[Irma]

As I couldn't decide which one I like the most, I'll post my three version...
Which you like the most?










I am working also my square format, if you have any advice is very welcome...

[Kombisaurus]

Hi Irma,

I like the colour version. Definately.
I'm a big fan of monochrome in general, but I feel the colours really add to this photo and give the (early morning?) sunlight a very nice feel.

The square format makes a nice change too.

[Wedding Shooter]

The colour Irma - and the square crop is great. I am just feeling a little distracted by the white in the bottom left corner.

[matthew]

I also vote for the colour version, and really like the square crop. My second choice would be the sepia. Whichever treatment you choose, you've caught a very nice moment.

I also like the way the trees are just long reflected lines in the water. I do have one question, though: the woman on picture-left has a blue reflection around the mid-section that doesn't seem to match her clothing. Is this a PP artifact, or is it original? I can see that her hands are in her pocket, which may catch a bit more of the blue tint that's in her coat if there's something reflecting off of the dock.

(and maybe a bit of cloning to smooth out the ripples lower-left?)

[Rabid Penguin]

I'm going to be different and say Sepia. Colour is fine except for the orange boat, it just stands out way too much and steals attention from the subject.

[Pat]

Hope you dont mind Irma - IMHO the composition is wrong, I would like to see more of the trees and less of the river, maybe this is one image where the river bank should be centered. I know this is not what you asked

[Irma]

Thanks so much everyone for your comments...

The color version has nice colors indeed. I worked the colors of all these versions in LR and then I adjusted with mask the light and contrast in the reflection. It was taken in December last year. It was nearly mid day but the sun was beautiful that day, like early morning...

About the bright blue in the reflection, it was a side effect of my treatment with the reflection. There was a bit of blue in the reflection since the girl jacket is blue so at the time I work with contrast the blue brightened a lot more. The same goes for the red in the boat. I have desaturated those colors in the original frame in color above.

I do agree about cloining the bright spot at the left low corner, I was more concerned about other details and I didn't see it.

The sepia version is a treatment I am working with, it is not made with grayscale but just working with colors.

All of them have a dramatic contrast and brightness to give a bit of more light. I wanted to try this also in this picture. I am happy you like the color version.

About the crop, Pat. I took less of the trees and more of the reflection because the trees were not beautiful. It was taken in Winter and then most of the trees are naked, and that would have darkened my picture. The reflection was the only element I had to give light and interest.

My focal length here was 400mm, I was too far from the scene, to make another composition. If the trees had had beautiful light, I would have played a different composition and place them in the lower right third as another option. About a centered composition... It doesn't look bad. I like it, and technically probably better than the square format I am working or the original composition. But somehow, it doesn't deliver de message I want to give by isolate them in one corner of the picture.... thinking that any place could be a good corner for them to work their own buissiness, without taking care of what is happening around them...

Here is the original frame, I had this idea when I was taking the picture.

[Toad]

Hmm - I have to go with color as well - although the sepia is also very sweet looking. I like the square crop the best - although I don't care for the smear of light colored water in the lower left - I think the square crop color with that removed would be the best of all.

Best
Rob

[Irma]

Thanks Toad for your comment...

I worked a lot my exposure, blacks and brightness/contrast to make the colors shine...

I want to try printing this one to see how much detail I lose with this high contrast.