This one looks more like a duotone image, kind of a sepia print. I personally don’t like sepia images, but lets put that aside and talk about the burning.

In this image the burned zones are quite obvious and they don’t blend properly with the rest of the image.

I’m not good doing burning in PS, but I want to suggest the use of a duplicate layer, adjust the levels in the new layer to get the light that you want and then apply a mask with an elliptical gradient that will let the original layer show up.

Protacio Serna
http://www.pserna.com
#990503

Try this: First of all if you don't have virtual photographer go get it now. It's a free filter and it's a necessity in my opinion. Also Zero is another free filter program. I don't use it as much as VP but it has a great vignette effect that will give you the pinhole effect with some specific control, but won't look so much like burning. I do almost no editing that doesn't require VP to some degree or another. It's great.

In VP you have more control over your B/W images and it's all very convenient. I suggest you get in there and run all the presets on it. There's one called old newspaper that would be a good one to start with. But once you run a preset play with all the sliders. You'll be amazed at what can be done. I would manually distress the photo as well--put on some scratches etc...maybe even add a bit of noise. And even though this is supposed to be old the contrast is a bit too flat I think--try pumping it up just a tad.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

Karma #992712

I have Nik Efex Pro which has similar stylizing features. I need to start using the options more and I will repost later.

Dave #993663

Thanks
PSerna #993664

#993924

Dave

#993928

I’m a photographer. I do take pictures to express myself; therefore there is no need to use your phrases to assemble my speech.

The reason why I wanted to see the original was because I had the feeling that the original color image instead of improving by the process was being hurt.

But hey…these are your images…it is your choice.

I ‘m no longer interested in the original. Thanks anyway.

Protacio Serna
http://www.pserna.com
#994016

Dave #994042

I assume that you are talking about the one that I cropped? I put your name in the image saying that the credit is yours. And there is also a note saying that the image is yours.

Mea culpa

Protacio Serna
http://www.pserna.com
#994062

You should always ask permission first before using someones image. When you posted the revised version on Betterphoto it now has two copyrights, yours is on the thumbnail and mine which you added is on the image.

If you had someone downloading images from your website I would assume you would expect the same courtesy.

Dave #994084

Before I go any further I want to publicly offer my apologies to you for cropping the image without your permission.

Along with that I need to express why I did it. I’m not going to talk about the quality of the picture since that is out of the question, but the cropping need was quite obvious.

After I suggested you tried something but I couldn’t see it since you removed the original and the cropped one, but left a message asking for opinions about which one was better…but no images anywhere.

Then I made the mistake.

Now…about the picture downloading.

If anyone is interested in taking a picture from my website, I will be pleased. My goal about photography is to show my vision, and if my vision ends up as a wallpaper in an unknown person’s screen, that will become my success.

Sometimes I call my work: “speech”…and a speech is made of phrases…and every picture to me is a phrase I use to tell what I think, what I feel, or what I need. If anyone grabs a picture from my website…I won’t get paranoid…I will be more than happy.

Protacio Serna
www.pserna.com #994124