Practicing Making Something Out Of Nothing

Nikon D300; 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens @ 24mm; 1/500th sec. @ f/16; ISO 200 (click to enlarge)
This is the unedited raw file.  Don't ask why the camera was set at f/16.  I think I just pointed the
camera at the window, didn't pay attention to the settings and made some exposures. 

While I continue to wait for my hand to heal so I can resume my photography, I thought this time provided a good opportunity to jump into my archives, as I sometimes like to do, and practice editing some of my 'throw-a-way' photographs.  'Throw-a-way' photographs are those files that lack the aesthetic or technical quality for general use or sharing, but for whatever reason I didn’t delete.  Most likely I keep them around hoping for future software improvements that will allow me to work magic on them.  This exercise I call 'making something out of nothing.'  I enjoy the challenge and it makes for good practice.

Back in 2008, I rode Amtrak trains for three days from San Diego all the way to my home in SE Virginia.  I’ve taken trains all over the U.S. and love traveling by train.  For that trip I only took one camera and one lens to keep my bags as few and as lightweight as possible.  This image was made on the first leg of my journey, between San Diego and Los Angeles.

I was sitting facing backwards and enjoying the ride.  Numerous interesting compositions came  into view then quickly disappeared as we were traveling at about 80mph (130kph).  Much of this route is directly adjacent to the Pacific Ocean.  At this point, I was admiring the setting sun over the ocean and the way the backlit beach revealed much detail and texture in the sand.  

I don't know why or how I decided to configure my camera as it was set, but nonetheless, I made a number of exposures through the really dirty, smeared, thick, green tinted window next to my seat.  Shooting through that window was like stacking a couple of dirty, smeared, green tinted soft focus filters over your camera lens.  I'm not sure why I even made any exposures.  But I did.  Why not?  It was a nice view.

The other day I was looking through my Lightroom catalog and trying to identify some images that were 'throw-a-ways' but maybe with judicious editing in our modern software tools, could be made to be usable.  Notice I didn't say good, excellent or great.  Usable is what I was after.  Good enough for social media, etc., potentially.

The image below is the result of my practice.  I am quite pleased with it as it turned out a bit better than I anticipated.  The hardest part of 'fixing' the image was the visible smears on the glass all over the sky around the sun.  

Back then I was using a 12mp Nikon D300 APS-C camera introduced in 2007 with a so-called consumer 'super zoom' lens shot at f/16 and terribly underexposed.  All of these things worked against making a technically good image.  I know, "What was I thinking?"  Lol

This was edited completely in Lightroom Classic. (click to enlarge)

I enjoy the challenge of trying to 'fix' images that need fixing.  I find if I don't practice using Photoshop and Lightroom regularly, my skills quickly start to deteriorate and pulling out failed images is a good way for me to practice.

Hopefully, my hand will soon allow me to hold a camera and lens and I can get back out there and make new images.  In the mean time, I think I will achieve some of my photographic satisfaction by trying to rescue old, hopeless images.

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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