General Discussions

**ForrestCroce** · 10-29-2007, 02:32 AM

I was born in Denver, and while I've spent most of my life near one of the oceans, I go back to visit Colorado more than most places. Back in 2000, I lived there for two months, and spent half the week exploring the mountains. This was December and January, so it was stark, but not ideal for traveling. I wound up on the same road in May of 2003, with a new destination.

Both times I pulled over at the same curve in the road to snap a picture. The first time I really didn't know anything about photography, just that the Rockies are incredible and I should try to show my friends back home why. I snapped the first image with a cardboard disposable 35 mm. Three and a half years later, I had learned a little bit about photog ... what a drastic difference!

I didn't set out to make an A/B comparison, although I recognized the spot once I set the tripod up. Hopefully this isn't a "you had to be there" moment.

I had lost the first image for years, just found it a few days ago. A friend of mine told me he assumed the place always looked like the second photo.

**fastreplies** · 10-29-2007, 02:51 AM

You should ask: which one was taken by disposable 35mm camera,
then it would make us sweat for a while

fastreplies

**ForrestCroce** · 10-29-2007, 04:46 PM

Five years ago, when digital was still just a fad, that would have been a really interesting poll....

**ADAM Web Design** · 10-29-2007, 04:49 PM

The problem that I have with this comparison is that your 2003 pics look better than my 2007 pics.

The question that comes to mind is: how much, if any, Photoshopping (besides the copyright) went into each pic?

**ForrestCroce** · 10-29-2007, 10:33 PM

As much made sense for each of them ... which sounds like a non answer, but it's fair under the gigo rule. The second image probably got a few hours isolating different parts of the image to adjust their contrast, saturation, and color balance individually. But not adding anything that wasn't there, just bringing out the best qualities ... the sky in the first shot might have three or four distinct hues, nothing to draw out to show contrast. If that sounds unfair, a good lab will do all of the same things developing a negative ... Ansel Adams took a decade to get one of his ready for print.

**joder** · 10-29-2007, 10:37 PM

Great shot! Where in Colorado were these pictures taken? I lived for a short time in Loveland.

**ForrestCroce** · 10-29-2007, 11:04 PM

It might be 250 miles or so southwest? I'm assuming you mean Loveland on 25, and not the Loveland Pass by Empire, if you take the back route to Rocky Mountain? This was somewhere near South Park; the first one I was on the way to Leadville, and the second to Buena Vista and then Ouray. I posted a gmap here.

For Adam, here's a better idea what Photoshop went into the second shot.

**bzimage** · 10-30-2007, 11:07 AM

Such beautiful shots! Great job!

**CSS4Life** · 10-30-2007, 06:40 PM

Very interesting. Sadly my images usually look fairly amateurish whether taken by a digital camera or a disposable film camera. My editing skills are relatively poor too!

Nice photos though. A truly beautiful place

**seolman** · 10-30-2007, 07:32 PM

You really got some Big Sky in the second shot. Very nice.

**ForrestCroce** · 10-31-2007, 01:03 AM

Honestly, the sky deserves more credit than I do ... but thanks!

**a2hosting** · 11-01-2007, 04:26 PM

Wow what a difference! Very cool.