Inspiring Photo: K.I.S.S. #13570831

K.I.S.S.

Uploaded: November 28, 2012

Description

I've always been drawn to stairs in photography, and this set grabbed my eye, with a lot of line and texture.
Yet at the end of the day, it remains a (fairly simple) poured concrete stairway, built around a broad curving wall.

Exif: F Number: 9, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/400 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 200, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 40.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS 7D

Comments

Michael Kelly November 28, 2012

Chris I love the textures and the march of the stairs up that elegant curve. The POV that puts the stairs and the wall into a yin and yang relationship works great. I love it both as an entry and as a great photo. #1500794

lisa anderson November 28, 2012

Wow! Nice shot! #10437337

Debbie E. Payne November 28, 2012

Makes me want to walk up and see what is at the top. Is this on DC? The curve really leads the way into the photograph. #10437353

Jeff E Jensen November 28, 2012

Excellent, Chris. And, a perfect entry for the challenge. #10437360

Aimee C. Eisaman November 29, 2012

Love the composition and the fact that not only are there great lines in this, but a curve in just the right spot. :~) The blue tint is great as well. Nice job on the challenge! #10438370

Rita K. Connell November 29, 2012

I am with every one else on this one....WOW love the feel of this one....I'm with debbie what is at the top of thoses stairs! love all the texture on the wall! #10438416

Dale Hardin November 29, 2012

Welcome to the challenge Chris and such a great entry too. The composition is superb and the texture and color very appealing.

Since this is a critique club, I have only one very small caveat. Unless you planned it that way, the image has a very soft dull look to it. Perhaps a bit of high pass filtering to add a little definition would be an enhancement. #10438994

Chris Budny November 29, 2012

Thank you all!

Yes, it is in DC (campus of A.U.---their fairly new Arts building & gallery space; quite modern in design, very handsome!)

Dale, I did do some "darkroom" edits to this that definitely lend a softer feel, along with the tint away from pure b/w.

Also---is there anything further I need to do, re: KISS Challenge? #10439070

Stephen Shoff November 29, 2012

I like the picture a lot, and the treatment except that I'm with Dale...the only downside to it for me is the softness of the steps. But since you indicate that that is intentional, this is a matter of taste. #10439130

Dale Hardin November 29, 2012

Thanks for the input on your post processing Chris. Figured that the softness was due to choice. And yes, you handled the challenge just fine. New one in a few days though. :O) #10439433

Chris Budny November 30, 2012

Hmm... I'll have to go back to the original and see about a new edit, without the softer touch, and see how that feels... Thanks! #10440046

Peter W. Marks November 30, 2012

This works really well Chris. Would you share with us which of the many color-to-mono conversions you used? #10441477

Chris Budny November 30, 2012

I'd be happy to, if I could only remember!! I edited this some time ago. I'm pretty positive I would have used Nik Silver Efex for the BW, then added in the faint tint in Color Efex or else PS...
I've never figured a good way to "store" all my edits in PS (say, in a multi-layered image) that would allow me to determine later, just what'd I'd done! #10441996

Michael Kelly November 30, 2012

Chris I don't use add in software like Color Efex so I don't know about that but if you save your PS file as a PSD it will save all the layers and edits with it. It can be pretty big, but storage is cheap these days. I store all my edits this way and always print from the PSD file. #10442027

Chris Budny November 30, 2012

That would work---but I think I need to figure out the Smart Objects component---so that my layers (which originate in Color Efex, for example) can get me back into Color Efex WITH the settings I used---that would be the best. And yes, that will certainly add to file size! #10442037

Dale Hardin November 30, 2012

In situations where I use outside filter settings, I label the Photoshop layer with those parameters. For instance I may call a layer "Topaz clarify 50% softlight blend" #10442354

Chris Budny November 30, 2012

That's a good start too... But in some of those NIK filter tools, there can be 20-30 settings to achieve 1 effect layer! #10442371

Dale Hardin November 30, 2012

Bummer! #10443464

Beth Spencer November 30, 2012

I think this one works great for the challenge. I love the curve and the textures. #10443744

Renee Doyle November 30, 2012

Perfect title and such a strong and wonderful graphic design Chris!!! Love it! #10443885

Stephen Shoff December 01, 2012

In Silver Efex Pro, I create a custom preset after I've completed the edits and before I return the image to Photoshop. I name the preset with the image number, which is also a component of my .PSD file name. This is analogous to the ACR .xmp file. I think this may get unwieldy over time, but it is working for now. #10444573

Chris Budny December 01, 2012

Thanks, Renee & Beth!
Stephen, I've created a few custom presets after I get a result I like---but I didn't think to name them for the image; interesting idea! Yes, it could quickly get out of hand, I suppose---you'd have to decide how minor/major a change, departing from 1 saved recipe, would warrant saving the new settings as a new recipe!
I think the Smart Objects is the way for me to go---I've just resisted learning about them/using them. But if I understand it, once that Smart Object layer is made (containing the NIK adjustment effect), I can click back on that layer anytime later, and be ported back into NIK with the exact settings that were originally used in NIK. I think...! #10445535

Teresa H. Hunt December 01, 2012

Great entry for the challenge. I love the simplicity and the elegance of the curving staircase. :) #10445795

Stephen Shoff December 03, 2012

Chris, no, you won't be ported back with the same settings. You will be ported back with the image as it stands and default NIK settings. You might do better to return to NIK with the image you started with (presumably stamped version of preceding color processing), and then try to apply the NIK changes from the notes in the Smart Object layer (can you put notes in a smart object layer, as opposed to the name field on an adjustment layer?

None of that will help you apply localized edits using control points. That will require an awful lot of note taking. #10448985

Chris Budny December 03, 2012

well, shoot! I could live without PS remembering my control points probably... but it would be nice if it ported you back with the filter's global settings intact... sigh. #10449020

Chris Budny December 03, 2012

Alas, I see tonight, this image was skipped for EP... :( #10449029

Stephen Shoff December 03, 2012

yes, it would...or if they had a way to concatenate the search path so it looked for a NIK setting file in the same path as the picture coming in. Then you could manage it just like he XMP files. #10449107

Elaine Hessler December 03, 2012

Congrats on the EP! Sorry for the late post. I like it the way it is. The texture and simplicity really work for me. Very nice. #10449310

Chris Budny December 04, 2012

Thanks, Elaine---and what a surprise it made EP after I thought it was skipped (since 12/1 and 12/2 had EP's already.) #10449798

Susan M. Reynolds January 26, 2013

Late to the game here and just getting back online on my computer from my phone...so sorry about the non-participation.
Congrats on your EP. Love the composition and leading lines. I'm in agreement with Dale on the soft look to it. I also think it would look great with a Sepia finish.
#10538929

Chris Budny January 27, 2013

Welcome back! And thanks for the input---I may go work up a sepia treatment now...! #10539821

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