The question of image processing is a well discussed topic within Phoenix both in the Print Box circulation and on the quarterly Critique Galleries.

Has the image been over processed?

Does the image require more processing?

Should the image be cropped to comply with the rule-of-thirds?

As photography is subjective it is sometimes difficult to answer when comparing different images.

So what about members being able to edit just one single image?

How would they interpret what needed to be done to improve the image?

More importantly what would the results be?

Firstly we needed an image which was kindly supplied by Nigel a 'straight from the camera' j-peg which can be seen to the right.

Terry was the next to provide and edited image again with an explanation of the processing.

'Auto Correct for the uprights and levels (couldn't go full as it chopped the chaps ankles off)

Highlights -100, Shadows +100, Black Clipping -31, White Clipping +57, Contrast +19,
Clarity +93, Vibrance -12, Sturation -7.

Obviously a hefty crop from the right hand side but left the view through the partial arch on the left
as I quite liked the Crewe sign.

I then exported the image from Lightroom and re-imported it and then did the following:-

Highlights -100, Shadows +100, Black Clipping -29, White Clipping +14, Clarity +31,
Vibrance -7, Saturation -5.

It may not be to everyones cup of tea but I quite liked it.'

Charlie was the next to respond with his version of the image he explains his actions:-

'Like Terry, one of the first things I did was crop them out.  Then I did much of what Terry did, however, I did not go quite as far.  In Adobe Camera RAW, Highlights -100, Shadows +77, Whites +40, Blacks -40 and Clarity to +34.

When I cropped out the ceiling, I did not want to have to crop out the top of that arch, which left a slim triangle shape of grey on the top right half of the picture.  Not the neatest of jobs, but I cloned out the grey area including bricks.  If it was my picture, I would have taken more time to do a better job of matching the brick work.

With the basic picture done to my liking in Photoshop, I moved it into On1 Photo RAW 2020.  I applied a sunshine filter to increase the warmth of the sunshine, increased the Dynamic Contrast and then applied a Vignetter.  The big soft vignette was applied in such a manner to darken most of the shadows and unimportant areas on the right and highlight and surround the people in the picture.

There is more that needs to be done to finish the picture.  But, this shows enough to give the impression of what I would try to achieve.  What still needs to be done?  Increasing the Dynamic Contrast, highlighted all of the white reflective highlights making them white specks all over the image.  Many of them I did fix, but there are still many more that need to be addressed.'

'The colour version: In lightroom (5)

Colour temp +7, Contrast +38, Highlights -52, Whites +36, Blacks-12, Clarity +17, Vibrance +43, Red saturation -24.

Then exported as tif file and opened in Photoshop elements 7

Correct horizontal perspective  to level up the horizontals

Lighten the clothing using an adjustment layer

The change of perspective left a white gap at the bottom so a clumsy attempt to fill the space using the clone tool

Crop  - and decided to crop tightly even though it lost a lot of the interesting brickwork

Sharpen using unsharp mas ( 100% 1.6 pixels, 0 threshold).'

'As above for the lightroom edit, then open in Silver Efex pro

Scroll through the presets and select Fine art process

Adjust to  Brightness -1, Contrast +42, Structure +46

Selectively reduce brightenss in the area of the larger arch and increase brightness on the clothing and shadowy wall.

Save as a Tif file.

Open in Elements 7 – adjust horizontal perspective ( this time I cant be bothered cloning into the “white space” and just crop  leaving more of the wall. ( the bracket supporting overhead line gear isn’t so obtrusive in B&W).'

The sixth interpretation received was from Andrew he writes :-

'Edit’s made in Lightroom, I have mainly used separate brushes to lift the shadows, highlights and clarity on the two despatchers, I’ve dropped the saturation, clarity and blacks in the wall to try take your eye from the despatches through to the locomotive, which I’ve lifted the clarity and shadows but also just cooled down the colour a little.'