NOW WHICH ONE?

Which rendering of this photo looks best to your eye?
I edited (tweaked) one photo in three different programs.
iPhoto, Aperture and Nikon NX (that's not the order that they're in.)
I also included the original untouched photo.
Each program can do certain things. I was just curious what different eyes would see. Use your left cursor button to blow each picture up before you decide. Try not to peak below the photos to see which photo belongs to which program. So, which picture looks like "THE ONE" to you?

This is the order of the photos and the editing program, as they appear above.

#1 = Aperture
#2 = Nikon NX
#3 = Original untouched photo
#4 = iPhoto

What did this prove?

Just that most photos could use a little tweaking and that no one editing program does everything.

I found that Aperture does the best job of globally adjusting the highlights and shadows. As Monica pointed out, it did a great job on the clouds in the sky. But, it also adjusted the highlights in the entire picture.

Nikon NX does the best on particular trouble spots, like the flag pole with the eagle on top. It's also almost addictive to use, especially its "u point"(?) technology. Just lay a dot on a particular thing or color with your mouse, adjust the size of the circle and make changes that only affect that color or shade within your circle. Pretty cool.

iPhoto is the most convenient edit program to use, especially if that's how you've imported your photos into the computer. It's results are very good. But when you use the other programs, you realize you could have gone further.

Well, that was fun! Now to figure a way to take the photo directly from iPhoto into either of the other edit programs. So far, I've had to export the photo onto my desktop and then open the photo from there with the other edit program. Aperture gives you an option to choose another program as an external editor, making the process easier.

Later.

Leigh.

PRICKLY FULL MOON

100 DEGREES PLUS, TODAY.
HOT NIGHT.
PRICKLY FULL MOON

HOW DO THE ANIMALS NEGOTIATE SUCH A PRICKLY ENVIRONMENT AT NIGHT?

WENT TO A DIAMONDBACK'S GAME AND A JOHN McCAIN SIGHTING BROKE OUT!

YEP, RIGHT THERE FOR ME TO PHOTOGRAPH, JOHN McCAIN, IN THE FLESH. IT'S AMAZING, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT TURN OUT FOR ME AND MONICA. HIS WIFE IS TWO SEATS TO HIS LEFT (USE YOUR LEFT CURSOR BUTTON IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME.)

SO ANYWAY, MONICA AND I WENT TO PHOENIX TO DROP STEVE OFF AT THE AIRPORT (HE WAS NICE ENOUGH TO MAKE HIS HOMEWARD BOUND FLIGHT RESERVATIONS FROM PHOENIX) AND THEN WE WENT TO CHASE FIELD TO WATCH THE METS PLAY THE DIAMONBACKS. LUCKY US. WE GOT TO SEE SANTANA PITCH. AND HE DIDN'T DISAPPOINT!

NEITHER DID DAVID WRIGHT! HE'S JUST AN ALL AROUND EXCELLENT BALL PLAYER.

HERE'S DAVID SWINGING AND AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, HE HIT A HOME RUN ON THIS PITCH. HOW LUCKY CAN I GET WITH MY PHOTO KARMA?

AND HERE ARE THE FANS FIGHTING FOR THE BALL IN THE LEFT FIELD STANDS. THE GUY WITH THE WHITE SHIRT SEEMS TO HAVE A BEAD ON IT. BUT HE'S NOT THE PERSON WHO ENDED UP WITH THE BALL. IT'S THE PERSON OVER HIS LEFT SHOULDER IN A RED SHIRT WHO CAUGHT THE BALL ON THE RICOCHET. TRY YOUR LEFT CURSOR AGAIN FOR A BETTER LOOK.

EVEN WHEN THE DIAMONDBACKS BENT THE RULES A LITTLE AND TRIED FIELDING 13 PLAYERS, THEY COULDN'T BEAT THE METS.
WHAT'S THAT YOUR SAYING? THOSE EXTRA RED SHIRTS AREN'T BALL PLAYERS? THEY'RE GROUNDS CREW?.....OH......COULD'A SWORN ONE OF THEM GUYS CAME TO BAT.

DEARLY DEPARTED, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN BY THE FAITHFUL.

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA WHERE WE WERE SEATED.
VERY, VERY HIGH UP. THIRD DECK. IT'S NOT A REALLY GOOD PLACE TO TAKE PICTURES FROM. TRUTH IS THOUGH, WE ENJOYED THE LOCATION VERY MUCH. I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A REALLY BAD SEAT IN THIS STADIUM. WELL, MAYBE IN THE MANAGER'S DOG HOUSE.

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, IT'S BIKER MADNESS IN TUCSON!!! MAKE WAY FOR "TUCSON THUNDER."

ONCE A YEAR IN TUCSON COMES AN EVENT CALLED "TUCSON THUNDER." THAT'S WHEN BIKER BOB AND BARB (IF THOSE FOLKS FOUND OUT I CALLED THEM THAT, THEY'D FIND MY HOUSE AND FIRE BOMB IT) TAKE OVER DOWNTOWN WITH THEIR HARLEY DAVIDSONS AND HAVE A BLAST. AND SO DID WE.

JUST TO PROVE THEY WERE REALLY HERE IN TUCSON, I INCLUDED THIS SHOT SHOWING THE RIALTO THEATER IN THE BACKGROUND.

AND TALK ABOUT NUTS (NO, NOT THE HUMAN KIND) THE AROMA FROM THE ROASTING PEANUTS WAS OVERWHELMING. ESPECIALLY THE CINAMOM FLAVORING. WOW, THAT SMELLED GOOD.

HEY, LOOK WHO CAME ALONG.
STEPHEN!
STEVE CAME IN FOR A VISIT AND TOOK IN TUCSON THUNDER, AS WELL AS A TWENTY SOMETHING MILE BIKE RIDE. STEVE HAD HIS BEAUTIFUL TITANIUM FRAMED BIANCHI CYCLE SHIPPED IN FOR THE OCCASION. IT LOOKS LIKE HE HAD A GREAT TIME. I KNOW THAT MONICA CERTAINLY LOVED HAVING HIM HERE. ME TOO.

WHOA! LOOK AT THIS. MONICA AND ME, IN MY FANCY NEW FEDORA. I GOTTA PUT SOMETHING OVER MY CHAPEAU, CAUSE OTHER WISE IT'S GONNA TURN BRIGHT RED! MONICA IS LOOKING GOOD. AND SHE'S STARTING TO REGAIN HER STRENGTH AFTER THE OPERATION. EASY DOES IT.

AFTER A NICE LUNCH AT CAFE ROMA AND A STROLL AROUND ROLLING THUNDER, WE STOPPED OFF AT BEAUTIFUL ST. AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH. THIS IS THE FRONT VIEW OF THE JUST REPAINTED CHURCH.

AND THIS IS ANOTHER VIEW OF THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH. JUST A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. HONEST.

I THOUGHT THIS WAS A FITTING WAY TO END THE TUCSON THUNDER POST, GIVEN THE SUBJECT MATTER. YOU MAY NEED TO LEFT CLICK THE PHOTO TO SEE WHY. AND BELIEVE ME, THAT'S NOT ALL THAT WAS THERE BEFORE I WAS (STRONGLY) ADVISED TO EXERCISE A LITTLE CENSORSHIP.
HAVE FUN YOU BIKER BOB AND BARBS! THE CONGRESS HOTEL AND BAR AWAIT YOU ONLY A FEW DOORS AWAY.