Desaturation

On 2016-08-24 18:53:58 +0000, Tony Cooper said:

Sometimes bright colors add to a photograph, but there are times when
they dominate the image to the detriment of the image. I liked this
image of the girl in the red hat, but the red seemed to just take over
the image. Looking back over some old images, I decided to see what
it would look like desaturated but not to the point of being a
monochrome.

Here's both the original (2015-01-06-9A) and the desaturated version
(2015-01-06-9B).

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/abn35vcs3...wqKopO-ua?dl=0

I really like the image. I agree that the red saturation is too harsh
for this image. However, for me there is something about your
desaturated rendition which doesn't seem quite right. What you have
done has more of an odd duotone feel to it giving the face an almost
bleached look. Have you thought of dealing with the red saturation
selectively. This is an image which I believe could benefit from some
tweaks using the Alien Skin ExposureX plug-in.

I know how you feel with regard to tampering, so I shall refrain from
doing anything silly.

--
Regards,

Savageduck

On 2016-08-25 01:31:28 +0000, Tony Cooper said:

On Wed, 24 Aug 2016 13:57:48 -0700, Savageduck
wrote:

On 2016-08-24 18:53:58 +0000, Tony Cooper said:

Sometimes bright colors add to a photograph, but there are times when
they dominate the image to the detriment of the image. I liked this
image of the girl in the red hat, but the red seemed to just take over
the image. Looking back over some old images, I decided to see what
it would look like desaturated but not to the point of being a
monochrome.

Here's both the original (2015-01-06-9A) and the desaturated version
(2015-01-06-9B).

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/abn35vcs3...wqKopO-ua?dl=0

I really like the image. I agree that the red saturation is too harsh
for this image. However, for me there is something about your
desaturated rendition which doesn't seem quite right. What you have
done has more of an odd duotone feel to it giving the face an almost
bleached look. Have you thought of dealing with the red saturation
selectively. This is an image which I believe could benefit from some
tweaks using the Alien Skin ExposureX plug-in.

In post, I go for an effect and the effect I was going for here was
that look you call bleached. The eyes can't compete with the head
covering and the blue jacket in the original. So, I reduced it to
three elements: red, blue, and the eyes. To me, the eyes are what you
now see and the reduced impact of the red and blue elements frame
them.

It wasn't a matter of just reducing the red or the blue. That I can
do with selective masking. Reducing, by desaturation, the skin tone
was a desired effect.

I did want that lost waif look that Mayanya didn't like. Losing the
skin tone adds to this in my opinion. I don't know why Mayanya thinks
I said I "only" desaturated. No "only" to it. That's the only part
of the post processing I brought up but I did more. There's also a
vignetting layer and two layers overlaid of opening it in RAW and
increasing the Clarity in each of those two layers.

The photo works in black and white - I tried this and discarded it -
but I like the three elements and the way the red and blue triangulate
the face.

There is no accounting for taste.

I know how you feel with regard to tampering, so I shall refrain from
doing anything silly.

You've got a bank of photographs. Find one of your own where partial
desaturation might improve the photo, post it, and then explain why
you did what you did.

What I don't like about people messing with my photographs is that I
have a "look" in mind, and when you see a photo of mine it conforms to
that "look" I was going after or I wouldn't post it.

If you take my photo, you'll be processing to obtain the look you have
in mind. That may not relate to what I have in mind.

That is exactly why I didn't do anything to your image, as I believe I
understand your thoughts on the matter of third party editing/adjusting.


--
Regards,

Savageduck

On 8/24/2016 9:45 PM, Savageduck wrote:
On 2016-08-25 01:31:28 +0000, Tony Cooper said:


snip



If you take my photo, you'll be processing to obtain the look you have
in mind. That may not relate to what I have in mind.

That is exactly why I didn't do anything to your image, as I believe I
understand your thoughts on the matter of third party editing/adjusting.



And I believe the image tells you what to do with it. Different people
get different messages.


--
PeterN