desperately wanting PP for just another sunset

[cristen]

Canon EOS 500D
F stop: f/10
Exposure: 1/250
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 18mm
No flash


Just another sunset.. Karon Beach, Phuket, Thailand. It's not breathtaking and i think PP would make a great difference especially on the vivid (quite) blue sky and the sun's reflection on the water. I so envy those shots that are vibrant in color. So pls feel free to photoshop. Just tell me how you did it I am also trying my hand on PP.

Critiques and comments on composition and settings are welcome. Thanks

[jughead]

I don't know if it suits your taste, but I tried playing around with your photo in Lightroom and here's what I came up with. I bumped down the exposure of the sky a bit,bumped the exposure up a bit on the land, increased contrast and saturation, and lowered the clarity.



I like how the lines converge on the hills,but would love it more if the kid playing with the sands is more prominent although that might distract instead if your intended subject is the sky.
And I think there's something on your lens making that little black blob behind the kid.. dust? a drop of water?

[cristen]

hi, jughead. i would really love to see what you have done with my shot, but i can't see even the thumbnail. maybe you can post the link?

yes. i have that problem in my sensor (?). it is not a speck of dust as it is prominent in some of my pictures especially if the background is vivid. sometimes it appears so black and sometimes just a blur. i have to send my camera to the service center but they said it would take about a month... (and i can't seem to part with it for that long )

[jughead]

Hi cristen, edited my post, seems there's some problem with the attachment function, been seeing several similar incidents lately..
I uploaded it via my flickr, I'll delete it later if you have any reservation about it

[cristen]

thanks, jughead. i've seen the edited shot in your flicker account. and no, i don't have reservations about it being there.
as for the edit, i like the sky as it became so vivid. but i find the left side a bit washed out. can it be toned down so that a better reflection of the light could be seen on the water? and maybe you can also remove that blot behind the kid.
i am in photoshop now and trying to edit the photo myself but i must be dumb in following instructions, i could not even do layers...

[cristen]

btw... your edited post already shows the pic

[Photologyst]

There are many ways to do this in Photoshop, Cristen. There is a reflection on the water and sand, more so than the clouds. I have prepared 5 images with enhanced sunsets for your consideration:

Plain Lightroom adjusted: http://www.flickr.com/photos/photolo...1538/lightbox/

Lightroom adjusted with star. This can be done with brushes from many sources:




Light to dark gradient mask. This tends to look like sunset backlighting on the clouds:

Dark to light gradient mask:



Topaz HDR pop filter:



_________________
This sunset does not have a great deal of colour. Therefore, you have to use layers to enhance the colours as you desire.

For dark to light Gradient Mask: In Photoshop click on “Create New Fill/Adjustment Layer.” Choose “Gradient Map.” Click on the preview area. Double click on black color stop to bring up colors. Choose Red (or orange, etc). Click on preview area white stop and choose deep yellow (or lighter). Click OK to get out of color picker. Click OK to get out of Gradient Map. Activate Gradient Map layer and go to Blend Mode and choose Overlay. Change Opacity to about 40%.

Reverse above for Light to Dark Gradient Mask.

[cristen]

thank you, photologyst. you really took time to edit my shot in so many ways. i am truly in awe of the skills you people have in processing pics. i love the way you added the sun (though i know you really didn't have much time selecting the best fit). i tend to be very conservative in PP coz i am still groping my way through it . So here's the best i could do for now. i hope you see an improvement....

@jughead, i tried the cloning tool to remove the blot. what do you think?

[Photologyst]

Nicely done, Cristen! I post these merely as examples for you to play with as you desire. In the end, you have to choose the desired effect that pleases you.

Here is another version, adjusted in Lightroom with more emphasis on the blue. Used the “Heal” tool to remove the “spot.” You can do the same in Photoshop. If you clone, be careful which brush you choose and set the opacity down a bit. Heal will permit the underlying pixels to show through giving a more natural appearance.



Another filter overlay with a different style sun-star:

[cristen]

ahhh.. my skills in photography and PP are still in the hit-or-miss/trial and error stage. couldn't make the heal brush work for me, so i opted for the clone tool

this is, indeed, a great forum, with members who are just too generous to share their skills and talent. thank you, photologyst. i will look forward to more pointers from you.