Help from the Experts Please

[Greg Triplett]

Hi folks,

Having been a member the RP for only a couple of weeks I seek advice from some of you who know the idiosyncrasies of the screeners.

Reason(s) for Rejection:

- Bad Color: Not enough color depth or too much color saturation.

The first had more color saturation The second attempt (attached) has the color saturation reduced by 20. IMHO it looks just like the real scene that day. So now I don't know if it has too much color or too little. The Reason for rejection is so a cryptic "one size fits all" answer that it effectively says nothing.

The other question in my mind is " do I really want to change the image into something that I consider substandard just to get it accepted?" I take the pix to please myself not the screeners and if some of the viewers like it then I'm happy to have brought them some enjoyment. My guts tell me that some people might have enjoyed seeing this shot.

And to put it bluntly; when I see some of the crap which is accepted I wonder about the screening process.

Help please from the experts !

Regards

Greg-san in Oz.

[MagnumForce]

Personally I find the cropping to be a bigger flaw than anything else.

[miningcamper1]

IMHO it's too dark and too warm. And the screeners probably won't like the so-called "dead space" on the left (although I like a crop like this- I hate to see a train collide with the edge of the frame!)

[ken45]

On my monitor, the main issue with this image that I think is bothering the screeners is that the image is the colors seem a little dull. So they hit it with a Bad Color rejection, looking for more saturation.

However, I don't think simply bumping up the Saturation is the best way to deal with this photo. It looks like your scan came out dark and it needs an adjustment to the exposure and contrast. Look at the sky. This photo was shot on a sunny day with fully clear skies, yet after your processing, the blue sky is darker than I have observed in similar conditions. Same deal with the ballast and grass along side. Too dark. Overall, with it being slightly dark, it makes the colors seem very dull and off, hence the Bad Color rejection.

My recommendation for fixing this is to first brighten the image up. It doesn't have to be a lot, just enough to get the problem areas a little brighter. Next, increase the contrast. This will help a lot to add a lot to pull back the dark areas that you just brightened while giving just a bit more push to the highlights. Finally, add JUST A LITTLE saturation to get the yellows and reds to stand out. A little goes a long way! This, in my mind, will make this image a shoo in to get on. I see no issue with the composition.

[Holloran Grade]

Originally Posted by MagnumForce

Personally I find the cropping to be a bigger flaw than anything else.

Agreed - too much space in front of the train.

Also, the headlights are too yellow.

Adjust it till they are more white.

[Greg Triplett]

Thanks Guys,

How about version 2.0 attached ?

I've increased the brightness, contrast and saturation.

I've learnt something today thankyou.

Cheers from Across the Big Pond

Greg-san

[Holloran Grade]

Better on the color.

Make the tank car white and you should be good to go.

and perhaps like this...

[ACR_Ted]

Here is what looks good to me

http://forums.railpictures.net/attac...1&d=1399187990

[Greg Triplett]

Thanks again

I might go with V2.0.

It's all subjective I guess but the ACR_Ted version looks a bit bright to me. The tighter cropped Holloran Grade composition looks out of balance to me. The space to the left with the 2 bright trees is to balance the shadow to the right. Also the empty track some times gives the feeling of anticipation of the train approaching.

Thanks all.

cheers

Greg-san

[Greg Triplett]

Hi Folks,

Well, I went with my version 2.0 and the result.

Photo ID 1267516 was rejected from the database.

Railroad: LTV Steel Mining Company
Locomotive: EMD F9(A)

Reason(s) for Rejection:

- Bad Color: Not enough color depth or too much color saturation.

I think that might be strike 3 on the screeners this time.

Sayonara

Greg-san

[ken45]

Originally Posted by Greg Triplett

Thanks again

I might go with V2.0.

It's all subjective I guess but the ACR_Ted version looks a bit bright to me. The tighter cropped Holloran Grade composition looks out of balance to me. The space to the left with the 2 bright trees is to balance the shadow to the right. Also the empty track some times gives the feeling of anticipation of the train approaching.

Thanks all.

cheers

Greg-san

ACR_Ted's version looks like what I suggested. I wonder if your monitor is brighter than most people's or is producing color differently? Your 2.0 version is a step in the right direction, but still seems flat. I wonder if your monitor is brighter than most people's or is producing color differently? It's reading like what looks good to you looks completely different to myself and ACR_Ted, and likely the screeners as well. I've never done a monitor calibration before, but you might look into it.

[JimThias]

Originally Posted by Greg Triplett

Thanks Guys,

How about version 2.0 attached ?

I've increased the brightness, contrast and saturation.

I've learnt something today thankyou.

Cheers from Across the Big Pond

Greg-san

Still too much color saturation, underexposed and bad cropping.