This is an image from a trip to Crete in August 2023. We had stopped at the city of Heraklion and were on a tour. I snapped this picture while we were being shown the sights of the city. We learned that all the cities on Crete were built with these labyrinths of alleys to inhibit invaders of the island.
This image was shot on a Nikon D7200 with a Tamron 18-400 lens at f/6.3 1/2500 shutter with an ISO of 640, and a focal length of 38 mm. Post processing was done in Photoshop 2026
First, I opened up the shadows with a Camera Raw layer. I then added another Camera Raw layer to open up the shadows on the cat a little more. Then I increased vibrance on selected color elements. I then decreased the brightness and increased the contrast on the lighted area. I then added a clarity and dehaze adjustment layer, but I excluded the cat. I increased the exposure on the cat’s eyes to make them stand out a bit more. The sky was a bit too blue after the dehaze, so I added a gradient white layer to make it look a little more natural.
I finally added a 10% warming layer for the entire image.
I am including the original images used to create the final image
6 comments posted
Larry Treadwell
I guess you can't drive a large SUV down that street. I like the camera angle as it makes the street really feel narrow (maybe cozy?) a feeling that the vertical camera position accentuates. The different building styles and colors add a cheery feeling to the scene and I'm glad you kept the shadows to a minimum as the extra light keeps the scene cheerful. I'm hoping that foreground cat is not related to the goddess Bastet. Posted: 04/04/2026 21:34:00
Tracy Kaminer
Bill, I love these little streets. And the cat in the foreground really adds to the scene. I looked at the original and can definitely note the improvements you laid out. That blue sky feels authentic to Greece, but it's blue enough in your edit. One little suggestion: There's some kind of a shiny cover under the cat. I'd remove that if you could so that it doesn't compete with the kitty. Posted: 04/05/2026 13:03:40
Michael Jack
You captured the essence of the narrow street. I like you got the buildings vertical to it looks natural to the eye. There is a good balance of strong light and shadow with adds to the narrowness of the street. I agree with the comment to remove the bright spot near the cat, but would also slight make the cat more visible. I almost missed it. Posted: 04/05/2026 19:06:49
Barbara Gore
Hi Bill. Love the narrow streets as they have such visual appeal and a great place to wander with a camera. The composition and crop work very well and the white line down the middle pulls my eyes through the frame. The colors definitely convey that Mediterranean feel. I especially like the addition of the cat - a perfect touch of life. As the others mentioned removal of the shiny object by the cat would help. I'd also consider removing the partial planter on the left and slightly lifting the shadows on the street to bring out the cat a bit more. Posted: 04/08/2026 14:38:06
Grace Cohen
Hi Bill - musta been a great trip! Love the raw street scene which the cat really rounds out. Agree with others who suggest removing the
bright spot under cat's tail which is distracting. Also agree with Tracy's suggestion to remove (LRC AI REMOVE?) planter against far left wall. Might also suggest slightly lifting shadows to add a little bit more detail in the table and dark items on either side of the alley.
Otherwise - love this image! Posted: 04/10/2026 02:57:47
Adi Ben-Senior
I love this street photo and the cat adds a lot to it. I Think it will work in BnW as well. I actually have a similar series from Lisbon Portugal. The edit is good. You can try darkening the right side as well. It will reduce the dynamic range between the two sides. Very well done.
Posted: 04/16/2026 16:08:31
