So many tools . . .

Town Hall, Burnsville, NC  -  2012

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

There are so many tools available to the digital photographer that sometimes they become a hindrance rather than a help. Sorting through filters and effects can eat up so much time on the computer, even if you have a general idea of what you're looking for.

With this photo I thought I wanted an infrared look, sort of. I played around with dozens of filters without finding exactly what I was looking for. The temptation is to keep trying, combining effects, and all the while thinking, "The next one will be what I'm looking for". Meanwhile, the clock continues to spin. Enormous blocks of time can get eaten up this way; while fun, it's often not very productive.

I finally ended up with this version. I'm still not sure if it is really what I wanted when I started, or if the pestering thoughts of "other things I should be doing" forced my hand to stop. Maybe I should go back and try the . . .