Camera settings: focal length 35mm, 1/250sec, f/9, ISO2000.
I saw this sign a friend had made for his firewood business, and thought it would make an interesting image. It was under a dark verandah, so I increased ISO. I felt any increase in noise would add character, allowing me to maintain sharpness across the image with the other settings.
In Photoshop, I tidied - especially the shelf and its shadow in the lower RH corner. I used adjustment layers to selectively lighten, darken and increase contrast. I then decided to give it a bit more of an 'old' look, and added an image of rusty metal as a texture. I converted the texture to black and white, then used the color burn blend mode.
The only other thing I did was to give it a slight crop.
4 comments posted
Denise McKay
This is very interesting environmental image. It is not a sight that someone sees everyday. I like the effects of your post processing. It's subtle, but does add a little more age or grit to the photo.
The area you edited on the right bottom now has turned black, which seems out of place. Did the remove tool in photoshop not work well, or did the blend mode do something to that area?
I like this image, and that you saw the potential in this scene.
Posted: 07/06/2026 23:46:19
Jan Handman
You have a good eye for the unusual Mary. I very much like your edits; you gave it a much more interesting and edgy vibe. The jar of parts, or whatever, in the lower left needs to be cloned out though, as it's pretty distracting. Upon studying the image, I realized the signs are hanging from chains, which is cool. Nicely seen and processed. Posted: 07/12/2026 21:34:44
Rita Johnston
Mary, interesting find. Like the colors against the gray. I agree with the other cloning out suggestions to just clean it up a little. Posted: 07/18/2026 01:58:55
Carol Watson
A great sign and well worth photographing. Your treatment has given the image more impact. Like the others I think the distraction bottom left and the black area bottom right need removing. Posted: 07/19/2026 08:22:54
