Room For Improvement?

IanD

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Edit My Images
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Afternoon folks,

Hopefully this is the right place for this - please move to another section if not, MODs

So I took the below image the other morning on the way to work

I've processed and edited, but it just doesn't feel right. There's no real oomph to it?

Any ideas if there is anything else that can be done, or should I just expect it to be a little flat as it was 7.45am and -4 degrees, and I shouldn't expect much.

I'm more than happy if anyone wants to edit as long as you give me a rough idea as to how you achieved the result

Thanks all

Icy River Scene by ***tuttifrutti***, on Flickr
 
I think you're going to struggle with that one because of all those scribbly and crossing vapour trails in the sky left by jet aircraft, they really fight for attention with the rest of the photo, and that's not helped by it being quite dark and flat by comparison. Planes can be a right nuisance at times.
 
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Cheers Badger - I can see exactly what you mean with the vapour trails. Funnily enough, I actually like those.

I just think the image in general looks flat and lifeless, but I don't think there is anything that can be done.

Incidentally, that spot is marked for a revisit as when I drove away, the sun started coming up in the distance - could see it in my rear view mirror as I was driving away, but was already late for work.

Bet that gets more life into it
 
If you want oomph then you can add overall contrast / microcontrast to inject some. But not every photograph has to possess oomph. If you pumped this one up too far it would look unnatural.
 



I tried…


Icy%20River%20Scenep.jpg
 
That works @Kodiak Qc

I can see you've thrown a bit more light into the foreground and brought out a tad more detail on the tree and much improved the river detail

Cheers for that
 
But not every photograph has to possess oomph

Maybe that's what I need to accept Rog - I guess an image can still have interest without the oomph factor
 
as long as you give me a rough idea as to how you achieved the result
  1. DRL
  2. Layer adjustments on the land
  • WB and
  • Blacks recovery
 
Thanks Kodiak
 
Hi Ian

Replaced the sky and re-toned in CS6.

1. Seems to have reproduced a little darker when uploaded.
ian-davey-final-smal_lifted shadows +5+20 brighten.jpg

2. Reduced saturation
ian-davey-final-smal_lifted shadows +5+20 brighten_low colour_pe.jpg

3. Mono, perfect for flat days
ian-davey-final-smal_lifted shadows +5+20 brighten_B+W_pe.jpg
 
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