Postprocessing: Asian Black Kite;How much is too much?

[Raj_55555]

This is a question I've been meaning to ask for a while... I use a canon sx50 bridge, and tend to overdo the post-processing to compensate for the poor image quality. I just can't draw that line between perfectly processed vs overly processed no matter how careful I am. Here I'm posting the original JPEG and the edited version of the same. If someone has the time, they may feel free to edit my pic ( I may share the RAW if asked) and guide me with a sample; otherwise just hints will do as to exactly what is the problem.

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[Designer]

Do you remember what it looked like when you were there? Do that.

Edited version looks fine, BTW.

 

[NjStacker22]

Edited file looks good to me.

 

[Raj_55555]

Do you remember what it looked like when you were there? Do that.

Edited version looks fine, BTW.

Huh! I really thought I overcooked this one. Thanks a lot, appreciate the fast response.

How about this one(last one, promise), does this look fine too?

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[cheshirecat79]

That last file is a little "overcooked" as you call it. If you're looking for a more surreal/fantasy landscape for use in obviously dramatic themes, you're good to go. However, if you're trying to represent it as a real-world photograph, it's a bit far out there.

I would tone down the saturation first and then take a look at pulling the contrast back a bit to natural levels if a realistic portrayal is your goal.

Also, a little foreground action always helps with shots like these. It's a cool photo, nonetheless.

 

[Raj_55555]

That last file is a little "overcooked" as you call it. If you're looking for a more surreal/fantasy landscape for use in obviously dramatic themes, you're good to go. However, if you're trying to represent it as a real-world photograph, it's a bit far out there.

I would tone down the saturation first and then take a look at pulling the contrast back a bit to natural levels if a realistic portrayal is your goal.

Also, a little foreground action always helps with shots like these. It's a cool photo, nonetheless.

I'll keep these points in mind next time I'm editing a pic. It's really something that I couldn't have judged for myself.. And thanks for the nice words

 

[Braineack]

How about this one(last one, promise), does this look fine too?




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View attachment 70061

Looks like you cooked the books.