Salvage Week 01/28/2024 - 02/04/2024

[Douglas Sherman]

It is time for new salvage images. Here is mine for this week.

This is an image of two Great Egrets in breeding plumage on a nest. I decided that it might look better if some of the sticks protruding out in the upper part of the image would be removed. This makes the bodies look more distinct. After doing this, however, I have had second thoughts. What are your suggestions?

Original image.

Salvaged image

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Very nice result Doug to remove the distractions making the birds stand out.

 

[AlanLichty]

I like your removal result. At least for my eyes the second image looks a lot less cluttered and keeps me focused on the beautiful egrets.

 

[Roger Bailey]

I like them both for different reasons,
1st one - I like the chaos of Nature and the fact that these majestic birds can navigate all that without breaking wings infatuates me. So presenting them as they are does not distract me from the birds at all.
2nd one - Your eyes do focus on just the portrait of the Egret, and they are Beautiful presented this way. Great work doing the clean up! Not easy to make it look this good.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

This one goes way back to the Canon 10D days.

SOOC

Processed

 

[JimFox]

It is time for new salvage images. Here is mine for this week.

This is an image of two Great Egrets in breeding plumage on a nest. I decided that it might look better if some of the sticks protruding out in the upper part of the image would be removed. This makes the bodies look more distinct. After doing this, however, I have had second thoughts. What are your suggestions?

Original image.
View attachment 69313


Salvaged image
View attachment 69314

Wow Doug!!! This is beyond amazing! What a great salvage job, and I had no idea that the Egrets could get their tails to look almost like fur. What an amazing look.

 

[Trent Watts]

It is time for new salvage images. Here is mine for this week.

This is an image of two Great Egrets in breeding plumage on a nest. I decided that it might look better if some of the sticks protruding out in the upper part of the image would be removed. This makes the bodies look more distinct. After doing this, however, I have had second thoughts. What are your suggestions?

Original image.
View attachment 69313


Salvaged image
View attachment 69314

I couldn't begin to say it any better than Roger did. I actually like the first one better although the second one is totally believable as well.. Sometimes when I try this I feel the final result is not as believable as the original. Beautiful image of the Egrets.

 

[Trent Watts]

I posted this one earlier but it fits in well with this thread and the final picture is the one my friend chose. This is from an iPhone (I think an 11) image that my friend send of a 7ft. tall sculpture out of willow an mud. I didn't want to haul my gear out to her place in the country for a studio shot of a heavy awkward piece to move around so asked her to send me an image with the piece isolated as much as she could.

Original image with plywood background.

Different original with AI generated concrete base. It was really difficult for me to mask out the ends of the willow branches.

Final image with processing to remove background and add small shadow using Photoshop.
This is the one she chose for her portfolio.

 

[Douglas Sherman]

This one goes way back to the Canon 10D days.

SSOC
View attachment 69317

Processed
View attachment 69316

Great job of bringing out the colors in the sky, Jameel.

 

[Douglas Sherman]

I posted this one earlier but it fits in well with this thread and the final picture is the one my friend chose. This is from an iPhone (I think an 11) image that my friend send of a 7ft. tall sculpture out of willow an mud. I didn't want to haul my gear out to her place in the country for a studio shot of a heavy awkward piece to move around so asked her to send me an image with the piece isolated as much as she could.

Original image with plywood background.
View attachment 69323

Different original with AI generated concrete base. It was really difficult for me to mask out the ends of the willow branches.
View attachment 69321

Final image with processing to remove background and add small shadow using Photoshop.
This is the one she chose for her portfolio.
View attachment 69322

I really like that final image, Trent.

 

[Ken Rennie]

I wasn't happy with my first attempt at showing this image as though it was a Bonsai. I am happy now. Ken

 

[dan swiger]

From Eastern Sierra 2010 - feels a little muddy

Preserved the sky & removed color cast from the hill

 

[AlanLichty]

Looking through old stuff looking for something I could play with for this week and found an overlooked shot of morning light at Badwater in Death Valley from 2012. Pretty flat light but it looked like there were some interesting clouds that had potential. The shot was from a Canon 5D MkII with a 17-40 lens.

Original:

I straightened it a bit and then used DxO Photolab 7 for both PureRAW and some light balancing work before finishing it a bit more in LR with final touches in PS: