Abandoned Grain Elevator, Menacing Skies.....

[LenR]

Another recently re visited image.
This abandoned grain elevator was photographed in the Alberta Badlands under menacing skies.
Located somewhat of the beaten track in the ghost town of Sharples. Built in 1923 along a railway spur line which was closed in 1982 resulting in the decline of the small community. Once a common sight on the prairies, the old wooden elevators have now all but vanished.
C&C welcome.....

Sharples Elevator by Len Reeves, on Flickr

[Manfred M]

Len - I really like this shot, but find it a bit flat (needs a bit more contrast) and it feels a bit "hot", i.e. needs to be darkened up a bit. The moody clouds are great, but I find the bright grass in the foreground a bit distracting.

I had spent a few minutes on it in post:

[LenR]

Manfred, thanks for taking the time to reply and to offer some editing suggestions.
There is certainly some room for improvement......

[DanK]

Len,

I agree with Manfred that it's flat, but there are a lot of ways to punch it up, and I wouldn't do it as Manfred does. I think darkening the entire image that way makes it flat again. I did a very quick and dirty edit that will let you compare different directions you might go in. I did the following:

-- I selected the sky and used a curve to darken it and increase contrast.
--I selected the buildings and increased contrast.
--I darkened the grasses in the foreground and desaturated them a little so that they wouldn't draw the eye
--I added a little bit of "local contrast" to the buildings to punch them up.

See what you think of these directions.

Dan

[LenR]

Dan, thanks for your input. As it happens I have just spent about 30/40 minutes making further edits. I have not darkened the entire image but have made selective edits much along the lines you have suggested and am happy with the results.

[The amateur]

I'd love to share my take on how to enhance this image.

As I mentioned before, capturing the interior of these structures, especially on days with intense sunlight, would be fantastic. This would give the chance to capture those beautiful rays of light and dramatic, directional lighting that create such unique atmospheres. However, that wasn't the case with this particular shot.

To give it a different feel of drama and decay, I converted the image to black and white and then experimented with the Lightroom Sepia Tone preset.
After that, I decided to go back to the basic settings and fine-tune a few things that I felt were important. I lowered the exposure a bit, increased the contrast, and finally added a touch of clarity.

I hope you enjoy this humble contribution !

[billtils]

Very atmospheric edit Antonio. I like it a lot.

[DanK]

This is another instance where it’s interesting what different paths people would take with the same starting point.


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[LenR]

Antonio, thanks for your contribution. The B&W certainly adds drama to the image and has potential.
I would have to admit I have not done much in B&W since the mid 80's early 90's - a time of Kodak Tri-X and the wet darkroom.
The interior of these neglected wooden elevators is quite dark and entering is not recommended for safety and health reasons. Rotting timbers, mold and accumulations of pigeon droppings are ever present.....

[The amateur]

Very atmospheric edit Antonio. I like it a lot.

Hey Bill,

The idea behind this edit was to give the image a sense of age, of the past, of something that still exists and was once the setting for lives and experiences.
In our collective memory, black and white or sepia images, like those taken in the analog era, often linger.

My editing was guided by these thoughts, but also by intuition.
Cheers !

[The amateur]

Antonio, thanks for your contribution. The B&W certainly adds drama to the image and has potential.
I would have to admit I have not done much in B&W since the mid 80's early 90's - a time of Kodak Tri-X and the wet darkroom.
The interior of these neglected wooden elevators is quite dark and entering is not recommended for safety and health reasons. Rotting timbers, mold and accumulations of pigeon droppings are ever present.....

Hey Len,

You're absolutely right to prioritise your safety and well-being over getting a photo, especially in a place that doesn't feel secure. I think you're making a very wise decision.

The bird droppings from birds flying around or even living inside these buildings shouldn't be too much of an issue. And I imagine there are probably some little critters like rats and other creatures living there as well...
Even so, I still think you might be able to get some photos from the openings without actually going inside or putting yourself at risk.

I didn't do a lot of analog and slide photography when I was younger, and I wasn't as dedicated to it as I am now. I approach it with a sporty and relaxed attitude these days.

[Manfred M]

I think darkening the entire image that way makes it flat again. I

Dan - all of my changes were local adjustments, some dodging and burning and some local contrast work. I virtually never do purely global adjustments.

[DanK]

Dan - all of my changes were local adjustments, some dodging and burning and some local contrast work. I virtually never do purely global adjustments.

Manfred,

Sorry, I wasn't clear. i wasn't making a comment about global vs. local adjustments. What I meant is that the result of whatever you did is that the image as a whole is darker. I checked the visual impression by comparing histograms before I posted.

Dan

[Manfred M]

Manfred,

Sorry, I wasn't clear. i wasn't making a comment about global vs. local adjustments. What I meant is that the result of whatever you did is that the image as a whole is darker. I checked the visual impression by comparing histograms before I posted.

Dan

Now I understand, and yes the image is darker and that was done on purpose. As I mentioned in #2, the image looks too "hot" in my view and needs to be darkened up a bit.

That is 100% personal view / personal taste.

[DanK]

That is 100% personal view / personal taste.

Indeed. I find it interesting to see how tastes differ when several of us try our hand.