I think it got resized on upload. When I click the "view full size image" I only get an image slightly larger thant what is on the main photo page. I'll play with it and post my result for you later.
Steps in notes. Worth mentioning that simply using "autolevel" on the original produces a usable image. A good place to start from. In general, the first thing I do with an image in PS is autolevel it and see what it looks like; maybe a third of the time I like it enough to use as a starting point, the rest of the time it gives me ideas for which direction I want to go in, and I just ndo the step and start my processing with that info in mind.
Cropped to an 8x10 aspect ratio (cuts out a lot of negative space at the top)
Unsharp mask at 100/1/0
Levels, pulling in the black end white ends.
Curves, boosting highlights and deepening shadows.
Brightness/Contrast: Boosted contrast, reduced brightness.
Gradient map: black and white, then change layer to Overlay mode with roughly 50% fill
Flatten.
Duplicate layer, gaussian blur 5.5, reduce fill until the headstone looks "right" (sharp, but kinda dreamy)
Flatten again.
Duplicate layer, gaussian blur 5.5
Layer mask, hide all, then paint at 10% opacity over the tree branches and lower corners to bring back some blur and direct the viewers focus onto the headstone. Do not paint over the headstone - you want it to keep its current sharpness.
Flatten again.
New Layer (NOT a duplicate layer)
Using the box tool, set the feathering to 60% and select the entire picture. From the top menu, Select Inverse.
Paint fill with black.
Change the layer to Overlay mode.
Flatten.
That's about the gist of it.
Edited to add: I think the dreamy, foggy quality is worth preserving. It contributes to the mood. Nothing in fog is going to come across as oversaturated. Granted, it may not play so well on DPC with its predilection for bright colors and tack sharp images, but I'm not really in to pandering to DPC's tastes to the detriment of my own gut instincts.
Auto levels, curves to boost contrast, boosted red about 20, green about 15, and yellow about 5, boosted saturation, created a black and white layer (green filter) and soft light blended it. I then created a layer mask over the black and white and put a circular gradient around the tomb stone! Sharpen with USM and save for web.
I think the dreamy, foggy quality is worth preserving. It contributes to the mood. Nothing in fog is going to come across as oversaturated. Granted, it may not play so well on DPC with its predilection for bright colors and tack sharp images, but I'm not really in to pandering to DPC's tastes to the detriment of my own gut instincts.
Agree on that, especially for this pic, though I felt what she wanted in this case was to learn how to cut through the haze. So that's what I did. I think a foggy b/w sets the mood well, too.
oh!! well done!! I completely forgot that I saw him in the graveyard! I'm also very surprised that he was so faint in my picture--you can barely see him, yet you brought him out so well in your version!
