Murphy Hektner, APSA
December 2025 - Padlocks
About the Image(s)
I was visiting a State Park that featured old early 1900 hundred era buildings with weathered wood, also old machinery. While there I happened to see these padlocks and chain hanging from some old wooden doors and thought they made an interesting composition.
Here I used my tripod mounted Nikon D700 camera with a 105 mm macro lens (1/200 sec, f/14, Iso 320) in the afternoon sun to collect this single image. Post processed in Elements adding a poster edges filter to entire scene. I also applied blue filter to the padlocks and chain.
6 comments posted
Once again you demonstrate your ability to see the environment around us and to pick out small simple mini-scenes that tell interesting stories. I applaud your composition employed here and like what you did and did not include within this shot.
I realize that you spent some time adding some selective color to the locks and chain within this scene, although to my eye it's not required. In fact, to me this detracts a bit from the presentation.
That point aside, a well seen scene that was nicely captured. Posted: 12/09/2025 21:38:58
I realize that you spent some time adding some selective color to the locks and chain within this scene, although to my eye it's not required. In fact, to me this detracts a bit from the presentation.
That point aside, a well seen scene that was nicely captured. Posted: 12/09/2025 21:38:58
Hi Charlie: Thanks for your positive comments which are very much appreciated.
You are correct in that I did spend some time tweaking this picture in post processing. I started out by adding the Poster Edges filter which adds detail and texture to old wood. Then I spent some effort in selecting the border color that would blend in with the colors of the old wooden boards.
Regarding the 3 padlocks: They were very bright and shiny in the afternoon sun to the point of being a major distraction that ruined the picture. I needed to do something to tame down the brightness, so I selected out just the chain and padlocks and added a medium blue filter. Posted: 12/10/2025 01:32:17
You are correct in that I did spend some time tweaking this picture in post processing. I started out by adding the Poster Edges filter which adds detail and texture to old wood. Then I spent some effort in selecting the border color that would blend in with the colors of the old wooden boards.
Regarding the 3 padlocks: They were very bright and shiny in the afternoon sun to the point of being a major distraction that ruined the picture. I needed to do something to tame down the brightness, so I selected out just the chain and padlocks and added a medium blue filter. Posted: 12/10/2025 01:32:17
I appreciate the dilemma and objectives you had in dealing with the overly-bring locks and chain. Instead of adding a color how about just toning down (perhaps using a curves layer) the brightness of the locks themselves. See my version as an example of my thoughts … Posted: 12/10/2025 16:12:40
Interesting subject and composition. I agree with Charles: the locks are were too blue/green to my taste. I prefer his tone adjustment.
Very nice. Posted: 12/10/2025 19:54:39
Very nice. Posted: 12/10/2025 19:54:39
Hi Charlie and Pierre: Thanks for your comments, your feed back is always interesting to me, it helps me to see things in a different light
In the Pacific Northwest a few photo clubs are adopting a new class of competition, Altered Reality. The blue padlocks is more of an altered reality image rather than traditional.
Cheers. Posted: 12/12/2025 05:24:27
In the Pacific Northwest a few photo clubs are adopting a new class of competition, Altered Reality. The blue padlocks is more of an altered reality image rather than traditional.
Cheers. Posted: 12/12/2025 05:24:27
Murphy, I always enjoy the interesting subjects of your images. I do like Charlie's subtle edit, as the locks appeared a little too blue to me. Posted: 12/14/2025 04:11:27