[Culture]

I have processed the top part of the image. But I dont know what to do with the down part.

Its a little bit uninteresting too. The bottom part so I thought about cropping it off but it looks unreal some how.

Any ideas?

By the way the images seems a little darker know after opening in gimp. Looks underexposed. I dont know why.

Attached Images

 

[GDRoth]

I took a shot at PP using Lightroom and Nik Viveza to lighten up the dark trees a bit and then NIK Color Efex Pro

[paulh]

I ran your shot thru digiKam and applied local contrast to it twice. You could achieve the same effect using curves adjustment. Doing this seems to make the road look like it's snow-covered, imo. Actually, your photo is pretty good as-is.

[mrNewt]

I have processed the top part of the image. But I dont know what to do with the down part.

Its a little bit uninteresting too. The bottom part so I thought about cropping it off but it looks unreal some how.

Any ideas?

By the way the images seems a little darker know after opening in gimp. Looks underexposed. I dont know why.

Honestly ... personally I find the image very interesting and well balanced.

Now sure how it looks on your monitor, but here, I am captivated by the strong contrasts and colors. I actually like the silhouettes on the sky and the dark bottom part. I think making the picture lighter will introduce some washed out colors a little bit.

Just my point of view ... the image is anything but uninteresting ...

...

Hmmm ... I'm even tempted to take a brush in Photoshop and completely darken the bottom part ...

[emalvick]

I agree with the previous post. The sky seems to be the primary interest. Trying to recover any of the foreground may only detract from it. The only thing I'd probably do is crop just a bit from the bottom (probably up to where the roadside weeds run off the left side of the image), and I'd probably try to locally brighten up the top area of the sky a little to see the clouds run off the top of the image.

I actually like silhouetted shots like this. I do find it is nice if you can find something to "stick out" so to speak and add a little bit to the silhouette. In this image, the pine trees work, although a bigger pine tree could be even more interesting.

[mrNewt]

... The only thing I'd probably do is crop just a bit from the bottom (probably up to where the roadside weeds run off the left side of the image), and I'd probably try to locally brighten up the top area of the sky a little to see the clouds run off the top of the image. ...

Yep, I agree as well, this will clean it up a little more.

[Culture]

WOW I didnt expect positivie feedback like this.

I ran your shot thru digiKam and applied local contrast to it twice. You could achieve the same effect using curves adjustment. Doing this seems to make the road look like it's snow-covered, imo. Actually, your photo is pretty good as-is.

Thanks. Actually when I processed in darktable and exported to tiff the exposure looked like yours. Until I opened it in gimp.

Honestly ... personally I find the image very interesting and well balanced.

Now sure how it looks on your monitor, but here, I am captivated by the strong contrasts and colors. I actually like the silhouettes on the sky and the dark bottom part. I think making the picture lighter will introduce some washed out colors a little bit.

Just my point of view ... the image is anything but uninteresting ...

...

Hmmm ... I'm even tempted to take a brush in Photoshop and completely darken the bottom part ...

That was what I was afraid of. That is making it lighter will make the top sky washed out. So I felt stuck. I felt that if the sky is interesting the bottom should also be interesting.

Thanks for the perspective.

I agree with the previous post. The sky seems to be the primary interest. Trying to recover any of the foreground may only detract from it. The only thing I'd probably do is crop just a bit from the bottom (probably up to where the roadside weeds run off the left side of the image), and I'd probably try to locally brighten up the top area of the sky a little to see the clouds run off the top of the image.

I actually like silhouetted shots like this. I do find it is nice if you can find something to "stick out" so to speak and add a little bit to the silhouette. In this image, the pine trees work, although a bigger pine tree could be even more interesting.

I will try the crop and see how it looks. Locally brightening and increasing contrast locally is something that I dont how to do. I guess I have to search. Thanks.

Yep, I agree as well, this will clean it up a little more.

Thanks Guys for the feedback.

[wildman]

Not having a clue as to the OP's artistic intentions I just tried to make it a bit more realistic
I leave the drama up to others.

[Schraubstock]

HI

I am a bit more of a realist and like to record what was was seen at the time of the shoot. In this sense I align my tweak with that of "paulh" except I have just gone a wee step further. I have also used Nick Viveza but only lightened a bit more the right bottom bart of the picture to and retain a bit more of a mystrious darkness on the left. Next I have undistorted the image in PS as I don't like for those landscape shots barrel distortion so much and finally leveled the horizon.

Next I have imported the image in to OLENEO and fiddled with all sorts of sliders. (Don't ask me what exactly I did as I moved around so many of them that I simply can't recall.) But the upshot is that some of the yellow sun illuminated sky is not quite so harsh and the blue of the sky is a bit more agreeable (to my eye at least.)

The foreground in the original to me is just a bit too dark and therefore does not add much to the image, it has actually quite a lot to offer in the sens of enhancement of the overall scenery and location and it is a shame not to use it to complete the picture. To see it as a silhouette is in conflict with the wonderful colourful sky and a better transition suits this sort of shot more.

But please always remember this is the way I see it and my variation should only be seen as an alternative.

(Everybody is entitled to my opinion )

Greetings

[emalvick]

Not having a clue as to the OP's artistic intentions I just tried to make it a bit more realistic
I leave the drama up to others.

I like your adjustment best, especially the sky (I like the more uniform exposure and visibility of the clouds at the top of the image), but I still think a darker foreground (silhouette) would be nice for this image. Never-the-less, the fact that it's snow begs it to be exposed / brighter to some extent.

[emalvick]

I will try the crop and see how it looks. Locally brightening and increasing contrast locally is something that I dont how to do. I guess I have to search. Thanks.

That's probably going to depend on the software available. I've gotten used to using LR and Photoshop, so it is not too difficult with its local adjustment brushes and gradients. I see you were using GIMP, so I'm not sure how a local adjustment could work. Perhaps via two layers and a layer mask (gradient) to blend the two.