Ooh interesting challenge this week, before and after. This is John’s, from Journeys with Johnbo, challenge to us this week. It is also something I’ve done before.
I used to post before and after pictures, but I got sick of everyone saying they preferred the before, so I stopped doing it. I don’t have a problem showing what the originals looked like. I am probably more mature (LOL) now and maybe more secure that if people prefer the originals, then whatever. I don’t mind so much and I know I can’t please everyone.
This was a really hard challenge to work out what to show and then how to show them. It finally gave me the reason to find out how to do the slide over images so you can slide from side to side to see the before and after image. I like this effect and I hope you like it as well. Hopefully, I am not the only that can see it as well. Click on the arrows, hold down and slide it across to see the images.
So, up first is the train station from Dunedin in New Zealand. I loved what I managed to do in this image. I always hate taking photos in the bright sun. I don’t like the bright sections and then the dark shadows. I had to work out what to do and I wondered if I could make this image look like it was taken at night. That was what I set out to do.
I love these sculptures or whatever they are that are on the Westgate Freeway here in Melbourne. Unfortunately, I like them but not all the stuff around them. The challenge for this image was to remove as much as I could to make the image more minimalist. Just the freeway and the round thing. It wasn’t easy and it took me hours to achieve. Definitely something I would do again.
This was taken at Docklands early one morning. It is a long exposure and I just wanted to make the image darker and that is what I set out to try and do.
The Manchester Unity Building is a gorgeous building here in Melbourne. I was given an opportunity to take some photos of it many years ago. I was also tasked with making it look like Batman lived there. I hope I achieved that.
This image was more a curiosity thing. Could I make an image look like there was a sunset there when there actually hadn’t been one? It was a really tough one to do. You can’t just change the sky, you have to change everything as far as colour goes. I am sure New Yorkers will pick up that it is fake because the sun probably never sets there, but it was a good image to try this with.
I had to include a macro image. I was going to put up another one, but then I kept finding city ones, so sorry, this is it for the macro. If you want to see more of the before and after macro let me know and I will do some more.
I like making the images darker and highlighting the natural shapes of flowers. It is interesting to see how much the colour changes when I do this.
Wow, what a challenge John, loved it. Please go and visit John’s post on this which you can find here, Journeys with Johnbo.
Thank you John for being our host and for picking this challenge.
Maybe you would like to participate this week, it is a great challenge to do. To find out how to join the Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.
I love the Dunedin train station and have been there several times. Great photos. Happy weekend. Allan
Thank you, lucky you to have visited many times. I loved Dunedin. Thank you Allan.
How wonderful and somehow futuristic/ominous your images are. I can imagine how much work deleting all excess distractions on your freeway shot – I just can’t imagine someone actually doing it. The final result was well worth the effort!
Thank you, yeah the freeway shot took a lot of work. It is something I love doing.
Your posts are always a treat, Leanne – and to see the originals and the final results is so impressive. You are a marvelous photographer with a very special style! The soft light in your images is outstandingly beautiful. I must agree with Batman – that house would fit him well.
Thank you Ann Christine, it is interesting to see the before and after, I enjoy doing it sometimes. Yeah, batman is definitely part of my style. Would love to do some stuff for movies, lol.
And now that I can see the originals I’m even more in awe with your photography. You truly are the master of mood, they are superb and so recognisable as yours.
Thank you Sofia, it helps that I love doing it and really it is all about experience, just experimenting and trying stuff.
Beautiful before and after transitions, Leanne! I love how you make the transitions from day to night. And Batman could certainly live in the Manchester Unity building!
Thank you Patti, It is a lot of fun trying to work out what I can do to an image. Glad you think Batman would like that building.
Definitely. 😊
😀
Beautiful work!!
Thank you Nora.
Outstanding. I say it as a compliment that you are a master of altered reality and photography art.
Thank you John, that is really nice of you to say.
They are some really incredible transformations Leanne! I guess I don’t have the creative vision to do so, and even if I did have that, the lack of patience would’ve killed the vision 😂! And yes, Batman definitely could have lived in the Unity building 🙂. Really superb work..
Thank you PR. We are all different, and I guess it depends on what you want. Yeah patience is important. Glad you enjoyed it.
Fabulous edits.
Especially so since I live in a Melbourne western suburb and am familiar with some of the buildings.
Like you, I used to be disappointed with some comments, but rarely show before and afters now.
That freeway shot is my favourite. I like the minimalist effect.
Thank you Vicki, yeah, you should recognise at least 3 of the places. It can be heartbreaking when you show the befores and that is all people like.
I love that image of the freeway too.
Loved your response to the challenge Leanne, you really are the master of turning day into night! The first and second examples re really wonderful. In the first you started with a beautiful image and made it much more interesting. In the second I can’t imagine how long it took to take out all of the distractions but you did a great job – and then turned day into night there as well. Terrific. The batman building became very spooky and threatening which I assume was the goal. The NYC image is improved by creating a sunset but for me the sky is a bit over-dramatic – especially considering there is NEVER a clear sky in NYC LOL. Great job on all of these!
Thank you Tina. I try and see what I can do. The sunset is a real sunset, well from here. I wanted to try it and that seemed like a cleanish image to do it. I think the initial colours were good too.
Good on you with the Westgate photo and the Manchester building my favourites
Thank you so much Brian.
Leanne, this is impressive to say the least! I am amazed at how much and well you changed these photos. That is something I have attempted only a couple of times, but not with good results as you did. These images inspire me to try again to see how much I can push the light. Fantastic images!
Thank you Egidio, it is amazing how much you can change. Sounds like you need to try some more.
These are wonderful, Leanne. The one you made minimalist (the freeway and the round thing) is kind of spooky looking in the after shot–but I like it!
Thank you Lois, it is very empty, maybe that is why it seems spooky, cities shouldn’t be like that.
Outstanding before and afters through your lens and post processing, Leanne. Funny how with age there is wisdom, and that includes photography. I liked your use of the sliders and in fact tried to use them myself for this challenge. I couldn’t get the photos to flow like I wanted. Kudos to you for showing how its done. I did love the more enhanced version of the macro, and I was impressed with the bridge photo. The feature was my favorite and I loved both for different reasons and the moods they create. And yes…definitely batman’s house!
Thank you Donna. The sliders was something I’ve been wanting to do for some time, but hadn’t really found a reason for them. I used a plugin called Before and After Slider. I self host my blog so I can use them. That is great to hear which ones you liked Donna.
I really enjoyed the way you provided the slider so I could appreciate the detail in the changes you made. I think all of your edits are really effective and result in successful images. I can only imagine how time consuming it was to remove all of the background distractions from the freeway image but the final image was worth the investment. Your editing abilities are very impressive!
Thank you Laura, it is very time consuming, though I shouldn’t put it that way because I love doing it. It is like a puzzle to solve and I love puzzles. That freeway image was a big one, but I’m so glad I did it, the results were fantastic.
Thanks for sharing this idea Anita
No problem
Leanne, I have been a fan of your style since I discovered your blog some years ago. This is the first time that I’ve seen how you turn day into night and bright into moody. Your edit of that bridge is magnificent. I am always in awe at your architectural images, your opening shot and the Docklands edits are stunning!
That’s great that you get to see the changes, thank you for the challenge to show before and after John. It was a good one. I really do like doing architecture. I am thinking of getting more images.
I’ve always loved your editing and have wondered how you could change a daytime image into a nighttime image. Well done Leanne!
Thank you Anne, it does take a lot of time, but I always love the end results.
hello leanne.
a wonderful selection of photos you have chosen for the challenge, I really like the 1st, 2nd and 3rd ones.
many greetings robert
Thank you Robert. That’s great to hear.