Hope

[Darren Bradley]

Chris Dodkin's incredible landscapes from AZ inspired me to give it a go, so I fished out a photo I'd already converted using standard LR a while back, and decided to play around with the original RAW file of it in Topaz BW.

Thanks, Chris, for the workflow tips and preset!

Anyway, I did about 5 or 6 versions of this and am not sure which one I like best. Here's one of them.



Maybe go a bit grittier? Like this?



I dunno...

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Magnificent!! Great tones Darren,
I'm very stuck between the 2 which one I find the best.
I feel myself looking at the gritty version tho.
I'd hate to get my post in the morning from there. Lol

 

[Pete Askew]

Really nice. The second for me without a doubt. I'd even add a bit more grain to it.

 

[adrian jordin]

I'm not sure I could decide...

I've got several pictures that I've done variations of in Topaz BW and keep looking at trying to decide which is the best tratment.
I have to be ruthless at times bout not keeping them all....

 

[Brian Moore]

It's No.1 for me. But really it's such an excellent photo that it doesn't matter to me how you treat the look; it's the perceived message that's so cool. (Love that first gaping mailbox. So laden with hope and despair!) Great shot, Darren!

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Nice Daren. I immediately wondered if those who own the mailboxes might be "hoping" for someone to straighten out the posts! : )

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Liking #2 Darren - Well spotted with that road sign!

There's a town in the desert in AZ called Hope - and as you leave the town, they have a sign saying 'You are now beyond Hope'

 

[Paul Lange]

I can't decide, I like the contrast in 1 better but the colour tone in 2 better! Tricky one that.

 

[Darren Bradley]

Thanks, guys. I'll try to play around with it a bit more if I have time later.