Post processing to match content and save an image?

After playing with the tractor image for bwichmawr it got me thinking about being a bit more heavy handed with my post processing and whether or not I could turn some average images into betters ones. So I thought I would go back throu my library and try some different methods or styles that matched (in my opinion) the subject and or content of the photo.

For instance in the first shot (of my son) he had a kind of day dreaming far away look so I thought the hazy soft like Orten effect would suit the image.

In the second image (a self portrait, which was waaaaaaay harder than I thought) I wanted a high key image that emulated the grainy effect of a fast B&W film because I was playing with an old camera from a time when B&W use was prolific and which was mainly black along with the fact its shot against white tiles.

and in the final shot, the subject (my boy again) is wearing retro style sunglasses and faded demin and an old t-shirt. So I thought the cross processing style that I seam to remember was popular in 80's fasion shoots would work well.

1) The Orton Effect
[IMG]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb113/pnjmcc/IMGP7210copy.jpg[/IMG]

2) Hi Key
[IMG]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb113/pnjmcc/IMGP6979copy.jpg[/IMG]

3) Cross processing
[IMG]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb113/pnjmcc/17022010018crossprocessed2.jpg[/IMG]

So Have I hit the mark?
Do any of these work for anyone else?

or is it simply down to they are bad pictures from the start and you cant make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

C&Cs please

Regards
PaulM

I like all three. Though how 'bad' were they in the first place?! It would be interesting to see the originals.

I have felt the same way in the past - that I am too timid in my PP but I am not sure what effect I would want to achieve so without an idea in my head I'd just be fishing which doesn't seem right. The above are effective, well the last two are - not totally convinced by the first.

Mike

My PP normally is just Crop, clone, curves.

With the first Shot I was shooting to try and make some thing out of the reflections in the table and then the next day I stumbled accros the effect and in my mind it just fitted the look in of the picture (I did three of the images from the series)

The second one was staged with the intent to recreate the effect of some previous pictures I had taken in fuji neopan 1600 black and white film which I loved so I did have the effect in mind

the third was one of those "ah-ha" moments, like I mentioned, I was googling post processing styles and I saw a few cross processing examples and thought it looked very 80s retro, the about 2 days later I took the snap of my boy with the sunglasses on and thought that would look good cross processed.

So yes I did have the idea in my head but not until I had seen the effects so it was both knowing what I wanted to achieve and PP or liking the effect and then chosing the image to apply it too.

Regards
PaulM

Good point Dr Mhuni,

The originals are below
1) before applying the Orton effect
[IMG]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb113/pnjmcc/original-for-web.jpg[/IMG]
2) before the hi key effect
[IMG]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb113/pnjmcc/self-portrait-original-for-web.jpg[/IMG]
3) before cross processing effect
[IMG]http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb113/pnjmcc/thumb_17022010017copy.jpg[/IMG]

Regards
PaulM

Originally I would have said the third one is great, but having seen the originals the third one was already great! In terms of which PP most improved the image I'd say number one.