Help with desert photo

[redbourn]

Hi,

I just took several photos in Arad Israel.

I have posted an original of one, and one that I hopefully improved ..

Please say if my changes helped or hindered and suggest ways of improving the original.

I'd like to keep it natural looking and not make it psychedelic

After picture by redbourn - Photobucket

Before picture by redbourn - Photobucket

I used a gradient in PS CS4 but feel that I can see it; but maybe that's just because I did it.

thanks,

Michael

 

[Bangarang Rufio]

I think your changes helped the picture. The grey sky is kind of boring, with with your editing it looks much nicer.

 

[redbourn]

I think your changes helped the picture. The grey sky is kind of boring, with with your editing it looks much nicer.

Thanks

 

[redbourn]

Hi,

I just took several photos in Arad Israel.

I have posted an original of one, and one that I hopefully improved ..

Please say if my changes helped or hindered and suggest ways of improving the original.

I'd like to keep it natural looking and not make it psychedelic

After picture by redbourn - Photobucket

Before picture by redbourn - Photobucket

I used a gradient in PS CS4 but feel that I can see it; but maybe that's just because I did it.

thanks,

Michael

Another idea ..

Arad - first trip - getting help from forum :: Soft light on the mountains picture by redbourn - Photobucket

Michael

 

[burstintoflame81]

Did the sand/landscape have that orange/brown color cast to it or did you add that?

 

[WesVFX]

Here's a quick edit I did for it that I believe works well...


Before

After

 

[redbourn]

Did the sand/landscape have that orange/brown color cast to it or did you add that?

The picture marked 'before' in my original post, is at it came out of the camera with no changes at all.

Mike

 

[burstintoflame81]

Soul TKR's version looked like mine did but its on my other computer. If you have CS4, just open it and go up and do an auto tone adjustment and an Auto Color Adjustment. I think its under the IMAGE menu. You have to be on the Background RGB layer though. I did that and then added some contrast using onONE PHOTOTOOLS automation and I think a little saturation for the sky and it looked close to what Soul TKR has there.

 

[redbourn]

I had never used photobucket before and thought that my hi-res images would be available, but they weren't.

They are now, at Arad - first trip pictures by redbourn - Photobucket

If you’re not familiar with Paintbucket, then you have to click on a thumbnail, and after a full-size image opens, you mouse over to get options. If you want to download it then clicking on ‘download’ will offer different resolutions.

Mike

 

[redbourn]

Here's a quick edit I did for it that I believe works well...

Good job.

But in Israel the sky is white for about 10 months of the year, and during the winter there is sometimes a touch of blue and maybe a few little clouds, and that's it.

I guess it's always a toss up between trying to make photos look like the original scene, or going for dramatic effect.

Thanks,

Mike