This is a departure for me…having a go at digitally ‘messing around’ with someone else’s image, not something I would ever consider without the owner’s permission.
Yesterday over at her blog, A New Day, Pat posted a couple of images of a dilapidated old barn, definitely seen better days, completely up my street. Ever since I was a child, I have been captivated by ruins and dilapidation, something that they almost seem to ‘give off’ – an aura? A sense of history? Lives lived? Whatever, there is beauty in decay.
Anyway, in admiring one of these images, I happened to say if it were me, I would crop it, play around with it, make it mysterious…what a cheek! But Pat took it all in her stride, and suggested I do just that with her image!
So here is a dramatic colour version, and a black and white. See Pat’s original over at her blog for comparison.
Of course, I’ve laid on the drama, playing around in Snapseed and Photogene on my iPad, and it could be overkill…do have your say!
I did do a less dark and gloomy monochrome image, but went for this vignetted one in the end:
I like the colour image best myself, need to play about in monochrome a bit more to get the right effect…I’m waiting with baited breath to see what Pat thinks of my attempts.
WordsVisual 
I really like the monochrome. You were right, it gives it an eerie look. The white trim on the edge gives it enough definition so it doesn’t get lost in the trees, but it looks like something you would stumble upon on a foggy night with all its ghosts and spirits lurking about. The colored one impacted me but I’m not able to define the emotions yet. Maybe anger – at being neglected? This is great fun. I love it that we can post-process to make photos communicate special messages.
I agree re- communicating messages. When I take photography seriously, I try to create a mood, convey an emotion. But all too often, I’m just snapping, I feel.
Lots of time I just want to record an event or a time or where I have been – and that is useful. The fun photography is when I am trying to convey the beauty I am seeing. And beauty elicited a wide range of emotion in me.
And that’s why we photograph! In the hope of eliciting emotion in ourselves, and others… 🙂
I vote for the color one too. Nice transformation!!
Thanks, glad you like it! 🙂