Please help me improve this image.

OsirisPhoto

I have posted this one before, and it is generally well liked, but I keep wondering if there is something more / different I could do with it :dunno




I would value any feedback and suggestions, new eyes are a great thing!

Many thanks.

gus

I would mask it & give the clouds some texture/darkness.

Zeus1

I use Lightzone for postprocessing, so what follows are the steps I did in Lightzone. However, this could also be done using PS.

1. Slight correction for the white balance (middle grey point taken from last bend in the road).
2. Zone mapper tool: correcting white point (nothing needed altered) and black point (lowered it several zones in order to obtaine purer black).
3. Overall sharpening; increased overall contrast by overlaying a "soft light" blending mode. As this darkens the picture, point 4 becomes necessary.
4. Altering highlights/shadows: especially lightening the shadow parts.
5. Tried altering the color of the distant lake by selecting it and increasing saturation/vibrance and overlaying a "soft burn" blending mode.
6. Selecting the clouds and overlaying a "soft light" blending mode in order to get darker clouds.

And this is what i obtained:

schmoo

I looooove this image and the mystery it contains, but since you're looking for processing help I'll move this to Finishing School.

OsirisPhoto

Cheers Gus, good idea

Zues, I like what you've done with it. Not sure if the yellow vegetation is a bit too saturated though. The overall contrast is great though

Cheers Schmoo!

Duffy Pratt

I took a shot at this, trying to keep the focus a bit less on the road and more on the destination.

To darken the clouds I applied the red channel in luminosity mode at about 60%. I used blend if sliders to mostly limit this change to the clouds.

Then to add contrast to the vegetation, I applied the blue channel in luminosity, at maybe 50%. Switched to lab and limited this change to areas that were B positive, using blend if sliders.

Then a set of lab curves, brightening the L channel and adding contrast, and doing pretty steep straight curves on the A and B channels. I used the B channel to get some blue out of the sky, and also moved a control point some to add some blue to the lake.

Then on a new layer, I did a high radius, low amount sharpen on the A and B channels to increase local saturation, and ran this through a luminosity mask to have the effect increase with brightness in the picture. Dialed back this layer to about 85%. I toyed with a normal sharpen, but didn't like the effect on this low resolution a shot, so left the overall sharpness as is.

Duffy

SavedByZero

Well how aboot a little zone black and white with the Gimp.

SavedByZero

Color version

ziggy53

... and now for something completely different ...

Pseudo HDR using Dynamic Photo HDR
Load resulting image into PhotoShop
... New Layer (copy of background, switch to new layer)
... Gradient Overlay (dark on top)
...... Luminosity blend, 50%
... Mask of just the roadway
... New Layer via Copy (just the roadway)
...... Reduce Contrast and Lighten roadway
... Flatten Image
... Crop out part of sky

Result:

OsirisPhoto

Thanks everyone for your input and suggestions. Some different approaches that I hadn't considered, and some bold ones

I have taken on board a few ideas. One thing that I have decided on is to focus on the road. For me, it is is the key element of the image. So, I've darkened the right side foreground and increased contrast between the road and verge. Also cloned out the gate and increased the sky contrast. Some other local curves adjustments.

Prior to the image posted in my OP, the image was too dark in print under my lighting. However, for sale it's going to be displayed in a very well lit gallery so higher contrast is good. I have also increased the colour saturation of the lake a bit.

I prefer using LAB curves & masks.. OK, I'm just ignorant of any other way to do things

Here is what I have.



And in B&W...



I think the B&W is nice..