Kirsti Näntö-Salonen
May 2023 - The Shoemaker’s Miracle
Original
Original 2
About the Image(s)
I was fascinated by the ingenious working-light fixture in the shoemakers workshop in a museum village. These glass spheres function like a lens collecting daylight from the window and reflecting it to the working area. They were rare and expensive, and I can imagine the children of those days peeking through the window just like I did, in awe about this strange luminous ball. This is a combination of two images I took through the window, with another tourist looking in from the opposite doorway. I tried to bring out the feeling of a mysterious miracle by turning the image into BW and leaving only just enough details to make it possible to identify the workshop - it was such a busy scene to begin with. Fuji X-T4, 23 mm, f/1.4, 1/600 s, ISO 400. What do you think?
This round’s discussion is now closed!
19 comments posted
It is a very mysterious image. Maybe too mysterious, since without your explanation I couldn't decipher what it was. My eyes go to the bright sphere, but it is difficult to see exactly what is rendered there. You definitely need the blurred person in the background to counterweigh the main element in the picture. Converting to B&W was the right decision. Posted: 05/09/2023 18:03:17
Thank you, Jose! I added two remake versions on my reply to Terry. I like the second one myself - I think that the balance between mystery and miracle and the more-in-focus details is better. What do you think? Posted: 05/13/2023 02:19:03
I like the way you processed this image. I think there is just a little too much blur / lack of clarity at the lamp area (perhaps just the one shoe form) for my taste. The thing I see is the person looking into the scene looks to me like he has one or both artificial legs. I think this interpretation takes this image to another level. Posted: 05/09/2023 20:05:06
Hi Terry, thank you! I love the artificial leg idea! - All of you commented on the lack of an area in sharper focus, and I could see the problem clearly myself right away. I took yet another frame where the foreground was in better focus and added that part as a layer on the original - it was from a slightly different angle, but I think that it melded in quite well.
There are two versions: Remake 1 with the new foreground, and Remake 2 where I kept the original shoe and work table with extra local clarity and unsharpening mask. There is also some diffuse glow in the glass sphere. I like Remake 2 better myself - what do you think? Posted: 05/13/2023 02:02:53
There are two versions: Remake 1 with the new foreground, and Remake 2 where I kept the original shoe and work table with extra local clarity and unsharpening mask. There is also some diffuse glow in the glass sphere. I like Remake 2 better myself - what do you think? Posted: 05/13/2023 02:02:53
Posted: 05/13/2023 02:03:15
Posted: 05/13/2023 02:04:16
Kirsti, I think both of these re-worked images work and I'm glad you have the originals available to make the changes. On color vs B&W, I think I prefer this image in B&W. Posted: 05/13/2023 07:26:02
Thanks, Terry! This has been a very useful exercise! Posted: 05/13/2023 09:52:19
For me the image is too blurred (to my taste) and you cannot see what is going on real good. I much more like the original in the color version (but then again I like color image more ;) ) with maybe a little cropping and blurring the person in the BG. But prefer no blur in the FG. That is probably taste too. I did not have any idea what the image was about when I saw the edited version ;) Posted: 05/10/2023 04:55:47
Hi Agnes, here is a color version from the frame that had the sharpest foreground ( + all I could do on sharpening). I did not try to switch the figure in the doorway as the original one did not look as good in color as in BW. What do you think? - I think that my favourite is Remake 2. Posted: 05/13/2023 03:26:22
I agree with the other comments. It would seem that for this concept to work, we need to have some strong focal point that has the sharpness to draw our eye before exploring the mysterious viewer in the back. I think the potential was there, but did not quite make it. Of course, if you like it, our comments should not matter. Posted: 05/10/2023 08:04:09
Thank you so much, Bob! I made two different version to correct the focus issue, and posted them into my reply to Terry. What do you think? Posted: 05/13/2023 02:14:43
Converting to b&w was a good choice. Of course my eye goes to the bright sphere, which would be meaningless without your explanation.
Your original image shows the boot in sharp focus, and I would like to see this in the final image to give us a sense that this is a shoemakers shop. The figure in the background does provide mystery so well done on keeping him in. Posted: 05/10/2023 10:55:43
Your original image shows the boot in sharp focus, and I would like to see this in the final image to give us a sense that this is a shoemakers shop. The figure in the background does provide mystery so well done on keeping him in. Posted: 05/10/2023 10:55:43
Hi Mervyn, I like the BW version, too, myself. I added two versions of the remake in the reply to Terry's comment - do you think that they corrected the issue, and which one do you like better? Posted: 05/13/2023 02:10:00
Thank you all, I totally agree about the sharpness issue - I'll start working on the next version! Posted: 05/10/2023 13:59:04
Thank you all, I totally agree about the sharpness issue - I'll start working on the next version! Posted: 05/10/2023 19:21:41
Thank you all, I totally agree about the sharpness issue - I'll start working on the next version! Posted: 05/10/2023 23:24:20
I think the B&W version looks nice after sharpening. The person at the background in original 2 has a better posture. I suggest lightening the shoemaker's table in the foreground a bit more to convene the story. Posted: 05/13/2023 05:29:20
Thank you, Tony, I'll try that! Posted: 05/13/2023 06:01:56