How should I post-process this picture?

[Andes]

Hi,

I took this picture during my holiday in UK using my E-510, it turns out rather natural, yet a bit too dull. I had always been using Lightroom for post-processing and this is the best that I think I can achieve with it. I'm sure there is still room for improvement. Anyone can help me to improve on it and share the settings/process that you have use?

Original Raw: here

Original:

My attempt:

 

[Mikefellh]

it turns out rather natural, yet a bit too dull.

Post processing can't turn a dull picture into an interesting one...the question is what "story" were you trying to tell with this image...was it the cloud pattern, or was it the openness of the land...it's just the horizon is almost running half-way down the image splitting it in two halves.

 

[AlteredVision]

It's a little empty, but that's what I like about it

Couldn't open the raw file, so used the small jpg instead. Steps are a bit complicated for explaining. I put the layers up for download here temporarily for anyone who's interested:

http://www.alteredvision.net/cs/20090102.psd
Note: Sky in psd file shows banding / pixellation. Use blur to remove it. Luckily it's only empty sky. Hee

 

[aryanto]

windows rolling hill LOL
boost saturation. Crop distracting grass below, get more sky. I think. May be better if you post at landscape photo critique, the experts will be there to tell you more.

 

[AlteredVision]

windows rolling hill LOL
boost saturation. Crop distracting grass below, get more sky. I think. May be better if you post at landscape photo critique, the experts will be there to tell you more.

:bsmilie: It didn't even occur to me, but now that you mention it, it does bear a resemblance. But this one looks better!

 

[nottipiglet]

Like that?

 

[aryanto]

Close, but I was thinking more extreme - totally remove. Dont be constrainted to traditional format.
Plus I take the libery of removing the distracting road.

 

[Andes]

Close, but I was thinking more extreme - totally remove. Dont be constrainted to traditional format.
Plus I take the libery of removing the distracting road.

Thank You all for your input. Guess everyone has different taste on this. I kind of like this, without the greyish grass at the bottom, it looks much more appealing. And the color, how do you make the color better? Only by saturation?

Interesting that you photoshop away the road too!

 

[Andes]

Post processing can't turn a dull picture into an interesting one...the question is what "story" were you trying to tell with this image...was it the cloud pattern, or was it the openness of the land...it's just the horizon is almost running half-way down the image splitting it in two halves.

I think what I meant by dull was that the color was dull, rather than picture was dull.

 

[aryanto]

I think what I meant by dull was that the color was dull, rather than picture was dull.

When you are talking about colours it is called muted colours cos it does not SHOUT like the way vibrant colours do. :sweatsm:

 

[aryanto]

Thank You all for your input. Guess everyone has different taste on this. I kind of like this, without the greyish grass at the bottom, it looks much more appealing. And the color, how do you make the color better? Only by saturation?

Interesting that you photoshop away the road too!

Your welcome
glad you like the edited version.
the greyish grass at the bottom kind of compete with the cloud patterns.
there isn't anything interesting from that random pattern.
if there is a figure of interest there like um.. a dead body, a cow, a sheep :sweatsm: then it would be good to include. But if it is just grass then, er .. no thanks - that is my preference.

I cannot remember if I make any saturation change, not even contrast.
I took your 2nd photo and just open on photoshop element 4 (LOL - a dinosaur), crop the image and edit out the road using clone (I clone the grass).

If the road is a bit more slanted, and there is a a red truck passing by, then it is good.
But there is no red truck, and at some part it is not winding or slated nicely, I think it is distracting too, so I get rid of it.

I guess the way you frame the photo is to observe the 2:3 rule?
That is common, but it is just a guideline more than the rule.

I have seen a few very nice photos especially large body of water (sea, lake) where the horizon is very low, allowing a lot of sky on the image. Whe cloud pattern is good, then that would be a nice effect.