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.

[DanK]

Went back to these on a good monitor, and the first and second, particularly the second, clearly did need punching up. I'm printing revisions now to take to a critique group tomorrow night.

It's an interesting choice. In most kinds of photography, I avoid any substantial exaggeration of color or contrast, but in photos of details of old buildings, it's usually necessary to make them interesting.

I did clone out the tool handles and darken the box.

Thanks again for the comments. I'm delighted to see that the site appears to be working again, not flawlessly, but well enough to be usuable. Here's hoping it continues that way.

[Round Tuit]

Went back to these on a good monitor, and the first and second, particularly the second, clearly did need punching up. I'm printing revisions now to take to a critique group tomorrow night.

It's an interesting choice. In most kinds of photography, I avoid any substantial exaggeration of color or contrast, but in photos of details of old buildings, it's usually necessary to make them interesting.

I did clone out the tool handles and darken the box.

Thanks again for the comments. I'm delighted to see that the site appears to be working again, not flawlessly, but well enough to be usuable. Here's hoping it continues that way.

Let us know what your critique group has to say.

[DanK]

Let us know what your critique group has to say.

We'll see if this works. The site is malfunctioning again.

I took the first two to the discussion group. The first got a consistently negative reaction, more than any of the other prints shown that night. The second I had edited again, taking the suggestions posted here (thanks again) and making some additional changes. That got a very positive response, with no one making suggestions and everyone agreeing that I should try to exhibit it.

I'll post the revision below, if the site lets me.

thanks again.

[Round Tuit]

Thanks Dan.
Your revised photo looks good. I suspect that the first one got negative reviews because the subject is more confusing in that it is difficult to understand the purpose of the machinery.

P.S. The site worked great for me now.

[Geoff F]

Maybe a wider shot of the first image would add more meaning to the scene?

This site had become very fast but I was timed out yesterday and although today is working it is only slowly.