Weathersfield Meeting House

[Katy Noelle]

There was a tremendous ice storm a couple of weeks ago. (Actually, this was taken on the way back from meeting Mary for lunch.) I just wish the sun had been out.

I haven't posted anything for a while because I am in between photoshop and iphoto and iphoto is acting up terribly on me. This is the best that I could do (well, I've only given up, for the moment) with my post processing. Both of these came out so differently. What do you think of it all? i.e. C&C, please!

[tbob]

Interesting old building, the frosted trees are great as they don't obscure the building and are intriguing in their own right. I prefer the composition of the second image; most of the building can be seen. I might have shifted slightly to the right and kneeled to get a slightly lower perspective and tried to get the back left corner of the building. Given the trees this may have been your best compromise; one would have to be there to assess the tree/building interaction.

The colour and contrast would seem to be best just between the two images. Thew colour is better in image one but the trees are too dark to see the moss colour well. Image two is two light but the tree detail and moss shows up better.

Good eye for an interesting image, I really like the overall concept

[Geoff F]

Katy, I tend to agree with Trevor. Although the trees in the first photo are very sharp and to some extent the darker light gives a more gloomy winterish feeling.

I would crop the second image slightly on the right side to remove that part of another building; maybe try a standard 3 x 2 ratio.

But yes, these are excellent photos.

[mythlady]

These are beautiful, Katy -- I second and third what Trevor and Geoff have said.

[Katy Noelle]

Thanks very, very much for your input. Are these any better?

You can see the back of the building in this one. (I have to take lots and lots of pictures to cover all my bases - unlike some other, oh, so lucky people (Donald) who can just visualize and take one or two. I'm still just learning.... I wish that I had thought to take one from lower down - I was kind of rushed. Moving left and right was hard, too, because, then, the trees obscured the doors and that really wasn't right, either.



I did the crop that you suggested Geoff. It was a memorial off to the right.



edit: Working on the color, etc. still/again. Also, when I made the new crop above, I didn't realize that a smudge from a removed branch was still on the bottom.



iphoto won't always save the changes that I make. Actually, what I wind up with in the jpeg is completely different than what I worked on; so, I tried to make the changes in contrast, etc. that you suggested but it was taking an awfully long time to work out. Are they any better that way? I think that the building is still too orange in the second one.

Thanks, again, for your help!

[Clactonian]

I really like the 'landscape' version Katy, it is less severe than the 'portrait version, where the trees dominate. You have also managed to achieve a good white for the snow without losing any of the detail. It's all very subtle. Nice!!
Our Wethersfield has no 'a'. It doesn't have any US Air Force either these days.

[arith]

I like the first; top shot and top crop. Love it.

[Katy Noelle]

Well, I respect you all so much - I'm very glad to have your input and insight. I'm, also, glad that I'm not the only one who has a hard time picking which one.

Mike, it's very fun to have people from GB, who are from these places, come and visit. The comparisons are very interesting. This tiny little town doesn't host an air force base, either. Also, in another, recent thread, we were talking about things looking so ordinary to us because we see it all the time that we don't realize its beauty.... This is one of those examples.

[wilgk]

Out of the original 2 - I really prefer the first one - someone had to be different
I just feel the trees are drawing me in toward the building better and I like that there is a lot of their branches at the top - it makes it feel like a guard of honour with arms up
The only tiny thing that detracts from it for me is the brick chimney at the back - that dash of colour there takes me away from the front...and I don't want to go, I am very happy admiring it
Well done - and stick with photoshop - I too am making the jump across from aperture on the mac, I get so frustrated I could scream....then I come back & try again

[Katy Noelle]

Thanks, Kay! That, actually, makes Arith, you and I. I've been trying to think of what the trees remind me of...Arthur Rackham??? I'm off to google it. It's beautiful, there, in every season. A mini, manicured "park". Cool and shady with trees beautifully spaced. There's a very old, small graveryard over my right shoulder from the pictures, that I've always wanted to go and explore, too. Anyway, I see what you mean about the chimney. I think that I can take it out. AND, thanks uber much for the PS encouragement. I thought that you'd been using PS all this time and were just going to "officially" train with those Kelby Training videos.

[mythlady]

Katy, these are lovely -- I'm going to cast my vote in favor of the vertical version -- I'm with Kay on liking the trees in that one.