346pak Loc: Texas

As the sun was setting over this particular marina, I watched as aircraft came down their final approach right over this marina. With the sun setting, I figured this may have some potential so I scurried around to find the right spot to capture the boats, the arriving aircraft and the sunset. This particular image, I felt had the best composition so I started in Lightroom to make minor tweaks to exposure and color shifts, then exported to Nik HDR efex pro 2 and started with the balanced preset. I made minor tweaks to exposure again and reimported it back into Lightroom. Once back into Lightroom I tweaked balance, saturation, clarity and highlights a bit more until I had what you see here. My objective was to try and capture the event as close to how I saw it as possible. It was not my intent to overcook this or try and make it grungy looking at all. My only gripe, and it is a small one on the NIK collection is it tends to add noise and sometimes ghosting to the files.

Critique welcomed as I am always looking for ways to improve. Thanks

joe west Loc: Taylor, Michigan

#2 pic, over done just a bit, keep trying you will get it, you dont have to go into multi programs too get a good effect,

346pak Loc: Texas

Thanks Joe. I agree the modified shot is perhaps a bit too saturated and probably too bright. I'll work on it and post a revision. Thanks for your perspective. I sometimes get blinded after looking at something for hours on end...

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

HDR Project 3 is free today on Giveaway of the day until midnight. Your post said you used Nik HDR efex pro 2. Would be interesting to see how the two compared with this troublesome photo.
https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/hdr-projects-3/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+giveawayoftheday%2Ffeed+%28Giveaway+of+the+Day%29

Fstop12 Loc: Kentucky

Was this a single image or bracketed images that were combined? As far as Nik adding noise, my guess is the noise was present in the original image and the Nik software just enhanced it. Noise lives in those dark shadows. Try doing any noise correction before using the Nik software.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

There is an element of 'comfort' in #1 that tends toward 'heartburn' in #2.