Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/USAF F-16A F-15C F-15E Desert Storm

USAF F-16A F-15C F-15E Desert Storm

Original

User:J.reed Edit Version 2

Edit 3 by CillanXC; downsized to reduce artifacts, adjusted color to correct "purpleness"

Edit 4 by Fir0002, edit of Edit 3 - removed noise

Reason: It may not be the highest quality (Read: Noise), it is well composed, features an array of aircraft in formation, and really catches the defining feature of the Gulf War, the oil wells.
Proposed caption: USAF aircraft of the 335th Fighter Squadron (F-16, F-15C and F-15E) fly over Kuwaiti oil fires, set by the retreating Iraqi army during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Articles this image appears in: Gulf War; United States Air Forces in Europe; United States; 335th Fighter Squadron; Kuwait
Creator: USAF

Support as nominator J.reed 19:46, 2 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Strong support original, edits #2 and #3--Mbz1 21:04, 2 August 2007 (UTC)Mbz1[reply]

*Strong support really like it, shows planes flying in formation and the background illustrates war zones well --Childzy ^{(Talk|Contribs)} 22:50, 2 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

~~Support~~ Per nom. Noise reduction/cleanup welcome.--Here T oHelp 01:27, 3 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

New version; still needs crop. J.reed 03:01, 3 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

~~Support edit~~ The new color balance is superior. I don't think it needs to be cropped, but I personally think a slight down-sampling might help the blurriness. I imported the new image into a simple image viewer and zoomed out a little (to maybe 75% of the original size) and it looked much better. (It was worth a try.)--Here T oHelp 13:02, 3 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

~~Support edit 3~~ Per my above comment.--Here T oHelp 21:54, 3 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support edit 4 It keeps getting better. Thanks, Fir.--Here T oHelp 18:32, 5 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support alt 3 or 4 oppose cool, but the color balance looks like a faded image from a 70s text book. Purple planes? Debivort 04:37, 3 August 2007 (UTC) Debivort 18:22, 4 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose much too blurry, very noticeable defects in upper left-hand corner. Agree with the comment about the coloring. Support edit 3 or 4 CillaИ X♦C [dic] 20:31, 6 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't see the blur, but I can repair the jpeg artifacts in the corner and the color balance. I am on a hardware based calibrated monitor and I don't see the colors as being purple, though they are off a bit. (See version 2) J.reed 05:13, 3 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose either, due to noise and blurriness. A real shame; if this had been clearer it would have been a fantastic photograph. Support edit 4 Spikebrennan 14:06, 3 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Comment I uploaded a third edit. Hopefully it helps a little bit with the issues mentioned above, but the image is still pretty grainy. CillaИ X♦C [dic] 14:46, 3 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose Even though I like and would support most hi-res pictures of aircraft in formation, this one just has too much noise. Support Edit 4 RMelon 17:45, 3 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
- It is a picture of war not just aircrafts in formation. Why to care about noise in such high value picture?--Mbz1 05:10, 4 August 2007 (UTC)Mbz1[reply]
- I agree, this is a picture during war time that is also from before the digital camera age (1991). I've removed the errors from the film source of this image. Noise is simply unavoidable in this situation. J.reed 06:27, 4 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
~~Support edit 3~~ Very dramatic and encyclopedic pic. The edit addressed almost all of the concerns brought up, so I'm satisfied. Jumping cheese 08:49, 4 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support edit 4 I'm very impressed by how much the pic has been cleaned up. Wow. Jumping cheese 08:48, 8 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support either Edit 3 or Edit 4 (although I'm not sure if the aircraft didn't end up a little too dark). Given the conditions we really cannot expect the highest quality photography and this is certainly not just a pilot's scrapbook snapshot. The caption grammar seems a tiny bit strained, though. Maybe a "which" or another transition word would help. --Dhartung | Talk 11:55, 4 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed-- it sounds like the Iraqi army "set" the airplanes or the squadron, whatever that means. I suggest: "USAF aircraft of the 335th Fighter Squadron (F-16, F-15C and F-15E) during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The oil fires appearing in the background were set by the Iraqi army as it retreated from Kuwait."

Oppose It may look impressive and appear in that many articles, but I'm unsure of much encyclopedic value unless you want to show some burning oil wells, you can get a myriad of similar images of aircraft flying by Bleh999 19:08, 4 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Comment The encyclopedic nature comes from the oil wells, the planes in formation, and most importantly, the war-time nature of the photograph. I believe edit 4 removes a little too much noise from the smoke and loses detail, however I still support as nominator. J.reed 03:33, 5 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Strong support edit 4 - I think the image is very striking and very enc - and of course not reproducible unless the United States somehow decides to destroy all the Middle East oil tomorrow...wait...unlikely at best. The downsampled denoised version is the best, but I wouldn't mind any but the first. Zakolantern 05:46, 6 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Strong support edit 4 really like it, shows planes flying in formation and the background illustrates war zones well --Childzy ^{(Talk|Images)} 21:13, 6 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Strong support edit 4 per above Ksempac 08:04, 7 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Promoted Image:USAF F-16A F-15C F-15E Desert Storm edit2.jpg MER-C 11:12, 9 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]