Edit Me An Image #16

You have just one day left to post your edits - do not miss your opportunity!

As millions of poor americans have complained about their new president that their clocks are wrong and 20th January is not over, then you all have about ten imperial tons miles pounds gallons hours to post your last, winning images!

Thank you all for your wonderful edits!
No more submissions accepted. Just start voting - you have 24 hours to cast your final votes!

Voting time is over, I'm pleased to announce current contest winner - congratulations to @JMichael for his wonderful vision and processing!

As always in our little contests, there are good and very good entries - but not always there are such images, which you see and say "THIS!". Our winning image is exactly that kind :)

Few comments about contest entries.

@AlanSh
You played quite nicely on colour contrasts - golden statue on the blue background, including green grass and red bushes.
Your first crop was IMO the best - you left enough open space for viewers to become immersed in scene, also bright statue balanced the background church pretty well.

@Fireplace33
You guessed correctly the "early evening feeling" (it was early evening) and emphasised that enough to make it clear for viewers.
Also your crop plus image dynamic change created quite nice composition (what couldn't be said about my original image).

@minniev
You were completely correct about little fog - it was very wet and a bit foggy weather. Your processing greatly increased the somewhat mystical feeling, what is often seen in the presence of fog.
Your second image leads viewers nearer the night, (especially in full-screen) it looks now even more real and peaceful scene.
Your third image (old postcard) is again good example of B&W wonders, combined this time with aged look.
On this image tree branches create balance between image elements (most likely this would not be easily doable in color).
The entire image looks like frozen presentation of place, which just happens to include some objects like statue, church and trees. The place is the subject itself.

@xpatUSA
Spot on colors - as far as I can recall them.
(Maybe a little excessive) sharpening brought background subject (the church) into clear view, almost into foreground; combined with successful crop that made very good overall impression.
Your second image adds some mystic glow over the image, emphasizing the wetness of the air - it was really wet there :)

@in2lapland
Your intensive and different coloring made that image mystical, almost as seen in dream-land.
Emphasised lights near the church door balance the golden statue perfectly and somehow make the church main subject of image - unexpected, but very interesting solution.

@NCV
Very different light and color accentuation, most likely influenced by your architecture images :)
When in2lapland edit made statue as some kind of guardian of the church, then your version makes woman invite viewers into the church, albeit its doors are closed... yet.

@ErikWithaK
Very naturally looking image with good composition and masterful use of trees as image elements.
Also soft rendering reflects perfectly the real mood and soft (and wet) evening light of the scene - same on a B&W version.

@Bryan
Again good use of trees to make entire image composistion balanced, colors appear very close to real ones.
Did I say that the statue was (weakly) lighted by some hidden lamp? Your dynamic processing reveals that fact nicely :)

@TimRichards
A bit more aggressive crop, which makes image consist of two main subjects and almost nothing more (at least in first edit).
Yes, there are sky and trees - but your color choice makes sky (and trees and even the path) organically unite with the church, creating nice contrast between color planes.

@Maoby
There is always room for black and white versions - because B&W makes very different aspects of image pop up (compared to color renderings).
You created interesting lighting, where (virtual) moon shines its light on statue and (real) lamps on background hint on some maybe not so good powers, locked behind the almost invisible closed doors.
On your color version impression is entirely different, no evil powers lurking - just peaceful moonlight over pretty statue.

@Vahur
You wandered into almost total darkness territory - one need to look into it some time for eyes to become adapted to darkness.
After that different details start to appear, imagination will add missing ones into the darkness and it is only in the mind of the viewer, what he or she can see there...

@JMichael
Well, your edit is not easy to comment, it is simpler to just like it :) You managed to fix most of my composition, framing and viewpoint problems just by editing...
On the second, winning image you also created perfect dynamics between foreground statue and background scene - what more one can ask?

Arvo, thank you for your comments and for providing an interesting photo to mess around with.

I'm looking forward to the next one.

Alan

I hope you will become regular :) At least you have to start new competition - we will wait for a few more days, but not very long.

If anyone here has means to contact JMichael, please do so! PM seems not to work.

We seem have stalled. I give JMichael one day to start next round; if he can't, then we need ask our second place to take over.
This poses a little problem - we have three edits with same score and it is up to me to decide, who will be next then. Let's wait :)

We shouldn't stall too long - I love this idea.

Alan