Look good to me, Jordan. You have managed to combine sunshine with shady areas and still retaining a natural look.
I've been following your posts (but haven't commented on them), so I did want to comment here. #1 is fantastic, it makes me want to visit that street. There is something very warm and timeless about #1
#2 appears to want to be a bit brighter, or more contrasty, as it just appears a bit flat to me tonally. But the image of the man and child in that street is very Italy to me and I'd love to see it pop a bit more.
But back to #1, if it were me, I'd have that shot printed and hung on my wall, and of a decent size too, maybe 11" x 14".
Nice images Jordan. I especially like #1. I actually like everything in that shot
I agree with previous comments that no.1 is really excellent. The processing is handled well in both shots to retain a natural look. The lighting in the first shot is really nice and the sky has enough color and character to add to the overall image. Really well done.
The perspective and depth of field of the second one work really well for me. I might like a little more pop but the image isn't so lacking in pop that I would call it flat. I also might tilt it a little to the left, but I understand the problem of deciding what's straight when none of the buildings remain straight after centuries of shifting. If the image was mine, I would convert to black-and-white and hang it on a wall.
My thinking about the first photo is contrary to the rest of the thread. The colors seem overcooked to me and the dramatic sky competes with the rich texture of the stonework. If it were mine, I would crop at the top just below the highest row of windows and on the left at the edge of the main building.
I've been enjoying your "Italy" shots, I like them all the perspectives and composition are excellent. I like you PP and finishing style.
Very nice Jordan!
I'm with Mike on this one. Nothing against including the sky in the photo, far from it. However if I were processing this using Tonal Contrast in Color Efex Pro I'd knock the saturation slider down to around 0-5 depending on the original RAW file, and paint a layer in for the buildings and foreground, leaving the contrast on the sky untouched.
Now the sky looks far more in keeping with the warm light on the building - just watch your selection when brushing (there may be a little 'haloing' around the chimney. A soft edged brush could help here, with a 50% flow...
I like the edit in #1 Jordan
The sky now complements the rest of the image in your latest version.