This week, Egidio has encouraged us to showcase some of our rejected alongside our edited images to highlight the contrasts. I’ve encountered photographers who view editing as “cheating,” believing it undermines the integrity of the moment captured. Nevertheless, I regard editing as an equally vital skill as the art of photographing a subject or scene. It empowers us to emphasize particular features, enhance colors, and evoke emotions that may not be as prominent in the unedited image. Ultimately, the final image should represent not just what was observed but also the artist’s unique vision and perspective. By embracing both photography and editing, we can elevate our creations and convey more impactful stories through our visuals.
These are all from my visit to Hvitträsk and its surroundings some year ago except the last one. That was a so bad I did not pay any attention to it at all at the time, I just remember being very disappointed in it. I should have binned it, but luckily now with my approved editing skills I was able to do something with it.
The original image was flat and boring, and I never got around to publishing it, even though the picture has many layers and good elements. Perhaps I didn’t initially realize to crop it enough; for some reason, I wanted the trunk of the pine tree in the image even though it didn’t really fit there. The sky had remained flat and nothing really stood out.
I was drawn to this blurry image; there was something about it that appealed to me, so I decided to rework it in the hope that it would present better with a slight adjustment of contrast and colors. The top of the image was slightly overexposed and clearly out of focus. I am not entirely satisfied with the edit as the colors changed too much from the original—primarily because I try to keep the image as natural as possible.
A dimly lit dining room with a long wooden table covered in a white tablecloth, adorned with orange fabric. Red upholstered leather benches line the walls, and a decorative chandelier hangs from the ceiling. In the image above, there is a lot of good, but the picture was left languishing in the archives a bit subdued, and I couldn’t find its purpose; now I decided to boldly edit it in a more cinematic direction. I spent some time battling against making it too colorful, so the third edit is the final result 👇, where I wanted to bring the fabric on the table into focus with light.
In this last image pair, I wanted to highlight the minimalism of the previous challenge and the black-and-white image as it is a style I really enjoy. I sought to create an atmosphere in the picture and wanted to draw attention to the window and the light coming from it and how it came to the room, and eliminating most of the furniture.
In this picture, I managed to save an image that was clearly overexposed and additionally had completely off coloring. I didn’t know what I had adjusted back then, but for some reason, this remained in the archives. I couldn’t edit this photo to color, but the black and white turned out rather well.
I would like to extend my gratitude to Egidio for encouraging us to present some of the effort that goes into crafting an image we are proud to share. Don’t forget to check out his original post here, and remember to use the Lens-Artist Tag in your response so we can find you post.
I am grateful to all who took part in last week’s B&W / Minimalism challenge; it highlighted the remarkable power of simplicity when done effectively. I was taken aback by the amount of interest it created and glad to find out that there are so many interested in this style of photography, which emphasizes the beauty of minimalism and the striking impact of black and white imagery. This challenge inspired participants to explore their creativity among those who share a passion for this art form. I loved seeing all your contributions, as each one told a unique story and showcased different perspectives, proving that less truly can be more in the world of visual storytelling.
Lastly, we invite you to join us next week for a challenge Tina will be hosting on Travels and Trifles. In the meantime, smile and try to stay positive
We are Lens-Artists: Tina , Patti , Ann-Christine, John, Sofia , Anne , Egidio, Beth , and me Ritva,
To learn more about the Lens-Artists Challenge, click here.
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 
Beautiful collection – really love the nature images and the last ice ones, the transformation to black and white is incredible!
Awesome editing Ritva. And thanks for your explanations of why and how for each.
Wonderful job of editing
Editing is the empowerment of our creative vision. Sometimes, when we create these new edits, we have to be bold. For example, I loved the cinematic edit you did for the dining room. Also, the transformation in your last photo is priceless.
Good examples of how to crop, light and monochrome photos.
Ritva, great examples, and I concur on editing being another part of the photographic product. Looking back at your challenge last week, I even have some carry-overs in monochrome and minimalism that I didn’t use last week.
The slide format works really well for this challenge, Ritva. Small miracles can be achieved, after all xx
These are all cool edits, they all work. I agree with you that editing is as important as taking the initial image. People were working in darkrooms doing exactly what we’re doing with software for as long as anyone has been taking pictures (well nearly). I use a colour calibrated monitor because I had too when I was shooting weddings and being paid for that service. I’d say that investment is as important as a decent camera.
Ritva, your edited images are amazing. Thanks for taking us through your editing process for each one. The final edit of the dining room table is my favorite.
Well done Ritva. Editing and cropping make such a difference. I especially like the mossy rock close-up.
Wonderful images. I loved the way you juxtaposed your photos.
I really like the window room!