After-Before Friday is a weekly challenge hosted by Stacy Fischer on her blog Visual Venturing:
“After-Before Friday posts provide an opportunity for photographers (amateur and seasoned, alike) to share their photos, and if they wish, their post-processing decisions. The photos will provide a fun “wow” factor; the post-processing descriptions, the “how.” The goal is to enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at others’ work while picking up helpful ideas along the way that each of us can use as we work with our own photos.”
If you are interested in joining us, you can find all the details on her blog.
This is the image I took earlier this year in Milan. I was drawn by the straight lines of the buildings and that brick facade.
First I processed the image in Picmonkey where I adjusted exposure by decreasing brightness and increasing shadows. Then I adjusted colors by increasing saturation. After that I added few effects, but to be honest, I have no idea which and in what order. I think in future I’ll need to take step by step notes. Next, I processed already changed image in Pixlr.express, where I only added one more effect. In the end, I finally used Gimp to change that little piece of sky. It was my first time with Gimp, so I used the existing pattern, although I would rather use a different kind. But my patience was running out of the door, so I left it as it is.
In the end I am quite satisfied with the final image. I think the shadows and the colours give it a new DOF and the entire image looks richer. Or so I hope.
I am starting to learn a little bit more about post-processing, making a slow progress. Since I just started using Gimp, I am curious to see in which direction my explorations will take me and my photos.
Snow's Fissures and Fractures 
Nice outcome, quite atmospheric.
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Thank you.
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I love the atmosphere you created in your post processing. So much better than the actual shot. I like that you used some blur on the image but I think you lost some of the texture with the brick facade. Still, your vision, and your ability to create it,is great!
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Thank you, Emilio. I am still learning, so I have no idea where I’ll end up once I start working on an image. Here I went for an overall imperssion, not focusing on details.
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I didn’t mean to focus on details either, and did not mean to criticize. I love what you did with your photo. I think not planning where your post-processing will go can lead you to so many exciting discoveries.
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I like what you’ve done here. The nice rich colors convey a sense of timelessness.
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Thank you, Robin. I like how that little piece of sky draws my eye deeper into the image.
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You truly did a “big” work (and effort) on the photo with all those programs Loré. However, I’d like to know why do you think the final version image looks richer, given the fact that it lose all the enchanting details of the windows and balconies?!
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I usually post my RAW photos, so this post-processing is like a new adventure to me. As I did last week, I picked the image that I would usually discard and tried to play to see where it will lead me. Although the original image is sharper with many details, I still felt it was a bland, boring photo. In post-processing I didn’t have an idea from the start, I was building it slowly by going through all the features in different apps. Although I lost some great details, I think the final image has a special atmospheric feel, especially the contrast of bright colors and shadows. As a beginner, I am still exploring and trying to find a style that I like most. But as I look at my recent work, I can see a pattern emerging and that gives me a motivation to work harder, and to try and get better quality of images.
Thank you for your comment, especially your question. I think this is exactly what this forum is about, discussing our ideas and work process.
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Hi, Loré! I had to laugh when you said you had no idea and in what order you added your effects 🙂 I have definitely found that in doing this forum and creating my videos, I have had to become accountable for the steps I’ve taken. It has led me to new reprocess some of my older photos in new ways, and I hope ultimately for the better.
Wonderful photo! I haven’t used any of the software you used to edit, so it’s interesting to read about your process. Like Robin, I love the richness of the final colors. I also like the point of view, with the overlapping buildings. On my screen, I do lose some of the lovely details in the shutters and balcony on the right, but do understand that that was a creative decision you chose to make. That’s what’s so fun about post-processing – we can take a photo in so many different directions 🙂
Thanks so much for participating – love having your work as part of the forum!
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Thank you for so many kind words, Stacy. And thank you for hosting this wonderful forum, I find it a place where one can learn so much. You make additional effort by making a video of your post processing and that is really great thing. I hope to participate in the future and hope more people join us to share their experiences.
Tnx again!
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