Murphy Hektner, APSA
July 2025 - 1870s Antique Window
About the Image(s)
This image was photographed in a State Park of a preserved cabin. The original old wavy glass window was in an old log cabin built in 1870. The late evening sun was lighting the old trees behind me which provided a pleasant golden glow reflected in the old wavy glass windowpanes. These old log cabins are few and far between these days, and I feel fortunate to be able to make this photo of a long-gone era of time when this cabin was built. Had a difficult time keeping my camera from reflecting in this old window.
Here I used my tripod mounted Nikon D700 camera with Nikon 24-70 mm lens (1/15 sec, f/11, ISO 200, at 50 mm) to capture this one image. The lighting was early evening in shade with blue sky above. Post processed in Elements.
9 comments posted
This is a lovely capture of preserved history. What a story it could tell. The warmth of the golden sky adds texture to the scene with the reflection of the trees in the background. I would like to see a little more of the left side of the window frame to balance out the right side. Overall it tells the story of once-upon-a-time with the antiques in the window and weathered wood. Nice job Murphy! Posted: 07/10/2025 06:24:25
What an interesting story the image tells. The fascinating range of texture and detail throughout the image adds a weathered and stately look to this window. I am also enjoying the native color pallet of the window and wood, and how the reflected early evening light augments the presentation. I appreciate that this was by design and was not happenstance.
Now let's see if we might nudge the presentation a bit more. Here I suggest darkening the wood at the lower and right edges to enhance the framing of the window. Also, I might add a bit of micro contrast to the elements in the window to bring out a bit more of the native detail and texture. I would also consider darkening the darker areas of the scene to increase the contrast a bit. I realize that you personally like adding a pinstripe border to your images, but in this case, I feel it is not needed and actually detracts a bit from the image. We don't need more light elements at the edges to distract us, and the image does not need help in separating itself from a darker presentation media. I have included a version of this image with these suggestions to illustrate my thoughts. See what you think …
Posted: 07/10/2025 19:17:27
Now let's see if we might nudge the presentation a bit more. Here I suggest darkening the wood at the lower and right edges to enhance the framing of the window. Also, I might add a bit of micro contrast to the elements in the window to bring out a bit more of the native detail and texture. I would also consider darkening the darker areas of the scene to increase the contrast a bit. I realize that you personally like adding a pinstripe border to your images, but in this case, I feel it is not needed and actually detracts a bit from the image. We don't need more light elements at the edges to distract us, and the image does not need help in separating itself from a darker presentation media. I have included a version of this image with these suggestions to illustrate my thoughts. See what you think …
Posted: 07/10/2025 19:17:27
Hi Barbara and Charlie: I appreciate your comments, thank you.
The original window was 5 feet wide with antiques lining the inside shelf which made a very impressive picture. This picture is just a small capture that I thought would fit our close in size requirements.
Barbara: I do agree I should have included part of the next window pane on the left side as this version does end quite abruptly. cheers.
Charlie: I like your enhanced version with a little more saturation and contrast added, it does have more "pop" Posted: 07/11/2025 02:53:00
The original window was 5 feet wide with antiques lining the inside shelf which made a very impressive picture. This picture is just a small capture that I thought would fit our close in size requirements.
Barbara: I do agree I should have included part of the next window pane on the left side as this version does end quite abruptly. cheers.
Charlie: I like your enhanced version with a little more saturation and contrast added, it does have more "pop" Posted: 07/11/2025 02:53:00
Hi Murphy,
Lovely historic image with very nice painterly effects. My only suggestion, as mentioned above, would have been to have the whole frame included.
Very nice. Posted: 07/14/2025 19:01:09
Lovely historic image with very nice painterly effects. My only suggestion, as mentioned above, would have been to have the whole frame included.
Very nice. Posted: 07/14/2025 19:01:09
While increasing the cavass to include the whole frame might add a bit to the image, it also creates a different image with a different vision. Here by only showing a part of the fame we get a greater sense of intimacy and at looking into everyday life. Adding the entire frame would make is more of a set-piece, with a different feel. It's often difficult to make suggestions that don't introduce our own bias and vision. This can be a challenge at times. Posted: 07/20/2025 16:34:10
I completely agree. Posted: 07/24/2025 18:21:45
Murphy, a very interesting image! I actually have a collection of antique oil lamps. For a macro shot, I certainly see the reason you were unable to include the entire window. Increasing the contrast around the oil lamp and the pitcher enhances the two antique items. Posted: 07/19/2025 22:07:18
Hi Murphy, a very interesting image, looks like a painting. You did a great job! Thanks for sharing! Posted: 07/23/2025 13:18:17
Hi Everyone: Thanks for your positive comments on "Antique Window, they were much appreciated.
This kind of subject is becoming harder to find as time goes on due to time's many changes, feel very fortunate in finding this interesting old log cabin to enjoy making photos of. Posted: 07/26/2025 21:10:29
This kind of subject is becoming harder to find as time goes on due to time's many changes, feel very fortunate in finding this interesting old log cabin to enjoy making photos of. Posted: 07/26/2025 21:10:29