Carol Heffernan
March 2025 - Waiting
Original
About the Image(s)
I took this on a Sister trip to Rome - grabbed this shot after we toured the Vatican and as the others were shopping. Never a lot of time to take photos when you are on a family vacation, but I liked it as a memory and just edited this month. Converted to B/W, as it was taken in the middle of the day. Used LR to straighten building lines in Transform, used Topaz to denoise and sharpen (actually used Photo AI), cropped all around, used a linear gradient for the sky and tried to keep the left roof statues separate (but not sure it worked as well as I hoped), darkened the chairs and side buildings so the main building would stand out. Lots of masks for this one (brushes, gradients, etc) I thought about highlighting the cloud above it, but just didn't.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
13 comments posted
Sandra Michaelis
Hi Carol, I think I saw this was taken with your iPhone. Pretty amazing detail! The Black and White works well with the architectural details. Overall a pleasing picture. I see you cropped out the forground chairs that did not follow the patterns, good call. Posted: 03/11/2025 17:04:12
Thanks Sandra. Traveling with family not dragging camera gear, though I regretted that a bit. Honor is amazing with LR and PS and Topaz. Architecture is t my deal, but it seemed interesting with all the chairs. Cropping the odd ones made sense. Posted: 03/12/2025 08:27:30
This is a lovely architectural image and I like the way you darkened the chairs and lightened the Vatican to make it stand out. This is a nice composition and everything is sharp and in focus. The lighting is quite magnificent in this image and plays well with the black and white. The black and white almost has an infrared feel to it--to me, which I love.
Nice job. Posted: 03/12/2025 15:10:54
Nice job. Posted: 03/12/2025 15:10:54
Thanks Pauline. Posted: 03/31/2025 23:25:36
Magnificent setting and nicely captured. It's much improved over the original with your nice work in LR. What you did in LR was perfect. Darkening the chairs made a big difference. This is really minor, but the right side of the palace looked closer than the left as if you were taking the photo not exactly dead on, which you might have. I attempted to straighten it but distorted the side columns a bit. I've included it for interest, but like it just the way it is. Posted: 03/20/2025 18:31:56
Thanks for trying. I am still a beginner with this kind of perspective editing, but it's been a challenge. I imagine it will be easier in the future tho. Posted: 03/31/2025 23:27:14
Posted: 03/20/2025 18:32:09
Linnea Matthiesen
Wow, that was a bit of work and beyond my skills. I really do like this image and the editing. You made the vatican stand out by darkening, but not over darkening the surrounding builidings and chairs. The chairs seem to add some texture. When I first saw it, I thought it was a cobblestone road but then realized it was chairs. Very nice job! Posted: 03/21/2025 23:20:36
Thanks Linnea, I know I wanted to highlight the Vatican and chairs were so big in the foreground I just darkened them and some of the side buildings. Posted: 03/31/2025 23:28:23
Carol,
Very nice shot...and converting to B&W was the right move. There's no way to avoid entirely the perspective distortions (keystone) Alec was playing with: when you try to fix one thing it is usually at the expense of something else. I like your version and can't think of any suggestions to improve. Nice shot. Posted: 03/24/2025 20:16:32
Very nice shot...and converting to B&W was the right move. There's no way to avoid entirely the perspective distortions (keystone) Alec was playing with: when you try to fix one thing it is usually at the expense of something else. I like your version and can't think of any suggestions to improve. Nice shot. Posted: 03/24/2025 20:16:32
Rick, thanks. It just seemed right to be b/w. It's been fun trying to bring out contrast and all without color distracting. Posted: 03/31/2025 23:37:40
Amazing job with this photo. Love the B & W. Your editing is spot on. Posted: 03/26/2025 21:54:34
Thanks Lori. Glad I finally got back in to the correct month and all to see all comments and photos I'd missed at the beginning of the month. Posted: 03/31/2025 23:38:48