The Open Road (Silver Efex Pro 2 Practice)

[Rebel]

This is an old (throwaway) shot I've tried to salvage something from and used to practice some PP using Silver Efex Pro 2. I'm no expert on monochrome but I'm pretty happy with it to be honest.

Please feel free to C&C

[Wavelength]

What a great shot!!! Kudos!!!

[Rebel]

What a great shot!!! Kudos!!!

Thank you Nandakumar, I wish I'd taken a few steps to the right though so that I could capture the actual bend in the road.

I'm driving this road later so hopefully the clouds/sky will be right for me to get the shot

[Mike Buckley]

I'm pretty happy with it

As you should be. I wouldn't know from this conversion that you are new at making monochromes.

Consider cropping on the left to eliminate about one-third of the image.

[bnnrcn]

Great image Matt, I like the composition and conversion very much

[ST1]

Very nice conversion, well done

[Geoff F]

Just a thought, Matt.

Very slight crop from the left side to concentrate more on the road? Which might mean a different size ratio although you could probably get away with taking a balancing amount from the bottom.

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured.

[kdoc856]

Initially, I had the same thought that Mike and John shared: to take a little off the left. But as I continued to look and tried that crop myself, I think your composition is spot on. Your sight line of the light toned road and the S curve you included are strong enough to allow inclusion of a little more of the setting, and I think result in a very pleasing balance. I think it's a great shot.

[Rebel]

Thanks for all the C&C guys, I wanted to keep the same ratio so heres the suggested crop I tried:

[Manfred M]

This image works really well in B&W.

I find the same thing from time to time when I work on an old image; one that was a "throw away" suddenly gets a new life.

[Barbara Ponder]

Very nicely done! You have such an amazing eye for landscape photography, a true gift!

[Mike Buckley]

I like the second composition even more than the first one.

When I recommended cropping on the left, that's because I feel like the foreground part of the road leads my eye through the right side of the image to the rear with nothing helping my eye through the left side of the image. I just now realized that if you darken the stone fence on the left, it and the road very nicely lead the eye from the front to the rear of both sides rather than just one side of the image.

[Polar01]

Matt I am going with Kevin, I like the composition the way it is, it flows well. Only suggestion is in Sliver Efex add 3 control points, one in each upper corner and one in the lower left corner, then darken them down it will now draw your eyes to the road and into the image.

Cheers: Allan

[Ziggy]

I would like to travel that road. Thanks for sharing.

[Rebel]

Thanks for commenting everyone, really wasn't expecting so much positive feedback

This image works really well in B&W.

I find the same thing from time to time when I work on an old image; one that was a "throw away" suddenly gets a new life.

I quite enjoy doing this, its a good feeling when they turn out well.

Very nicely done! You have such an amazing eye for landscape photography, a true gift!

Thanks for the kind words Barbara

I like the second composition even more than the first one.

When I recommended cropping on the left, that's because I feel like the foreground part of the road leads my eye through the right side of the image to the rear with nothing helping my eye through the left side of the image. I just now realized that if you darken the stone fence on the left, it and the road very nicely lead the eye from the front to the rear of both sides rather than just one side of the image.

I can't decide which one I like best, I'm edging towards the second one as I feel the viewer is more 'involved' in the scene.

Matt I am going with Kevin, I like the composition the way it is, it flows well. Only suggestion is in Sliver Efex add 3 control points, one in each upper corner and one in the lower left corner, then darken them down it will now draw your eyes to the road and into the image.

Cheers: Allan

I shall give that a try later on, cheers Allan.

[Ndukes]

Version 2 works very well Matt. Very strong composition nicely executed.

[JBW]

Thanks for all the C&C guys, I wanted to keep the same ratio so heres the suggested crop I tried:

I prefer the first crop. It has more of a lets get lost going down the road feeling to me. (if that makes sense)

[Rebel]

Thanks for the comments guys.

[Marie Hass]

Hi, Matt!

I enjoyed both versions. The first gives one room to wander, and the secondl for its graphic elements.

Marie