 of P1130557.JPG)
Hi Rob…
You're right… I'm certain these trucks get more attention now than they ever used to… although I think it's arguably not the attention these vehicles desperately need! Nothing beats seeing something like this being restored to former glory again.
The photo you've sent in is in essence fine. You've made an interesting composition which captures the key elements (the old badge, the radiator and the shapes of the window) that give most of us a reasonable idea of how old this truck really is.
Now with an image like this the trick is not so much about managing the composition, but in managing the tones. As I look at the photo I dawdle past the name badge for a moment and carry on looking about, but then it all gets rather boring.
Now one thing which can hold our attention in a photograph is contrast and texture; just by adding more local area contrast it's possible to draw out some more of the textures in the photograph and make the photo more engaging.
In the examples below I have given you two options… one is to convert the image to black and white and then locally increase the contrast about the logo and grille. In this option I have actually used Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro and I've used the 'Structure' option to increase local contrast and sharpness. This tool can add real zing to otherwise flat, boring areas of a picture.
The second option I've applied here is actually another Nik Software application called HDR Efex Pro. Most HDR programs are good at managing the overall contrast of an image, but they also revealing detail that might otherwise go unnoticed. In all, both options work well with this photograph.
As I mentioned at the start though, there isn't a lot happening with this photo the way it is. Everything you apply to it is simply turning up the volume control!
Cheers for now, Anthony
Image Doctor's Black and White version
Image Doctor's HDR version
