Editing: Before and After

So I have never done this before, but thought it might be fun to start doing. It may help others who are trying to learn photography editing. Here I am, doing my first ever before and after picture of an editing job I did on the photograph below.

This photograph was taken at Dean and Deluca in Georgetown on my Nikon D90 and 17-55mm f2.8 lens. I can't remember what the ISO, aperature, or the shutter speed was at this point. (I forgot to look last night amist my other editing jobs, hot chocolate, hubby's delicious dinner, and The Event season finale all in front of me) BUT I did take down how much I bumped up color and saturation and other things. At first, I thought this picture was good...good, not great. I liked the color of the walls, the lights hanging from the ceiling were lovely and the black ceiling complemented nicely with the blackness of the wine bottles in their crates. But then I thought...hmm...what if I boosted those colors and made this picture more vibrant...more alive!!

Sooooo...this is what I did:

Started out with the Punch Preset

Back Clipping up 28%

Temperature 6%

Contrast 8%

and Vibrance 6%

And...dun da da da!! VIOLA'! The picture and the colors and the lights and everything just becamse more alive and vibrant! I like how it more clearly defines the narrowing of the hall down to the end of the store. It became a feat for my eyes!

How you edit a picture is all in your eye and what you imagine your pictures to look like. Sometimes when taking a picture I have a distinct way I want to edit it in my head. I will get images in my head of certain pictures I want to take. I have a picture (might I say, would be a GORGEOUS picture) in my head for the past two years. It's going to take a lot of lighting, a barn, and a couch...well, I don't want to give away too much of this idea, but it would be so stunning! I got the idea from a song from the group Augustana called "Boston". I'll leave you with that much. The term "tortured artist" has a new definition for me. It's seriously killing me NOT to get to shoot this picture. Someday....someday. (anyway, that was a rabbit trail and a half...sorry about that)

EDITING...it's all in your eye and your taste. But I liked how this picture came out compared to the original.

Let me know what you think!!!