Something I always find amazing about Rhode Island is the rapidity with which one can transition from bustling urban setting to a rural setting more consistent with our 19th or 18th century history. The small villages of Richmond and Carolina demonstrate this transition remarkably well. Driving home from a Nature Conservancy walk to see nesting bluebirds I spotted this peaceful scene along Route 112 and literally right next door to a strip mall with a half dozen shops. The pony - I didn't measure it's height, but I *think* it's a pony - didn't seem to mind either the bustle of the business or the rapid clicks of my shutter. I opted to go black and white with the image to give it that old countryside feel.
Post processing was entirely centered around the black and white conversion. I added a black and white gradient map in color blend mode. I then adjusted the levels for contrast, and then adjusted the brightness/contrast again to improve the overall image contrast. The topmost layer was a sepia filter. One note on the sequence in which I do this conversion, though. After the gradient map, the next thing I do is add the sepia filter. That's going to be my uppermost layer no matter what. All other adjustments are done either between the original and the gradient map (if I need to change the overall gradient) or between the gradient map and the filter if I'm adjusting for contrast. Positioning of the layers does matter. By placing the sepia filter at the start, I can always see what the effect will be on the finished product.
@hasselhotch@allisonrap Thanks, David and Allison. I'm glad the tranquility of the scene came through.
@tabithasyear LOL Tabitha, you should be very frightened. The first caption that came to mind as I was taking the shot was "Horsie". If you start thinking like me, you're in BIG trouble! lol
@tabithasyear LOL Tabitha, you should be very frightened. The first caption that came to mind as I was taking the shot was "Horsie". If you start thinking like me, you're in BIG trouble! lol