Thank you Prieni for the excellent judging and congrats to Galoot and all for entering this challenging task this week.

You ask for details of my creation, well asking for my naked RAW file is like asking me to go outside the door with no lippy on
But seeing as you were kind enough to award me second place here you are
the wonders of RAW still never cease to amaze me

No Corel Painter involved I know not of it I’m afraid.

I still have not mastered the technique of setting the menu to record the History editing of ones images for future reference, so this is really from memory, perhaps someone can tell me how you do that.


BEFORE: Naked RAW file






I took it at 1/60s @ f/11 100 ISO with the kit lens 18-55DA

Converted RAW file in PS CS2
• Colour Temp was 7150 cooled if off at 6500 ish
• Adjusted shadows

1. Cropped it down
2. Levels Adjustment, mid and dark tones
3. Photo Filter selected 25% Green
4. Hue/Saturation adjustment Hue =14 Sat=7 (to get a more vibrant green)
5. Exposure adjustment +1

Now this is the arty bit and I try to visualise what I want to see that will bring it alive to me

6. Burn Tool – for the edges to bring eye in and hot areas
7. Dodge Tool – swept across the weed and left bit of rock adjacent to raise it
8. Healing Brush Tool to clone out a few annoying distracting rock marks and hot bits
9. Sharpened with USM 75% ish & Radius 0.7


AFTER 20 mins work:





There you have it, hope it helps those that are interested.
cheers, Lilly

Thought I would share with you some I took on our walk last weekend on the Trelowarren Estate which is on The Lizard where I reside (The Lizard, not the Estate !) - all taken with the good old 18-55 kit lens, apart from No.2 which was with the super lush 50mm 1.4 !

Indeed Ken! The majority of my mono submissions have been on film too, including the one for 'solitude', bad monowork IMHO is usually a result of failing to spend time and effort on the image in the computer darkroom dodging, burning, toning after being converted as one would do in a conventional darkroom.

It would be an interesting experiment perhaps to conduct a test as to whether anyone can distinguish between a scanned mono film image and a mono digital image?

DRAB MONO !!! How very dare you Lenscape

Thank u, I took it in the city of Ulanbaator, Mongolia with my Z1, it was a very empty and quiet place with amazing architecture.

Well done Prieni, I loved Zach's shot too, very strong - but I am a 'drab' mono fan but heh, 2 out of three for mono ain't bad , thanks Daniel...

Know what ya mean Liam!
Reckon you cd sell that image Brian, big time

Very nice, I agree, nice to see some imaginative cropping and I love no 2, very sexy