lwerthe1mer Loc: Birmingham, Alabama

I took this photo several years ago with a Canon Rebel XT and probably a kit 50mm lens. Not the best equipment.

I like the composition but have had difficulty in editing (currently using ON1 Photo Raw 2022). Any thoughts on whether this photo is worth saving and can be improved?

Thanks for your help.

ecblackiii Loc: Maryland

Love the photo!

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

It looks like it was already edited. What other changes do you have in mind?

Paul Murray

IMHO darkening the image by one or two stops would be an immediate improvement. I don't know the software you're using however. I do everything in Photoshop and Affinity Photo. Your image also has an odd greenish yellow caste to it -- also easy to fix.

13 Loc: I am only responsible to what I say..not what

I tried...how is this

Paradise Pirate Loc: Cape Coral, FL

I would try dehaze filter in PS, play with slider.

Chris F. Loc: San Francisco

👍👍

13 Loc: I am only responsible to what I say..not what

I forgot to "dehaze it". lol

13 Loc: I am only responsible to what I say..not what

0-well I tried.

tgreenhaw

I was going to try and then I saw yours, which is exactly what I would go for.

It proves the shot was worth saving :-)

bebop22 Loc: New York City

it is enough processing. It is okay now.

therwol Loc: USA

More than enough. I have always said here that people can do what they want with their pictures if it pleases them, so there is no criticism intended, however all of them look too overcooked to me and my taste. I prefer this "bland" picture of the canyon because that's how I remember it and that's how it came out of my camera. Don't get me wrong, I've doctored pictures myself but generally in more subtle ways.

(Download)

lwerthe1mer Loc: Birmingham, Alabama

Thanks to everyone for weighing in on my photo. The photo I sent was already edited, and I guess I should have sent my unedited RAW image,

I had printed and framed a prior version. After looking at it for several weeks, I concluded that it wasn’t a “wall hanger” and took it down. The coloring in the photo was too subdued for my taste. The river and contours of the cliffs were indistinct and lacked contrast.

Today I revisited the photo and made changes which approximated the changes made by 13. In the photo I submitted, I backed off of the more dramatic coloring trying to get a bit closer to reality.

Therwol’s comments are very valid, but his quest for realism makes my photo very dull and uninteresting. Maybe the photo just doesn’t work.

However, without intending to be critical of the quest for realism, it seems to me that the great majority of the photos I have viewed have been made more dramatic in post processing. Intense saturation and contrast, sky replacements, masking, etc.

My personal preference is 13’s version. It’s vivid colors create depth and highlight the river as a leading line.

I guess it’s just a matter of personal preference and taste. There is no “right” or “wrong” answer. Art and beauty are defined by the eyes of the beholder.

therwol Loc: USA

I think that you're right in saying that most of the photos posted on this forum have been tweaked a bit, and there is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with what you did to your photo. You only need to please yourself.

Just to show you that I can like modified photos as works of art, take a look at this post and thread that goes on for 6 pages. I think a few, and only a few are overdone. The rest are brilliant. I'd like to know how he did it.

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-729015-1.html

cameranut Loc: North Carolina

I agree. We think alike on this subject. Sometimes less is more.