Old Building

[Aedai]

This was taken in Virginia City, MT and wasn't the easiest picture to work with. I went there mid-day but I wanted the "golden hour" effect so I did what I could. Any thoughts?

Original:

 

[Borad]

It looks like the sun is setting at that bright spot which would make the shadow wrong.

 

[Aedai]

I didn't even notice! That's an easy change, though, fortunately. Any other ideas?

 

[Borad]

I think there's too much illumination on the front if the sun is setting behind it. And if you had a wider view I'd consider getting more of the building in the shot but I guess that's not an option.

 

[Aedai]

I can't make a wider shot but I can clone out the rest of the building???

 

[Borad]

Yes, that's a big improvement.

 

[Borad]

If you can add greenness to the plants that would help too. Or even redness or yellowness.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Too orangeish and somewhat fake looking to me, doesn't really look golden hour at all, could maybe try sepia? I'd probably crop the right side a little to get rid of that edge of sky that looks somewhat like the sun in the background. (Looks from the shadow that the sun was actually to the left.)

I might have tried to adjust the exposure but if it was hazy the sky may have looked that white - it seems to somewhat get washed out near the top. Often if it's hazy or overcast I tend to frame a little lower to minimize the amount of sky showing, and that will change the angle of the sunlight coming into the camera and give me a different meter reading (so often a better picture).

I might have framed lower anyway to get more foreground and not so much sky unless it was a day with blue sky and white puffy clouds and I wanted some of that too.