[Grimmus]

Welcome to this week's Post Processing Challenge #450.
Many thanks to @rpjallan for hosting last week's challenge.

From one iconic Ozstraylian image of the diminishing Apostles to another of a couple of iconic Sydney harbour landmarks.
Have fun!
Runs through to about 6 am (Australian eastern summer time) on Monday the 6th of February, 2023.

The file can be downloaded here: File sharing and storage made simple

For the next host:
The mediafire website is: mediafire.com
The login name is: ppchallenge@tmphillips.com
The password is: postprocessing

[noelcmn]

[Waffles]

Here's a go

[mariwalt]

Great photo. Thanks.

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[Kerrowdown]

Rains coming...

[jheu02]

Here's my crude attemp.

After the nuclear accident....

[Pelto]

Long time since my last try, but here is one.

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[tuggie76]

That's a toughy!

[xs400]

Here's mine

[Grimmus]

Still a couple of days to go! Keep them coming.

Some fun facts on these 2 icons:

• The Sydney Harbour Bridge (also known as the coathanger) was opened in 1932. 16 workers died during construction but only 2 from falls. This probably should have been 3 but somehow, Vincent Kelly survived a fall of 55 metres (18 storeys) into the harbour. The official opening was disrupted when a horseman, dressed in cavalry uniform, rode up and slashed the official ribbon in a political protest. The ribbon was hastily retied and officially snipped. The bridge was paid off in 1988, the toll for using the bridge is still applied of course, and painting occurs continuously. One of Australia's most famous celebrity exports Paul Hogan, was a rigger on the bridge before hitting the big time.
• The Sydney Opera House, now a World Heritage listed icon, was a financial disaster during construction. Architect Jan Utzon won a design competition in the 1950's and the original estimate of around $10M and 4 years blew out to around $110M (1970's $AUD) and 14 years by the time it opened in 1973. Jan became something of a scapegoat and eventually resigned under enormous pressure halfway through the build, IIRC before all design details had been finalised. The accoustics have always been problematic and in recent times, a major refurbishment has seen another $300M (current $AUD) put in to improvements and upgrades including large acoustic reflectors and diffusers hanging in the concert hall.

[rpjallan]

Well done Grimmus.

My dad was born the year the Harbour Bridge opened. It was 90 years old last year. One of the celebrations involved running a famous steam loco, 3801, over it. The Opera House is 50 years old this year. I remember well when it was being built and I remember it being opened by the Queen. My dad used to work in one of the buildings on Bennelong Point. I remember there was a quite famous photo of a female opera singer wearing a hard hat testing out the acoustics when it was being built.

Anyway, here's my attempt:

[Grimmus]

My dad was born the year the Harbour Bridge opened. It was 90 years old last year. One of the celebrations involved running a famous steam loco, 3801, over it.

There was something about them parking several trains on the bridge before it was opened to prove to the public it was safe.

Well, enough trivia, time to bring PP#451 to a close. Thanks to all who contributed, a good selection of entries. Obviously a blue sky morning and I think we all agree as photographers that these sorts of days don't really light the "get out of bed and take photographs" flame which was taken care of with sky replacements in some entries. I've struggled with the fisheye lens, mostly blowing out skys due to the massive field of view, and this photo is no exception - it's meant to be a challenge . Also interesting to see a few nipping the flags of the top of the bridge, a slightly treasonous treatment (that's the Australian and the Aboriginal flag up there!) which I'll overlook.

@noelcmn - a couple of nice, warm treatments with the first transformed into a beautiful, glowing pink, orange dawn.
@Waffles - something cooler and more subdued. The sunlight has become some directional which I really like.

@mariwalt - spectacular sky (if only) and a nice boost to the foreground to shift the focus to the walker (and his phone).

@Kerrowdown - dipped into the massive library of dreich (?) scottish skys and supplanted one over Sydney, drama plus, and yes, take cover.

@jheu02 - must have had some special tea that day? It has given us an interesting insight into your mind but perhaps we don't want to go any further. Great fun!
@Pelto - taken out the fishiness to level things up and some classic orange and cyan tones in the pano. The icons all got a bit stretched out.

@tuggie76 - looks to have done battle with that eastern sky (apologies, I don't think there was any part that wasn't blown). Nice crop with the bridge pylons in and the mess on the right out.
@xs400 - very neat removal of the human and a pleasant sky replacement that suits the scene well.
@rpjallan - a faithful rendering of the scene, with a bit of the clutter tidied up near the walker, although the pedant in me notes the signs still have shadows.

So all in all, a great set of entries. I didn't know which way I was going to go until I typed this out but there can only be one winner and....drum roll.......

@noelcmn and his first effort. Just love the colours and tones, and simplified, all about the coathanger!
Runner up - @xs400
Special award - most creative, @jheu02, his special look into the future!


Over to you @noelcmn to run up PP#452.

[jheu02]

I was looking at the other entries and knew I could do no better, but the jogger happened to make me thing of hamsters on their wheels for some reason, so...

[xs400]

Congratulations to noelcmn. Well done.

[noelcmn]

OOPS unexpected. Thank you Grimmus. I'l have something up shortly.