I like the composition, BUT....

[BrianA61]

I'm at a standstill as to how to polish this up. I've already done some PP but am not really happy with the results. I've toned down the slightly over exposed walkway, brightened up the fencing slightly and added a little warmth overall. It still looks too flat and bland. Any ideas on how to make this more "poppy"?

[Manfred M]

Try adding a vignette to draw the viewer's eyes away from the edges and into the image.

[Donald]

I'd agree with Manfred. It's quite a busy image and post-processing needs to help the viewer by saying 'this is where I want you to look'. So directing attention into the centre will let the viewer's eyes start there and then they can work their way around the rest of the image.

[Shadowman]

I'd reshoot on a sunny day, later in the evening.

[Kodiak]

•
For my part, I tweak down the exposure of the path and the uncovered soil
without touching the fence. Sit back and consider the vignette afterwards.

I fiddled a bit and came up with this:

[Geoff F]

The fence leads you into the scene, where the trees become the centre of attention. So the composition seems reasonable to me.

If you want more 'pop' I would simply try a little bit of Local Contrast Enhancement. Or alternatively, subject to your software, a duplicate layer with the Blend Mode set to Soft Light. Vary the opacity to suit. Overlay mode could also be tried.

[pnodrog]

Cheat and replace blank bits of sky with a blue one, ramp up the foreground contrast and as some others have suggested try a little bit of vignetting.

[IzzieK]

Good suggestions already given...I still feel that a little bit of rotation to the left will help. It feels like I will feel giddy just traversing that road...

[lukaswerth]

I apologize if I disappoint you, but I think your standstill is due to the fact that this picture is not really interesting. The path with the handrail is probably meant to lead into the picture, but it adds also a very heterogeneous and artificial element to it, spoils, for instance, any idea of a pristine nature (it makes the picture look to me like some technical illustration). It also does not really lead into the picture, but just simpers out. The light is indistinct, the lying trunk somehow blocks access...for me the picture starts to get interesting in the upper quarter of the frame, where it really ends.
Adding a vignette or heavily tweaking/violating the colors, like adding a blue tinge might help somewhat, but I honestly think, and that happens to me also, that sometimes we don't succeed interpreting a scene in a way that it shows what we saw when we exposed it, and processing cannot mend an inspiration we did not catch from the start.

Once again, sorry if I am not more helpful, but I am trying to be constructive,

Lukas

[tbob]

I really think this image has a lot going for it. Just needs some depth, separation and to be darker (as if you are in a forest for a morning walk.)

So here is my crack at it

Darken the path and warm it so it is a solid dark presence and draws the eye but a more attractive colour.

Darken and cool the upper right corner so it is more blue and less attractive to the eye

Darken the trees

Slightly darken the green vegetation , I kept one upper band a little light to be one of those sunlit areas in the forest and draws the eye up.

[Stagecoach]

Brian,

Here's an option using my secret formula of applying a 50% opacity layer at Soft Light mode and a layer at 50% opacity at Multiply mode if I have not got a clue what to do to improve an image

In addition I gave it a slight rotation to keep Izzie happy and a boost in the red and yellows masked with a gradient so that the upper half was not affected so much. Added a frame just to be different, oh, and cropped the sky edge because I could not think of a way to deal with it that was easy enough for me.

But, I will also say I do like the composition and it does have potential.

[BrianA61]

Thanks all for the feedback and constructive criticism. And, no apologies necessary Lukas. I'm a big boy with thick skin so any/all criticism is well taken. Nobody could learn if everyone agreed or had the same opinion as everyone else. After looking at the other versions, I would have to say that Grahame has made the best of it. I couldn't really figure out how to make the fence stand out from all the rest and kind of guide you through the frame. I've only been using LR to PP images but I think I may need to learn more than just pano stitching and HDR in PS. I feel comfortable using LR for most of my images but I feel out of my league when trying to use PS. Too many bells and whistles. Anyway, thanks to all that did their rendition of a fairly boring scene. Oh, and Izzie, that pathway was actually that crooked. It is on the Oregon coast that leads to/from Haceta Head Lighthouse and it was a foggy day, which is probably why it appears so dull.

[pnodrog]

All it needs now is a small point of interest....

[FootLoose]

... I feel out of my league when trying to use PS. Too many bells and whistles...

Just take it one bell at a time and you'll get there.

[Glenn NK]

I'd agree with Manfred. It's quite a busy image and post-processing needs to help the viewer by saying 'this is where I want you to look'. So directing attention into the centre will let the viewer's eyes start there and then they can work their way around the rest of the image.

I'd surely agree with Donald's assessment; "quite a busy image" and "this is where I want you to look".

My personal opinion based on those statements: Go and re-shoot the image that shows where you want people to look.

And because the lighting if very flat, it will be difficult, so as John (Shadowman) says, reshoot on a sunny day, in the evening.

And if you have to add a blue sky, then I'd venture that it's one of those images from which one learns much, but should be kept solely as a reminder of what to/not to do in the future.

From the compositional point of view, although the path/fence leads one into the scent, the path disappears to the right, but where it disappears to can't be seen because the fence in the foreground is hiding its destination.

Now, lets throw in the point made by L. Paul - "All it needs now is a point of interest". Oh, sorry, it has one.

The rabbit should satisfy Donald's requirements.

You are not alone - I took quite a few images probably not as good - I binned them.

My mother had an expression - something about a silk purse or whatever.

Glenn

[IzzieK]

Just take it one bell at a time and you'll get there.

Greg, maybe you mean "take it one bell at a time and before you know it, you'll get whistling..."

I like the edit of Grahame but LPaul's makes it more interesting...don't you think?some people are just instantly creative in their thinking...

[jcuknz]

I agree with Lukas
I suggest that what you thought you saw was actually not there and the file is best left in the computer files and forgotten. If there is nothing there no amount of PP will create it.

edit .. While L.Paul's animal adds interest to be worthwhile one should crop out the woodland otherwise it becomes typical of the DSLR shot whose owner doesn't have the right lens for the shot and includes a lot of junk becuase they have not learnt selection.

[Stagecoach]

Think life cycle of timber !

[FrankMi]

Hi Brian,

to me, this kind of scene needs to be worked a bit, looking for different shooting angles that might bring out more of what attracted you to shoot the scene. Did you by chance, have a shot from a slightly higher angle? If the continuation of the path wasn't blocked by the upper right rail it might provide a different feeling to stopping along the path to admire the life cycle of the fallen tree.

[Brev00]

I think the value of this image is learning what made it go off trail so you can get more of what you want next time. For me, the big 'no, no' is the fallen tree lying across the scene. A strong horizontal line like that even in an otherwise empty scene would be hard to overcome. But, here it conflicts with all the upright trees and the lines of the fence. Some branches are even sticking out of the right edge. So, the busy quality many have mentioned is rooted in the very nature of the scene (all these puns are intentional, sorry). Many photo writers talk about simplifying, getting rid of extraneous detail. For this scene, in my imagination, I move to the left against the fence and maybe even climbing on. Then, I focus down to the right to capture the curve of the fence with little of the surrounding woods. If I want more of the woods, I would move past the fallen tree and maybe use a bit of fence in the framing of the woods. So, using this image to learn from, yes. Editing it for a final print, I would say no.