Thoughts wanted.

[Needa]

So below are the original out of camera crop and the one I went with. Thought wanted on improvements.

Assuming the spot light is still lighting the foreground grass ( first time I recall) when I go back do you thing raising the camera a couple of inches to uncover more pier structure would be a way to go? There is a path to the right that might be uncover if raised too high. General observations and OK to post edits.
Thanks.
jEFF

 

[Clovishound]

I would have left more of the foreground than your crop. Of course, I'm in the (usually) put the horizon on a third guy. In this case I think the extra foreground balances better. In my mind the real star here should be the sky. I would try and bring out more warm color in the rising sun. I tried masking the sky and adjusting the temperature to bring that warmth out but it destroyed the blues before getting the golds and pinks to come out. Maybe someone with more talent in editing than I have could bring that out. The other option might be to reshoot, perhaps use a CPL and see what it does to the sky. You could try a higher perspective and see what it does. I assume this is a reasonably accessible location for you.

 

[Eduard]

Love the image subject. Great locale.

I found the two light sources from the right most building and the color reflection on the tree above it distracting so I would probably crop tighter. Once I cropped, the bright foreground detracted from the pier IMO. I very very slightly increased the shadows on the far pier and tweaked the color slightly.

 

[Needa]

I would have left more of the foreground than your crop. Of course, I'm in the (usually) put the horizon on a third guy. In this case I think the extra foreground balances better. In my mind the real star here should be the sky. I would try and bring out more warm color in the rising sun. I tried masking the sky and adjusting the temperature to bring that warmth out but it destroyed the blues before getting the golds and pinks to come out. Maybe someone with more talent in editing than I have could bring that out. The other option might be to reshoot, perhaps use a CPL and see what it does to the sky. You could try a higher perspective and see what it does. I assume this is a reasonably accessible location for you.

View attachment 413678

Thanks for your input. May go back New Years(free parking). I"m not a strictly in the 1/3 line boat.

 

[Needa]

Love the image subject. Great locale.

I found the two light sources from the right most building and the color reflection on the tree above it distracting so I would probably crop tighter. Once I cropped, the bright foreground detracted from the pier IMO. I very very slightly increased the shadows on the far pier and tweaked the color slightly.

View attachment 413688

Thanks for your input. Yes, the foreground intensity was one of the things bothering me, played with some other edits after starting this thread.. Maybe next time I will get luck and get some some light and color low in the sky.

 

[Clovishound]

When you reshoot, you might want to consider bracketing and then stack then into an HDR.

 

[lightcapture]

So below are the original out of camera crop and the one I went with. Thought wanted on improvements.
View attachment 413674
View attachment 413677
Assuming the spot light is still lighting the foreground grass ( first time I recall) when I go back do you thing raising the camera a couple of inches to uncover more pier structure would be a way to go? There is a path to the right that might be uncover if raised too high. General observations and OK to post edits.
Thanks.
jEFF

I think your 1st photo showing more of the location adds interest. You may consider working on the post-processing.

 

[Needa]

I think your 1st photo showing more of the location adds interest. You may consider working on the post-processing.

Thank you for your comments. What aspect of the post processing would you change?

 

[lightcapture]

Thank you for your comments. What aspect of the post processing would you change?

I'd consider balancing the brightness of the foreground grasses with the important distant scene, which seems to get lost. I'd try higher contrast and saturation of the distant pier and horizon.

Here's a quick tweak I performed copying your image. I think more can be done if you try a few edits.

 

[lightcapture]

I have a fondness for these type of piers and native grasses living in NC and having been to the coast a number of times. I love your image and know you could do wonders with you original file. Another consideration is the16:9 crop showing more grasses and less sky.

 

[Needa]

@lightcapture I was fighting to get the grass dark enough and lightening the sky balances too.

 

[Needa]

Here is another edit done yesterday morning. So I both darkened the grass and lightened the sky especially the highlights.Saturated the greens in the grass which also helps darken the area. The sky has some red added. Dimmed the light on the pier building window, cropped the red in the palm and right most window out and added a vignette to help kill the brightness in that left most clump of grass.
So will probably let all the stuff stew in my head before attempting any more edits.

Thanks again to all for your inputs.

 

[Robin W]

I would take out the 3 blades of grass that are covering the main focus of your photo. They are a little distracting. And maybe darken the foreground slightly.

 

[Needa]

I would take out the 3 blades of grass that are covering the main focus of your photo. They are a little distracting. And maybe darken the foreground slightly.

Thank you for your input. I see what you are saying but removing the grass stalks is beyond my skill and probably the program used.

 

[Marilynne]

Golden Winged Warbler. These are the only photos I have of this bird. They are only around during the Spring and Fall Migration.View attachment 413854View attachment 413855View attachment 413856

Did you want these posted in this thread Robin?

 

[lightcapture]

View attachment 413847
Here is another edit done yesterday morning. So I both darkened the grass and lightened the sky especially the highlights.Saturated the greens in the grass which also helps darken the area. The sky has some red added. Dimmed the light on the pier building window, cropped the red in the palm and right most window out and added a vignette to help kill the brightness in that left most clump of grass.
So will probably let all the stuff stew in my head before attempting any more edits.

Thanks again to all for your inputs.

As I look at your new edit, my eye want to see more detail in the pier, clouds, and distant horizon. And crop out more of the puffy cloud in the upper center, because it shows too much of the wide angle lenses out-of-focus edge. Lastly the foremost foreground grass could use a bit more vignetting to darken then, without going into do much mid-distant grases, because it pulls my attention away from the main subject. Like Robin says, cloning out the long blades of grass would help too.

 

[Robin W]

Did you want these posted in this thread Robin?

No, That was an accident. Thanks