Tree silhouette - What do you think?

New to Lightroom, I was looking for something to experiment with. I ended up "tweaking" the image below.

Although I like it more, I am a little insecure about the LR version because I feel like I took more risk with the colors. I am wondering if there is anything obviously out of whack and what you might think?


Bibble (before):


LR (after):


Comments?

Hi Ed

it all depends of your intent!

for me the 1st look real and the 2nd unreal…
(BTW I'm sure you may get the same light tonality of the 2nd in Bibble)

The first looks more realistic to me also.

Did you use the same WB point in both? Also looking at the grass it looks like the exposure in the second was turned up more by LR.

Hi Ed,

It could be that the second is real under very special circumstances except for the violet and purple color as they are extreme.

Nicolas hit the nail on the head. What do you want and why? The second might be a version an art department might make to match the color scheme of a particular article in a magazine or product on a billboard. However, that is merely using the picture as a kind of wallpaper or less important background one might get from a stock agency.

I don't care about real! In OPF we are, as Nicolas pointed out, paramountly concerned with the photographer's and clients artistic intent and purpose. Is it effective? Which would you prefer on your wall? Without knowing more, the first would be chosen, but for a room with a lot of wooden furniture. However, the tree itself is not really magnetic in it's current placement centrally in the picture with no special features that make pull one in and provide a path for the eye and mind. Although I'm the not any important voice in photography, let me share with you some esthetic preference: I don't like pictures cropped tightly, preferring freedom for the object of interest. I like space, but that's my own sentiment. I may crop of a shoulder or even a forehead in a portrait, but that's an artistic conceit carefully thought out. Lacking a particular design imperative, I go for getting the whole subject in a milieu that works and allows our brains to create our own stories when we look at your picture. Your tree has missing ends of twigs, but without any obvious design reason. The central placing is not, to my eye, helpful in the presentation.

Thanks for bravely sharing, because this testy subject of color change is a worthwhile area to investigate. It is, however, fraught with both easy benefit and easier disaster for your pictures. I'm very scared to make major changes. However, subtle changes can be powerful and beneficial. Think of the use of gels, a golden reflector to provide warm cold or other nuanced light. In that way there is control. To change Mother Nature as you have done is much harder to do well, however it's very much worthwhile doing.

Asher

Ed,

Just another small but, I think, important point for serious work: with most changes, even sharpening I try to put that image aside then return later. I then add back as much as the previous version as possible without losing the essence of the new effect.

what is real?

what did this scene look like *to you* at the time you shot it? as nicolas asked, what was your intent with the shot? were you going for the realistic look, or were you attempting bolder color to see how far you could go.
those are just 2 different images to me, not one that is "right" colorwise and one that isn't...i've certainly seen - as have others i'm sure - many a sunrise/sunset where the world was colored like #2, orange grass and all. honestly, those are ones that people "ooooohhhhh" over and they sell better for me. and if the color is there, part of the pleasure of processing is making decisions about how much of that color you want in the final image.
and if i were picking one for my wall, i'd pick #2...but that's what makes the world go 'round

A great variety of responses! How exciting

Nicolas: One of the weaknesses in the current version of Bibble is that, without a third-party plug-in, tweaking HSL of the colors is much more limited (and/or just more difficult).

Ron: I DID change the white balance! Which perhaps gives me a hint as to how to get a little more yellow (vs. Orange) back in perhaps?

Asher: I was indeed just playing around, following my nose so to speak. After leaving it lay and coming back to it (before you suggested it, as a part of posting the pictures), I decided I'd like more yellow back in from the original. So, when I play with it next time that will probably be the goal. Also, one of my primary concerns was the purpley sky...

Marian: I agree with you, I'd take #2 for my wall. However, I don't always have the most technical visual preferences, and I think I was asking those that are more color technique oriented for some perspective!

Thanks all for you time and comments! Any more are welcomed also...

Edward, this is the beauty of Photoshop. With one image you can create many different looking sunsets that evoke different emotions or reactions....simply by altering the white balance.

The blessing and the curse! Makes me think of Asher's recent thread with sentiments along the same line!

I like both images, but in the second one I would just keep the colors of the skin and leave the color of the grass from the first photo.

The second image looks like it has a color cast ( because of the effect), so keeping the grass color from the first one could make a nice balance and make it more real. The clouds are too sharpen.

Thanks for the input Aida. I will check out those photoshop tutorials you mentioned in the other thread - I don't think I've seen those mentioned anywhere before. Where'd you run across those?

I hope I could be of help.
I've mentioned books for Photoshop. I've found them searching Amazon.com and the Internet.
They have really great tips and info to create a strong base in using PS.