Challenge! Digital Darkroom Derby Challenge #104-Results posted

[Zeus1]

Start Date

Mar 10, 2023

End Date

Mar 13, 2023

This is Digital Darkroom Derby #104, 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.

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This one won't be easy...
The library of the university of Salamanca. Picture taken under difficult light and through a glass panel. Over- and underexposure, glare, reflections, noise in the dark parts, You name it, it has it!
That's why I let You play with a bracketed set of 7 images. Use what You want but try to improve the image.

RAW files can be d/l here.

JPG files can be d/l here.

Have fun.

 

[betamax]

Hmm... yes, difficult one. But very nice image. Used topaz, Capture 1, and Luminar 4 to address some of the issues.

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[betamax]

Merged 4 shots In LR. Luminar 4 to try to remove some of the reflections and b/w filter in Exposure X6

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[griffljg]

Entry #1:

Imported all seven images into Capture One Pro 23. Performed an HDR Merge and then processed the resulting DNG file in Capture One. - Perspective correction, Highlight and Shadow recovery, increased the Saturation and warmed the white balance a bit. Cropped out the worst of the window reflections on the far right.

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[griffljg]

Entry #2:

Chose the ORF file that appeared to be the best exposed. Fed this file through DxO PureRAW 2 to reduce the noise and perform some sharpening. Imported the resulting DNG file into Capture One Pro. - Perspective correction, Highlight and Shadow recovery, increased the Saturation and warmed the white balance a bit. Cropped out the worst of the window reflections on the far right.

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[Peano]

Not competing, just wanted to play around with a couple of the raw files. Very pleasing subject. I bet it smells nice -- the fragrance of old books!

Footnote: I elected not to bother with the glass reflections. I could remove them, but I don't really need the practice.

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[BosseBe]

Basic processing of all 7 pics in DxO, then a HDR in Aurora HDR 2018 (got it for free), then back to DxO as a TIFF for cropping and final adjustments.
Entry #1:

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[BosseBe]

Used same TIFF and created a B&W.
Entry #2:

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[RobD]

#1. Aurora, ACR & PS

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[kae1]

Entry #1 Only used one image then DXO PL5, Elements and DeNoise

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[kae1]

Entry #2

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[RobD]

#2, Adjusted WB

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[Zeus1]

Closing the door at around 1400 hr CET.

 

[theoldsmithy]

HDR Merge in Lightroom then Silver Efex Pro

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[Stiga]

#1 PL6 > SNS > PS ACR - but not happy

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[Zeus1]

Closed; voting to follow.

 

[Zeus1]

Seems I forgot to post the fact that the competition is closed, so @Stiga could sneak in - lucky You.

 

[Stiga]

#2 PL^ > Photoshop merge to HDR (have not used that for years - then Viewpoint and other adjustments

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[Stiga]

Damn! Missed the deadline by 1 minute!

 

[Zeus1]

Don't worry @Stiga , I'll include both of them.


The results....
In the category "black & white", my choice is between @kae1 and @theoldsmithy; I prefer Ken's picture for its better control of noise and detail (e.g. the books on the left side).
In the category "colour", yet again @kae1 and @griffljg (#2).

Final results:
First place: @kae1
Second place: @griffljg
Third place: @theoldsmithy

Over to You, Ken, to host the next competition.

What I did with this scene: noise reduction with DXO Deep Prime, then into Photomatix Pro (all 7), choosing the "fusion-natural"setting, exported as TIFF to Photoshop; some work using ACR and finally tonal adjustment using nik filters.

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