Two approaches to same shot

[Thornton]

I would appreciate any thoughts on these two renderings of the same photo, such as which approach is the more realistic in terms of colour or treatment of lightness and shadows. The left bank of the burn was very dark in the original raw and so required a good deal of lightening. In the second version I had a go at using Lab colour.





Julian

[DanK]

I think the first is better. On my calibrated monitor, the sky in the second is unrealistic, blending into turquoise. The yellow-greens on the bottom right also seem off to me.

[Manfred M]

+1 to Dan's comments on the sky in the second version. I find the water in the small creek looking quite unrealistic as well and a solid dose of destaturation would help.

I'd work the shadows a lot more agressively, not just the bank but some of the other shaded areas as well. I might take the overall exposure down just a touch and I would do a bit of a global desaturation of the blues and cyans and would probably take down the yellow a touch too. The whole scene looks you've pushed the saturation a bit too hard.

[Shadowman]

Nicely composed, very subtle differences at first glance. Because the differences are so subtle I started looking at the additional elements of the composition (cloud formation, shadowy foreground, watery leading lines, etc.) and feel each has a bit of something extra which if combined might make for a good final image. I like the cloud detail in the first and the warm, autumnal colors of the grasslands of the second, the gradation of the mirror-like water might benefit from a reverse in tones from image edge to the horizon.

[odds]

I would probably prefer image 1 with the foreground left shadow area lifted as in image 2 where green grass is better visible.
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Odd S.

[Thornton]

Thank you for all of the replies. I've come up with this version now, which I think is overall closer to my version 1 above. The grass and foliage on the right of the stream is toned down closer to Manfred's (but I think Manfred's water in the stream looks a bit chilly). The photo was taken before 7 o'clock on a bright and clear May morning and I wanted to try to suggest the brilliance of the blue sky with the special quality it has on the coast. (I'm still not quite happy with the stream, especially the too-light areas on the left foreground).



Julian

[Shadowman]

The stream is an improvement, you may get too many suggestions to follow them all but keep at it.

[Wavelength]

+1 to first one