Seeing Your Final Image #2

What is wrong with the photograph that I posted yesterday? Nothing, technically. But, to my eye, the subject does not fit with the overall presentation. There appears to be definite disconnect between the bright blue skies and the saturated colors (due to using a polarizing filter) and this old rusty railroad bridge built in the 1920s.

Tom’s dad had to go to Galveston for a meeting, so Tom came over to my house so that I could show him what post processing I would do to the old railroad bridge photograph.

I told him that we needed a look that would make the photo appear like it was taken 80 years ago. He looked puzzled. I showed him some old family albums that included many photographs from the early 1900s. I do not believe Tom had ever seen that many black and white photographs at one time.

After doing a little clean-up work on the image, we opened it up in nik Silver Efex Pro to convert the color image to black and white. I could see the amazement in Tom’s eyes as saw the image change from color to black and white. The photograph had a totally different tone. In the black and white image, the bridge and its reflection seemed to come forward; it definitely became the subject of the photograph. We scanned the various present and then settled on Antique Sepia. We made a few tweaks to the present and came up with this photograph.

Tom studied our product for some time; he then decided that we needed to do a little more to get a real 1920s look.

What did Tom decide? Will Tom and Larry be able to create Tom’s vision? What would you do with their photograph?

Tune-in tomorrow and see Tom and Larry continue their journey to the past!