Great edit!!!

I am far from an expert in these matters, but I do understand what you are talking about when you say it would take forever to do a 'replace color.' I have had this problem before. While I cannot recommend a simple answer, I wonder, and I realize you may not want to do this, but it may be a very nice picture, (and it is a nice picture now), if you were to darken the picture just a little, and change the sky, not to blue, but to a very dark gray. In that case, the gray between the leaves would not be so noticeable as totally different from the rest of the sky. That may even give it a 'stormy' look. I always try to think of a way the picture would be different, (although for stock agencies, they often don't like pictures that are over processed) but just to think of ways that you can get a twist that most people don't think about. That sets your photography apart, at least a little bit. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to think of a lot of 'different' ways, as whenever I do, I find someone has already thought of that.

I know that is not what you wanted to do, so I hope I haven't wasted your time, but maybe something to think about, anyway, good luck.

Yeah, there are a lot of things I could do with it, and I might when I get time. A lot of these pictures I put out for stock agencies, but several of the agencies don't like a lot of processing. They also don't like the same picture over and over again even if it is in different formats, so I will have to wait til I get time to really play around with it.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I just like this shot. What more can I say? It may or may not appeal to anyone else.

(Download)

A very nice message!

Hello everyone.

I read some of the comments in previous posts about how people felt about Christmas. I love the season, though I am glad when it is over too, but more so, I am always glad when January is over because I am not a winter person, do not like cold weather, and do not like short daylight hours. (My favorite day is June 22 because it has more daylight than any other day.)

Anyway, for those who don't like it, I do understand. I would suggest however, maybe that we all accept it as a very nice time, as to a great extent it is all a matter of attitude. Even my dislike of cold and short days is really just an attitude that can be overcome. But I might suggest, if anyone finds it or what it stands for as hypocritical, I might say, "so what?" it is the nature of human beings to be hypocritical because we are so active and so busy that we can't remember how to be everything we should be. There are a few who are purposely hypocritical, that can be ignored and we just stay away from them. Others are incidentally hypocritical because it is hard to know what the proper response is to every situation. We are all just people. And we can love ourselves as we are, and we can make the season extremely joyful no matter how we feel about the background to the occasion. It is meant to be a time of joy and gift giving in love for others. I love it regardless, and I couldn't care less who treats me mean or whatever. I just go on with my life. And I think Christmas time is a wonderful time. Hope everybody enjoys it as much as they can under the circumstances.

One thing I don't think anybody has talked about, if I remember right, is the shadows. The shadows are much more definitive in the second picture, and seem to contrast more with the bright colors. Everything in the first picture is darkener. Usually I like that, but I think the subject matter here allows for a little more brightness, and contrast between the shadows and the main subject. The leaves in the second picture for me are brighter and much easier on the eyes. In that way I like the second one better. Still, it depends on the mood one wants to set.

Everyone says the first one looks more natural, or at least a lot of people do. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me the sky in the second picture looks much more real and so does the grass and the leaves. The colors are more specific and brighter in the second picture. Also, the second picture seems to me to have more detail. It has probably been sharpened more, and I like that, but sharpening can have pluses and negatives. But as I said before both pictures have some great qualities. It just depends on what mood you want to portray.

I just noticed the post that said the sky really was deep blue that day. I thought the top one was more processed. I guess I was wrong. Still, I think the bottom one has a more natural look. And that one has a sky more the color that I would expect. However, I have noticed cameras can sometimes make a sky look bluer than it actually is. I think it depends on the overall effects of the scene on the camera.

Anyway, great pictures.

I would say it really depends on what you want to do with the picture. Both are great.

It does seem that the top picture is more processed than the other; at least in the sense that the colors are a little deeper and richer. However, also a little more unrealistic. The sky is darker than a sky would normally be. But it looks good. Are we looking for a natural look? Or for a more aesthetic look? The bottom one has more of a natural look. Is that better? Yes, and no. It just depends on what impression you want to send to a viewer. I darken the sky significantly in several of my pictures. In others I do not. It just depends on what I feel in the moment and which style I want to impress. I don't think one is better than the other. They just invoke slightly different moods. And every photographer needs to decide which mood he or she intends to portray in a given photograph.

Another 65er. Greatest graduating class in history! Those were the days! But as you said, it wasn't all peaches and roses. There were unprecedented changes in this country during that time, and the times previous, the young people now know nothing about. Even the history books don't really record it all that well. Massive changes for better or for worse. There is no going back. I think every age has its good and bad.

I remember those days better than I remember what I had for breakfast this morning. The video really captures the spirit of the time. And I noticed there was a scene from "American Graffiti" in the video. Those were the days, I have to say. Although, sometimes I am nostalgic for those days, other times, it is well, a different era with different ways. No computers or cell phones back in those days. In fact, I remember when TV first came out, and when we got our first one, and the 'snow' on the screens. It had its own charm, today has its.

Much simpler.

As far as the drugs go, I would have to agree with you. I do think high blood pressure really is a problem, but what the proper guidelines should be I do not know. I believe that over the years the arteries harden due to excessive eating. And just because a person is lean does not mean they do not overeat. We all do, and we are taught a lie. Young people need three meals a day, as we get older we do not. And when we eat excessively, especially an over abundance of meat, the arteries harden and we get high blood pressure. I do not believe drugs are the answer. The answer in my opinion is to stop eating so much. It may be wise to fast days on end. Or eat very little for several days, and drink a lot of fruit juice to help with elimination. That however, is going to be too little too late, and will take years to recover the body. I do not know what an immediate answer might be. Getting the weight down I think helps, but a lot depends on age and how much heavy foods we have eaten over the years.

Such perfect colors!