To Paint Shop Pro or not to Paint Shop Pro???

[Blackswann]

Hi guys

This is a picture of Tintern Abbey in South Wales, UK. At the time of taking the picture there is alot of restoration work being done on the right side of the Abbey.... I've tried to mask this by using the other ruins in the picture but unfortunately the weather couldn't be covered.... who says the camera doesn't lie!!!!



Since the weather was its usual drab and boring self I tried to spruce the first one up with Paint Shop Pro 8... should I have bothered?

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[Greenlandgirl]

The abbey ruin is very nice, and you found a good angle. But I don't go for the sun and the blue sky. The fake sunbeams disturbs the abbey part of the pic.
Maybe you should try a blue sky without the sun and the sunbeams.
If you decide to do something to the pic post it again so we can see how it ended up :-)

[Jeff Canes]

Personally I would prefer more natural looking changes

[GregF422]

I like the blue skies and the slight brightening, but the lens flare is a bit much. Maybe tone it back a little and it might look ok, but it's just over done.

[Mo]

More natural changes would have been better. It's too easy to see that the edited version is fake. I like the original, though.

[ferny]

You've put a lot of effort into that. But I have to agree, you've over done it a bit. Please don't worry or be dismayed by these comments. In a few months time, after you've spent lots of time editing, you'll see exactly what we mean. But, you have to do things like the picture you've posted to find out where the boundaries are in terms of "over doing something".

If you've saved the psp file I'd open it up, get rid of the starburst and tone down the colours slightly so it is nearer to the original. Give it a go and then compare the two and tell us which you like best. And don't be afraid to tell us we're idiots and you prefer your edit. It is your edit after all.

[triggerhappy]

Ditto what the others said. Sometimes less is more, although the blue sky certainly cheers up the picture.

[ZacKrohn]

I think the bad weather kinda goes with the picture. I mean ruins are sota bleak (not the picture but just the concept) so it seems realy fitting to have dark weather to go with it.