Three images from a 17th century iron works

[DanK]

Made a quick visit to the ironworks in Saugus, Massachusetts, which was completed in 1645. The technology is fascinating, but I was focused on a first attempt to create images from the several buildings, which remain open and stocked with tools. This is a first effort--I'll probably go back and these are fairly quick first edits. C&C welcome as always--that's why I'm posting them.

The third one might be overcooked.

[Geoff F]

Obviously a tricky range of lighting, from bright highlights to deep shadows but this has worked well.

The only slight change which I would make is with the second image where you have a nice rack of old tools and above them are bits of other tool handles. I would slightly crop and clone to remove that confusing distraction (or show all the tools) and the bright area to the right of those tools is not working well. Maybe a crop of the right side would totally remove that area, but you would lose some interesting other bits.

[LenR]

Dan. nice to see you posting images again!
Some interesting shapes and textures. I concur with Geoff and would clone out the tool handles in the second image.

[Round Tuit]

I find that the first two photos are a bit flat and could probably use a slight boost in contrast and some low radius sharpening. There is also a very bright object to the right of the row of hammers in the second picture that requires attention. The third picture looks good to me.

[DanK]

Thanks. Interesting. I thought the third is overcooked, but this suggests the first two are undercooked. I’ll look at all of them more closely on my good monitor when I can get back to it.


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[Chataignier]

Interesting to see an American iron works of this period. My home in Jumilhac was a former Iron Master's residence and most of the haut fourneau remained. The fourneau was built into the side of a steep hill with the bottom near river level to facilitate water power, and the top accessed from a road higher up to enable carts to discharge directly into the top. Like the one in your shot, it was aspirated by a bellows driven from a water wheel, there was a second wheel to power a group of hammers to crush the ore. We have the accounts and records of wages of the workers dating from around 1700 and a bill of sale for the whole site (30 acres) dated 1695.