Old Costal Shack

[oceanillusion42]

There is an old shack on the way over to Long Beach Island NJ that I grew up with. Over the years I've watched the shack become more and more decrepit, and it somehow remains something of a focal point for the local culture of the area. I wanted to capture an image of the shack, but something different than the plain old pictures that people have taken so many times before. I wanted to make the photo as rustic and worn down as the shack itself.

Did I overdo the post processing? Any tips, as I'm new to the photography/processing world, would be appreciated!



EXIF
Camera Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS
Exposure 0.003 sec (1/320)
Aperture f/4.0
Focal Length 119 mm
ISO Speed 100
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

[Sterling]

Did I overdo the post processing?

I'd say yes. The subject of the photo almost seems like an afterthought to displaying the post processing. In the photo the shack itself is too dark and too obscured to be readily identifiable. Your familiarity with the subject probably allows you to fill in the blanks but to a viewer that has never seen it before it's hard to tell what it is.

[chicagojohn]

Originally Posted by oceanillusion42

There is an old shack...Did I overdo the post processing?

I agree with the previous comment in that I think a lot of detail is lost in the dynamic range; i.e., if you had used a lower luminance in the background to allow more detail to emerge from the subject image, I think it would have had a better result. Check your histogram on this image and see if you don't have it piled up against the left side.

The concept seems to me to be worth pursuing, and since this building will likely be in place for at least a short time to come, you can experiment with new versions that allow the viewer to perceive more detail within the subject.