Landscape DA 21mm landscape

[Myoptimism]

Hi,
I somewhat like this image, but I kindof don't. Any critique on a better approach would be appreciated.

[wallyb]

The colors look very smeared and muddy, and a bit too dark. That's your main problem, I like the scene itself.

[imtheguy]

I was staring at it trying to put into words what i felt....something Wallyb I guess. I do like the basic scene but the PP missed on this one.

[Ash]

The scene itself is reasonably appealing.
Seeing it in different perspectives might help you get a result more to your liking.
As for PP, it certainly could do with some. Levels & curves, even selective colouring would make this one pop.

[dexmus]

you know, when I scroll down so that I can only see a thin layer of sky above the right mountain, the picture looks really nice.
You should try cropping the sky, its a little too much sky I feel.

[Myoptimism]

Thank you for the suggestions. I have "tried" to do some PP on this, and may have possibly went too far, what do you think?
I have also tried a few different crops, but they still don't do it for me. Oh well, guess I'll just keep shooting and trying to get better.

[wallyb]

Is that your edit? You mean the first picture is the original?

I think this might be unsalvagable if that's the case...

[dexmus]

how about this - I like it

[SWEngineer]

My 2c - spend it as you see fit:

I think that, as its biggest problem, this image lacks a subject or center of focus. The clouds, rows of grain, and even the hills on the R all lead the eye to the horizon about 1/4 to 1/3 from the left. And there's nothing there to look at. So is this image about the dramatic sky, about the golden field, or about the mountains? It doesn't work as is with all of them competing as subjects. I think Dexmus succeeds in making the field the main subject by cropping the sky and adding a lot of contrast / saturation to the grain. I'm sure you can find ways to make the sky or the mountains the main subject instead with different crops.

On a more technical bent, I find the blue color in the mountain far too saturated. It looks very unrealistic next to the dark, brown ridge on the far R. And I too think the contrast is too low overall.

Here I have done (perhaps overdone) some basic tonal and color correction. I disagree with wallyb: I think this image is more than salvageable, at least for tone & color. The composition remains problematic. But I expect you can find a crop &/or selective toning / color that works for you.

[Myoptimism]

SWEngineer, I think you are right, the composition is not there. You pretty much put into words the problem I was having with this image, I like some of the features quite a bit, but it just doesn't work without a subject. Your version with color/tonal correction and added contrast looks better, disregarding my original composition issues.

dexmus, now I can see what you were getting at with the crop, and you are right, it is much improved composition wise with the emphasis on the field. I also liked the color/contrast changes you made. Definitely an improvement over the original, but the field still seems like a weak subject, although I think you have showed it is probably the best that can be done with this image.

wallyb, well, it looks like those with better than my rudimentary PP skills can salvage the colors/tonal values, but I do agree that the issues with composition (no subject) make the shot problematic.

I appreciate the time and suggestions everyone has given me, I definitely need to work on my PP skills (anyone have a suggestion for a good CS3 book, website(s), etc?). As far as this shot, I am not sure it is worth the time needed to change a pretty poor shot (with some interesting elements, at least to me) into an okay, if mediocre shot. I think I will just get out and shoot some more and try to remember some of the suggestions I have read on this thread and other critique threads.