[PP/Editing Help Requested] Can this be salvaged? Hi - I was in the right place at the wrong time. The original image was underexposed. I did the best I could using Lightroom and I...

ft Loc: New York, USA

Hi - I was in the right place at the wrong time.
The original image was underexposed.
I did the best I could using Lightroom and I thought I was happy with it until my better half thought that it was (still) overall blah and somewhat dreary.
Is it possible to make this image appear like it was taken on a nice day using Lightroom?
I have Photoshop available to me but I am a rank beginner in PS.
I have uploaded the before and after photos and I welcome any suggestions and techniques to improve this image.
Thanks for your help.
-Frank

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Ourspolair

You could try a sky replacement in PhotoShop...

ft Loc: New York, USA

Ourspolair wrote:

You could try a sky replacement in PhotoShop...

Thank you - I was thinking of that. That's a technique I'll need to learn.

ft Loc: New York, USA

Follow up - I didn't realize PS had a "Sky Replacement" tool. A quick try with it did wonders. Thank you!
I am going to keep working on the image to brighten it up. Thanks again!

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I would not replace the sky. I think it is dynamic and adds to the overall look and feel of the photo. I would darken the sky a bit (and the water as it reflects the sky). I would possibly lighten the first mountain on the left.

ft Loc: New York, USA

Follow up - I didn't realize PS had a "Sky Replacement" tool. A quick try with it did wonders. Thank you!
I am going to keep working on the image to brighten it up. Thanks again!

ft Loc: New York, USA

photoman022 wrote:

I would not replace the sky. I think it is dynamic and adds to the overall look and feel of the photo. I would darken the sky a bit (and the water as it reflects the sky). I would possibly lighten the first mountain on the left.

Thank you photoman!

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

ft wrote:

Hi - I was in the right place at the wrong time. ... (show quote)

Depends on what you mean by 'salvaged.'

Would've been nice to have worked with a raw file.... Most of what I did was done in Lr. Ps was used mainly because some layers and blendings were needed.

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ft Loc: New York, USA

Cany143 wrote:

Depends on what you mean by 'salvaged.'

Would've been nice to have worked with a raw file.... Most of what I did was done in Lr. Ps was used mainly because some layers and blendings were needed.

Wow! Whatever the definition, you did salvage the image. Thank you.
I didn’t think that UHH allowed uploading of raw files, so I didn’t try.
Thanks again, I have much to learn in PP.

twosummers Loc: Melbourne Australia or Lincolnshire England

Here you go mate!

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R.G. Loc: Scotland

If you want sunny, a sky change would be needed. If you want moody, stick with what you have. I didn't go for sunny or moody, choosing instead to add more colour to what you have. It hasn't turned it into a sunny day but instead I went for a normal, overcast look with a bit more colour than the original and brighter than the original. The extra colour is due to saturation, tweaks with the HSL tool, split toning and for the sky, the Adjustments brush.
.

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abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

R.G. wrote:

If you want sunny, a sky change would be needed. If you want moody, stick with what you have. I didn't go for sunny or moody, choosing instead to add more colour to what you have. It hasn't turned it into a sunny day but instead I went for a normal, overcast look with a bit more colour than the original and brighter than the original. The extra colour is due to saturation, tweaks with the HSL tool, split toning and for the sky, the Adjustments brush.
.

I agree that the original brooding sky is a lot more interesting. I also agree the tools used to rework it. The original picture itself is very nice. I would have increased clarity and dehaze a bit to increase the snap in addition to the HSL sliders. I wonder how increasing the green might have helped. What bothers me, however, is the lack of sharpness. I do not know if that was due to the camera being hand-held or a low quality lens. If you can get back there, this is the kind of scene that should be shot through the year to capture the changing moods. Thanks for posting.

algriffin Loc: New Mexico

Camera Raw filter and sky replacement.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

The sky in the second version is the most interesting part of the photo--leave it alone.

ft Loc: New York, USA

Thank you all for your examples, suggestions and constructive remarks.
Thanks for pointing out the lack of sharpness — I’ll re-visit the original and the exif data. The cause would be on me, not the lens.
Thanks again everybody. I hope to use this experience to improve pre- and post- actions.