a radial gradient in Lightroom. This had the advantage of obscuring the poor lens performance on the left side.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
How fitting that the challenge image should be similarly vexed. I hope you all have some hair left. I can identify several problems with it –– demons, if you wish. First and foremost is the fugitive color of the film stock, which, combined with the dreary day, made breathing believable vibrance back into the image a tough row to hoe. The film surface added some grunge most of us were happy to leave behind when converting to digital. The sky is not featureless but nearly blown out - slide film was never known for dynamic range. The corners are hopelessly soft, too. Toughest to spot, though, is some veiling flare from the blown out patch of sky that makes for some wonky contrast differentials across the scene.
I was not disappointed in my belief that, in the face of such difficulties, you folk would respond with a range of solutions, some technical, some artistic as well as blends of the two approaches. About half of you attempted a conservative, near-digital color rendition aimed at “true” color. There were some differences in color but for me they varied most significantly in treatment of saturation. Some color versions went beyond believable but each was very effective in its own way. There were attempts at antique presentations but, for me, allowing mid-century television antennas to appear in an earlier photofinishing style was jarring. The monochrome versions ranged from versions with strong contrasts and crushed blacks (not my style) to more modulated tones.
If I were judging on realism, my short list would include @Zeus1 and @RobD with the nod going to @WhidbeyLVR. If I were judging on punch, my short list would include @gecko #1, @Piano with the nod going to @Stiga #2. If I were judging on “antique”, my short list would include @betamax #2, @Irene McC with the nod going to @Herbert Hound #2. If I were judging. It seems clear to me that the range of entries makes judging across the spectrum on some rational basis unnecessarily difficult, way above my compensation. Choosing what gives me joy is much easier. But still difficult - all entries gave me joy. So, congratulations all! I don’t think there’s a version that would not have appeared on some “If I were judging for x” short list.
Tomorrow I may come to my senses, but today let’s say that the results are:
Second runner-up: @WhidbeyLVR. Superb rescue! But it’s the only drugstore print I’ve ever seen with symmetrical borders.
First runner-up: @Stiga #2. Eye-poppingly colorful and surreal.
Winner: @Herbert Hound #2. Somehow, the solid presence, green cast and cream oval surround just get to me. Who knew?
Take it away.
I played along, too. I came up with several approaches. One I rather liked was to simulate a light mist with a radial gradient in Lightroom. This had the advantage of obscuring the poor lens performance on the left side.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Herbert Hound
Top Veteran
- Location
- The Welsh Borders
- Name
- Colin
Stiga
Veteran
- Location
- Near Perthg, Scotland
An interesting challenge - many thanks for 2nd place
Herbert Hound
Top Veteran
- Location
- The Welsh Borders
- Name
- Colin
