How to make sunset darker?

butterflygirl

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I really love this photograph, but would love it more if the sunset were more dramatic. Could anyone tell me how to make it a little better? How to make it really pop? Please, if you would be so kind, add how-tos (sorry newbie at this photoshop thing :lol: )


IMG_1455.jpg



Thanks!
 
dark foreground, bright background ... so you will either get an image with the foreground too dark or the background to bright. a fill flash could help to brighten up the foreground so you can use a shorter exposure or a smaller aperture to get the background darker..
 
Ideally, you could have lessened the exposure in the first place. That would have put them into complete silhouette...but you could still put some light back onto the front of them with a reflector or flash.
 
What if you just darkened their faces? I say that because that's what I focus on in this shot.
 
You have a PM, I'd put it here but I think the other members might get bored with the same procedure I've explained in other threads ;)

Glad you liked it :D
 
OK, I gave this one a try, too, though it is really difficult to work with a photo this low in resolution and this small in size:

Butterflygirl_IMG_1455_myedit.jpg


I don`t know if it worked towards what you were hoping for ... I tried to make the people brighter and cared less about getting the sunset colours redder or deeper. But now the groom has such a visible halo, and my attempts to burn that in also show... so ... no good really, my edit is. It was a quicky, and it is a small pic...
 
I´ve done two things here...still far from optimal as the original data here is quite small...

1) Cropped a bit cos I found the rather heavy branch curving down into the groom´s back doesn´t contribute to the composition, in fact I found it a bit too distracting. I´ve also corrected the horizon.

2) In the colour correction modes of PS, I first corrected the white balance, then tweaked the reds and yellows a bit. I´ve also used the dodging tool very lightly on their faces, and the burning tool to get a bit more depth into the background and to darken the edges slightly.

There are many fine-tuning things that can be done here to "rescue" such pictures, but I think the main problem was the white balance.
As far as doing better next time the other comments previously made are really spot-on...get the fill flash or reflector for such things...experiment with a friend against another sunset and see how it works.

IMG_1455_cc.jpg
 
butterflygirl_ed.jpg


The branch is somewhat problematic in the background, but I think I produced a better couple shot with my edit.

skieur
 
Nice job skieur, particularly with the shadows...how did you manage it without losing it in the rest of the image?

How about the white balance? Don´t you find the dress is still too blue?
And the horizon...?
 
Thanks everyone! Sorry I haven't replied I've been out of town with no Internet access :( But these are wonderful tips! I appreciate the help!

Sometimes I feel so silly, but I am learning and I guess as long as I try that's what counts.

Thanks again! :)
 

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