Anne Nettles  


Old Buckboard by Anne Nettles

August 2020 - Old Buckboard

About the Image(s)

This is an image I took in 2015, while in Fairplay, Colorado. I apologize for not including my original, I am currently merging four LR catalogs into one, and have not come across it yet. I tried to take this image from a different viewpoint. I realize it is a bit contrasty, and should have used a ND filter. I would love to hear some thoughts on how else I could improve it.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
12 comments posted




Henry Roberts   Henry Roberts
This is contrasty Anne but that's the way the West is, harsh sun, clouds, and weathered wood. I think you captured it perfectly. You might have included the top of the wagon but that is knit picking. Wonderful!   Posted: 08/09/2020 09:21:22
 
Thank you Henry. I also do not like how contrasty the photo is. I would love to go back and re-shoot it.   Posted: 08/09/2020 13:26:31



Andrew Hersom   Andrew Hersom
This is a really pleasant scene and I don't think it's too contrasty. Nice detail in the wood - it really gives that "history" feeling of the West. In my limited experience of this sort of subject, the main problem is a messy background which you have avoided here. I agree with Henry about including the top of the wagon. Did you also get a shot taken more to the left of the buckboard too - that might be stronger? Hopefully you can find these files when you have sorted your LR catalogues (I am doing a similar indexing exercise of my images in LR and it's a massive job).

I just wonder if it is a little "grainy" (especially the ground) which you might be able to fix when you find the original RAW file.

Hope this helps.   Posted: 08/10/2020 05:08:28
 
Thank you Andrew. I do tend to like the "feel" of texture or graininess in some situations such as this. The location, an old mining area was very gritty and I wanted my viewers to get a visual sense of dusty, dry, scene it really was. I do wish I had thought to do a vertical stack so that I could have kept the width, but had been able to include the whole buckboard. This is a very cool area in Colorado for landscapes, particularly in late September, when the Aspens trees have turned a brilliant yellow. I will share another photo of this area, though much different than this one, in an upcoming month.   Posted: 08/12/2020 10:22:55



Catherine Honigsberg   Catherine Honigsberg
The wood is really good. I think the grass is a little crunchy, but your eye does not stay there long with wood and sky so nice.   Posted: 08/10/2020 13:32:53
 
Thank you Catherine! The grass was very crunchy here :) as they get no rain all summer. It was extremely dry weather very much like a desert in places.   Posted: 08/12/2020 10:24:32



 
Anne, you have a great eye for texture. This picture is all about the textures! Wood, sandy road, grass, clouds, sky. Great catch!
I agree about the top of the wagon. There is a fish-eye effect from the wide-angle lens, I'm wondering how it would look if you could edit that to make it look more "human eye." I don't know how to do that myself but I know it can be done.
My biggest critique of the image is that as the result of post-processing everything has that evenly lit look. This comes from using editing tools like de-hazing, contrast, etc. REal estate ads use this on interior pictures of houses that are for sale; it's an approach that makes even the grungiest house look clean, new, and bright. As a result I at least don't trust the look. So for me that editing approach had a negative effect. However, some postcards favor this approach. It definitely says "myth of the old west." Like Andrew, I hope that when you find your originals you will be able to play around some more. I look forward to seeing your next texture image!   Posted: 08/11/2020 08:39:05



 
Thank you Alison! I did use a very wide lens 17-35mm on a full frame and I was as wide as I could be. You are spot on about the editing and now looking back I should have not opened up the shadows as much, it also might have added more depth on the buckboard. It is so easy to get carried away with those sliders in LR. I do love textures and actually keep samples of textures in my LR collection. I guess I am a very tactile person!   Posted: 08/12/2020 10:29:19



Julie Deer   Julie Deer
Hi Anne, Never having visited this type of country I find the image very interesting. Maybe you could say it was taken after rain that washed all the dirt away...lol! I wish you luck in finding the RAW image and that you are able to process it more to your liking.   Posted: 08/24/2020 00:30:26
 
Thank you Julie!

I have just finished downloading 90,000 photographs, so now I should have all my originals.   Posted: 08/26/2020 16:34:53
Julie Deer   Julie Deer
Ahh! So now the easy job of finding THAT one. Good luck!!   Posted: 08/26/2020 18:53:21



Andrew Hersom   Andrew Hersom
The real fun will be indexing them in LR. I had a similar number of images to keyword in April and still haven't completed this.   Posted: 08/28/2020 08:37:49