My fiance - fall photos!

[oldmacman]

Now that I see the second photo large, I notice it's a bit grainy. This disappoints me because I love the photo! Any suggestions on that?

2.

Anything you do to try and correct this image is going to create artifacts. You can improve what you have, but you are starting with an under-exposed and missed focus image. It looks like the saturation has been boosted to bring out the nice fall colours. This increase also gives him an unnatural orange tone. What was done?
- added a sharpen adjustment layer
- added a screen layer to lighten overall tones
- adjusted shadows to bring out detail
- applied colour noise reduction and luminance noise reduction to hide the processing artifacts.
- desaturated on the orange colour

You can see that the sharpening causes a halo artifact around the figure, so it becomes a question of which is worse: the processing or the exposure?

 

[GotaLuvThosPens]

First of all.... HEY!! That's Peters Lake! right?
Secondly... I really like the second picture but I agree with above that the focus was missed. The reflection looks sharp but the rest is out of focus. What if you crop a good portion of the top out and make it look like you were trying to have the focus on the reflection. Just and idea.

 

[ayeelkay]

Now that I see the second photo large, I notice it's a bit grainy. This disappoints me because I love the photo! Any suggestions on that?

2.

Anything you do to try and correct this image is going to create artifacts. You can improve what you have, but you are starting with an under-exposed and missed focus image. It looks like the saturation has been boosted to bring out the nice fall colours. This increase also gives him an unnatural orange tone. What was done?
- added a sharpen adjustment layer
- added a screen layer to lighten overall tones
- adjusted shadows to bring out detail
- applied colour noise reduction and luminance noise reduction to hide the processing artifacts.
- desaturated on the orange colour

You can see that the sharpening causes a halo artifact around the figure, so it becomes a question of which is worse: the processing or the exposure?

Thanks, I do like your edit. I will probably just end up trying the photo again, but focus more on making the figure more in focus, rather than the reflection in the water.

 

[ayeelkay]

First of all.... HEY!! That's Peters Lake! right?
Secondly... I really like the second picture but I agree with above that the focus was missed. The reflection looks sharp but the rest is out of focus. What if you crop a good portion of the top out and make it look like you were trying to have the focus on the reflection. Just and idea.

Hmm..not sure. I just know it's in Lancaster area, PA somewhere. It's actually where I got engaged
And thanks, that is a good idea.