End of the Day

[veddar2000]

One of the best things in life is growing up with your kids. I have been so involved with my son and daughter from the day they were born.
Baseball was an important part of our lives and one evening at the park, the game was done, the crowds had gone, the dust had settled and there was that "lonely" feeling at the old ball park. You could smell the lingering odor of popcorn in the cool night air and the big ball park lights that once lit the playing field, now seemed to cast eerie shadows that you really didn't notice while the game was going on.
Just before lights out, I ventured back to the dugout on last time, as dads do ya know, and I happen to look out and see the game ball, silently waiting out there on the pitchers mound. To be honest, and I know you're going to call me a wuss, I was so taken by the moment that I just sat down in the dugout for a minute. I was all alone and I couldn't help but appreciate the game and my son and our day together.
I took a picture of that ball and when I see this picture today it brings me back to that dugout and the smells of dirt and popcorn that summer day.
If you read this Little Buddy, I love you very much and I am so very proud of you.

Dirt and Popcorn

The left side shot is the original. It was about 9pm when I took it the last day of May so there was still some light in the air but not much. I was using a friends Canon 20D with a 75-300mm lens. Here is the exif info for the original:
Make - Canon
Model - Canon EOS 20D
Orientation - Top left
XResolution - 72
YResolution - 72
ResolutionUnit - Inch
DateTime - 2007:05:31 21:34:57
YCbCrPositioning - Co-Sited
ExifOffset - 196
ExposureTime - 1/80 seconds
FNumber - 5.60
ExposureProgram - Normal program
ISOSpeedRatings - 800
ExifVersion - 0221
DateTimeOriginal - 2007:05:31 21:34:57
DateTimeDigitized - 2007:05:31 21:34:57
ComponentsConfiguration - YCbCr
ShutterSpeedValue - 1/80 seconds
ApertureValue - F 5.60
ExposureBiasValue - 0.00
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
Flash - Flash not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 300 mm
UserComment -
The right side shot is the PP work. I used Irfanview to edit. I made the following alterations to the original:
Contrast +80
Gamma Correction -.20
Saturation +18
Sharpen X1


Please give me your thoughts and thanks for taking a look.

[gottasnap]

That is beautiful. I am recently a empty nester myself. I would have to frame it.

[Dayton-G]

DOP is sitting somewhere in my mind, but I am to in-experienced to offer any advise beyond my own personal opinion.
However you did an amazing job getting to your PP.
Great work.

[veddar2000]

Ok, I am pretty new too. What do you mean by DOP? I have come up with about a dozen of my own meanings!
Sorry for being so ignorant. Like I said, photography was something I kept to myself for a long time. I am slowly coming out of my shell!