Take Two

Yesterday, I discussed hotel photography and my interest in it. I pointed out one of my pictures and its exposure issues. So, I decided that I had a little more practice to do before I could really write off the idea. That will take time, as most hotels in my area aren't especially inspiring to me.

In the meantime, though, the picture drove me crazy. Not wanting to give up on it, I submitted it to several feedback groups on Flickr. We decided that while there were a few things I could have done to mitigate the situation, there was no way to avoid the harsh highlights on the right of the picture. Well, short of carrying strobe lights (or something like that) and other bizarre equipment, anyway. I try my best to take great pictures on the first try without carrying an arsenal of tools, so that didn't sound appealing.

I decided to bite the bullet and crop the picture. Here's what it looks like now:



The perspective is different but good, and the highlights are still there, but greatly minimized. I have decided that I can live with that.

Still, though, I'm realizing that I'm being a little stubborn. I really hate spending time in Aperture/Elements, except to pump up my colors and make minor tweaks. I'm realizing that I need to sit down and learn about things like masks, layers, and other options for post-processing.

I'm not thrilled about this, because I'm such a purist. Pictures shouldn't need extensive editing! So, I'm treating this as adding to my "first-aid kit". I won't always use these editing skills, but I should have them.

So, next week, I'll cover some of my lessons learned. Stay tuned, and till Monday!