Composite Micanopy Sidewalk

[Cheryl Slechta]

This started out as a 3- exposure HDR image. I then duplicated the image and used Gaussian blur on it and combined the 2 images. I wanted to convey the dreaminess of my little town - it really is a magical place.
Thanks for looking. Comments and suggestions appreciated.

[denise ippolito]

Hi Cheryl, I like the blur it really softens the look, have you considered cropping the left side to the red brick. The image looks divided to me, let's see what others say.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Cheryl, I love the processing on this one, but agree with Denise on the divided look. A crop from the left would fix that though. From your previous posts and this one, Micanopy does look like a lovely town.

[Dennis Bishop]

Cheryl, I understand what Denise is saying about the image being divided. I wanted to look at the histogram, anyway (more on that, below), so I brought it into Photoshop and tried the crop to the brick. That does take care of the divided look, but it is contrary to your desire to show the look of your town because it limits the view. If more -- both vertically and horizontally -- of the portion of the structure with the white stucco and green trim were showing, I think that would help on both fronts. Easy for me to say without knowing what else that would reveal.

I wanted to look at the histogram because I wasn't seeing much detail in the whites at the end of the sidewalk, the street, and the sign in the upper right. The histogram shows clipping on the dark end, which I think is okay in this case, but no clipping on the right. I'm guessing that's because of some adjustments or the blend mode in Photoshop. Based on the dark and light tones, I wonder if more exposures -- certainly negative and, perhaps, also positive -- would've been helpful. Given the range I perceive in tones in the actual scene, I think I would've taken seven or nine exposures.

Using the blur to show your feeling about the town was a great idea.

[Steve Adkins]

You nailed the dreamy effect, Cheryl! The scene invites me in. The comp is a tough call as I would miss the stucco and paint on the left if cropped. BTW those pots rule!

[Cheryl Slechta]

Thanks Denise, Andrew, Dennis and Steve for your insight. As far as comp I didn't have a lot of choices and I like the green door. However, I do think it divides the image and when I posted it I thought that it needed to be blurred more - it seems to be more in focus than the rest of the image. Maybe that would make it better. I'll try to play around with it tonight and see if I can improve it.

[denise ippolito]

Cheryl, That's a great idea to blur the green door a bit, I'm interested in seeing how it will look.

[Indranil Sircar]

Nice Dreamy look, Cheryl. I like the all the ideas and look forward to what you come up with next

[Cheryl Slechta]

I changed the hue of the door and added a blur to it and the wall beside it. Does this make a difference? (Or does it look like I'm going blind)

[Grady Weed]

A nice effort here. Since i do not do these I do not have much to say. but it looks like a good start. I like the dreamy effects tho.

My father in-law is Ken McGurn, he lives in Micanopy and works in Gainesville. Do you know him?

[Cheryl Slechta]

A nice effort here. Since i do not do these I do not have much to say. but it looks like a good start. I like the dreamy effects tho.

My father in-law is Ken McGurn, he lives in Micanopy and works in Gainesville. Do you know him?

Grady, I don't know him but I certainly know who he is. He has transformed downtown Gainesville in a very good way

[Arthur Morris]

Count the green door out for me with the camera pointed more to the right to show more of the town and the trees. I am pretty sure that I would be more open to the dreamy look with the dark door. With respect for your liking the green door .

[Cheryl Slechta]

Artie, do you like the repost better or do I need to start over with a different composition?

[Arthur Morris]

I do like the repost better but my eye keeps going to the edge-clipped flower pot... Then I think, I would like to see more of those dreamy oof trees upper right.... Starting half way into the white wall on the left with the corresponding space added right might just work (assuming that there is nothing horrific to the right .

[Cheryl Slechta]

Artie, I agree about the clipped flower pot - I think I'll start over (I also don't like the 2 brown leaves in the flower pot).

[Arthur Morris]

I do not mind the brown leaves but I am an edge freak!

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Cheryl,
The pot was the first thing that grabbed my eye....so worth a revisit. I think the dreamy effect came through very well!

[Dennis Bishop]

I think you accomplished two things with the added blur, Cheryl. And they're both good. The image looks a bit less divided, and the dreamy feeling you wanted is certainly greater.