Hello Jack,

Nice sunset with some foreground interest but for me you have a little too much sky and not enough foreground, although I can only guess what other foreground there was to capture. Maybe a "letterbox" crop could work along with lightening the sunlight on the static caravans which is easily achieved buy going to "Levels" and lightening the "midtones" then using a layer mask and brush set to black erase the effect from the rest of the image. Leave it at 100% when erasing the sky but lower the strength (opacity) to around 25-30% for the water to help blend in the adjustment.

Hey what harm can you do to a copy.

Take care
Martin

Hi Mike,

Nice lowlight capture, well done.

Mike you can make it "in ya face" a touch more with a couple of simple adjustments in PS (which you say you have). First make a copy then in your blend modes select "Overlay", this will make the lighter colours lighter and the darker colours darker, remeber you can always erase the effect from areas that you don't want to alter. You can also reduce the opacity but to show you the effect I left it at 100%. Next make another copy and go to "Filters" and select "Other" > "High Pass", High Pass acts as a sharpening tool so don't go overboard with it apply just enough so as not to get any haloing (remember you can always reduce the opacity) and again in your blend modes selct "Overlay"

These two adjustments are the only ones I made in the mod.

Take care
Martin

Hi Robert,

As Dave say's a very moody scene captured, nice shot.

Robert if you have PS/Elements etc try giving the foreground a reduced bleached look. First make a copy then in your adjuments select Hue/Saturation and check the ‘colorize’ box, leave the Hue and Lightness to 0, while altering the saturation to +30. Next in your blend modes select "Screen" then erase the effect from the sky and to finish off use your burn tool set to "Shadows" at 4% and sweep it over the foreground grass and lightly over the hills in the background.

Posted a mod with these adjustments made.

Take care
Martin

Hi Garreth,

Well spotted and now you have an image of a Puffin to use as a yard stick for the next time you are lucky enough to spot one. I guess you were in a similar position to me when I captured my one and only shot of a Kingfisher, no tripod, hand held and ended up with a slightly blurred image which unfortunatly there's not a lot you can do about. There are things you could try with the "Emboss filter" if you have PS which will fix a very slight motion blur but I don't think you will get a sharp image in this case. Garreth what I'd try first is the "Shadows & highlights" adjustment if you have it or in "levels" darken the midtones a little and erase from certain areas until you've strengthened the image to your liking.

Well spotted Garreth and I look forward to your next Puffin capture.

Take care
Martin

Hi Billy,

Excellent colours and composition, it all works very well. I'm glad you did not put this up for mods, it's a good capture, well done.

Billy set the dodge and burn tool to 4% and lightly run the dodge tool (set to highlights) over the sea, this may bring out a little more sunlight, then use the burn tool on both midtones and then shadows and run this over the image (be careful not to overdo it) this may give the sea a little more definition

Sorry i've not been around much but I bought a D700 so i've been out and about playing and I have a lot of processing to do before we shot off to Bulgaria with the kids and grandkids for a week at the end of the month

Take care
Martin

Hi Graham,

I like the angle of the building, it takes your eye's deep into the image, well done.

Graham I've never been to Alcudia but with the lights being on and reflecting into the water I guess it may have been a little darker. You can darken the image a touch by going to "Levels" in your software and moving the middle pointer to the right which will darken the midtones, you may also have this option in the "Default" box. Then by adding a touch of vibrance you can strenghten the colours.

Made these adjustments in the mod and sharpened slightly

Nice shot Graham.

Take care
Martin

Mr Sloan how are you?

Billy the only things i've done in the mod is to crop out the lorry on the right as I feel it's an unwanted distraction but this is only to my eye's. Then if your make a quick selection of the main lorry and go to "Levels" by moving the middle pointer on the slider to the right you can strengthen the midtones (you may have that option in the default box). By selecting the lorry only you will leave the rest of the image untouched while slightly darkening the paintwork etc.

Take care
Martin

Hi Billy,

A nice angle again on the shot but I think it's a little to tight on the left with the bumper nearly touching the frame and maybe a touch to dark, but hey it's still a nice shot.

Billy make a copy and then select "overlay" from your blend modes to bring out that deep sheen on the paintwork then make anther copy and this time select "Screen" and reduce the opacity to around 50%. This will enable you to keep the deep sheen and also lighten the image a little.

Take care
Martin

Hi Sandra,

I can see why you wanted to capture this sky with a storm brewing.

To a certain point processing is a personal choice so i'm not quite sure what you personally would consider an inprovement. A very simple alteration would be to lighten the foreground to make the machinery more visable and and leave or darken the sky a touch.

Firts make a copy of your image (always work on a copy) then go to levels and lighten the midtones slightly by pulling the middle pointer on the slider to the left, then apply a layer mask and erase the effect from the sky by setting the colour to black and using the brush to paint over the sky. If you remove the effect from areas you didn't want to change the colour to white and brush over those areas agian and this will replace the effect. If you want to darken the sky do the same again but this time move the middle slider to the right.

Sandra it's just a matter of playing with any adjustments you have so long as you always work on a copy you can't do any harm, if it's not as you like it throw the copy in the bin, make another and go again . When you've achieved what your happy with flatten the image and save as abc or 123 etc then when you close your original DO NOT save any changes.

Take care
Martin

Hi Billy,

I like this shot, you've taken it from a good angle and for me the crop is just tight enough.

Billy there are some reflections in the side of the car that can be brought out by using your "Shadows/highlights" adjuster. In elements you will find this option by going to "Enhance" > "Adjust Lighting" > "Shadow/Highlights", make sure you tick the box for all the options.

I've possibly overdone it in the mod slightly but it will show you the reflection in the car which can be enhanced.

Take care
Martin

p.s, sorry about removing yesterdays upload, I should not have posted it in the first place, something was not right with it.

Hi Prabh,

You've captured a nice feeling in this image, you can almost feel the sun that you know is about to appear, well caught.

Did you think about taking the shot in portrait ? sometimes with landscape shots when taken in portrait they can work very well, just a thought.

Prabh I've posted a mod of what it may have looked like but please remeber this is not an improvement to your image, it is very stretched, but the point is to give you another idea.

Take care
Martin

Hi Billy,

It looks a nice loaction that will offer many different opportunities at different times of the year, ask Natalie not to start making jigsaw's, this would be to hard for my eye's .

I think it may be worth trying a small crop on the right so the image start's at the tip of the first Gunnera leaf although this could of course place the building in the wrong position, but certainly worth a go you've got nothing to loose. I would also have a play with your levels and lighten the image a touch, paying more attention to the background as to me that area appears a little on the dark side.

All in all though Billy tell Natalie it's a nice scene and good shot.

Take care
Martin

Hi Billy, how are you,

V1 for me Billy.

Make a copy then go to "Levels" and in the default box select "Lighter Shadows" next apply a layer mask and erase the effect from everywhere except the stones in the foregrund right. Then go to your blend modes and select "Overlay" and this time just erase the effect from the stones.

You will end up with a stronger image. The stones will be a little more visable because you've lightened the shadows and the blues in the sky will be more vibrant because of the overlay. Add a slight touch of saturation if you wish but only a very slight bit.

Take care Billy and thanks for your comments.

Martin

Hi Mark,

Good use of the track leading you into the image, well done.

Mark with a lot of summer shots the background can appear a little soft/hazey, which is how it looks to the eye, You can make a very easy adjustment to give it a bit more definition if you wish. First make a copy then using your quick selection tool select the background from the start of the yellow rape seed to the top of the sky then go top "Select" > "Modify" and expand the selction by around 1 px, then refine the edge using feather set to around 4.2px just to blend it in. Next go into "Levels" and very slightly move your black and midtone pointer's to the right (left and middle ones). This should only alter the selected area.

This is the only adjustment made in the mod.

Take care

Martin

Hi Chris,

Good scene and composition which works very well from this POV.

It does look a little like HDR to me eye's but that could be because you've altered the contrast. Chris try going to "Levels" and slightly altering the midtones (which is the middle pointer on the slider). Move it to the right to give the image a little more definition. If you just want to work on the sky then before making the adjustment just select that area.

Nice image Chris.

Take care
Martin

Good morning Billy, how are you ?

I agree, the centre spot does make a focal point which grabs your eye, well spotted.

Billy I think it might work better if you make a square-ish crop to remove some of the background foilage as in this case to my eye's it acts as a bit of a distraction. Also alter the midtones slightly by going into "levels" and moving the middle pointer (grey) very slightly to the right, but be careful not to over do it . Then using your "Burn" tool set to around 5% gentley run it around the foilage that's left to darken it a little more which will help the flower stand out more.

Take care Billy
Martin

Hi John,

Both nice captures but my vote goes for V2, nice to see your playing around with the sliders

John I think it does need a very slight twist to the right and the midtones need a slight adjustment (see mod). To alter the midtones go to "Levels" and move the middle pointer (grey) very slightly to the right this will dampen down the glare a little. Next use your "Dodge" & "Burn" tools set to around 4% and gentley sweep the dodge over the dark clouds and the burn over the white clounds, this will give the sky a little more definition.

Keep playing John, good shots.

Martin

Morning John,

It looks like you took a few shots of canal life, well done.

John you can easily dampen down the glare coming of the top of the narrow boat to a certain degree. I don't think I've explained about the "Shadows and Highlights" adjustment in your other images but if I have then I apologise.

to use the "Shadows/Highlights" option, if you use PS go to "Image" > "Adjustments" > "Shadows/Highlights" or in Elements "Enhance" > "Adjust Lighting" > "Shadow/Highlights". These slider's do "what it say's on the tin" so to speak and and by making some slight adjustments you can remove some of the glare and lighten some of the darker areas.

This is the only adjustment I've made in the mod.

Take care
Martin

Hi John,

Nice shot with good composition.

John you can make it slightly stronger and make the refections stand out a touch more if you wanted.

After you've made a copy open your levels' window and you will see the black pointer (left hand side) could do with bringing towards the middle, but only a bit. Next in your blend modes select "Overlay" which will make the light colours lighter and the dark colours darker then if you feel the effect is too much reduce the opacity.

These two adjustments are done in the mod.

Take care
Martin

Morning John,

A great place for landscape photography and Waswater is one place I intend to go later on. You've taken this shot from a good position and it works well in my eye's, well done.

John I've not done a mod but I would be tempted to alter the midtones slightly to give it a little more contrst. If you go to "Lavels" or "Curves" you should find a "Default" box, open this box up and you will be offered different chioces to select ie "Stronger Midtones, More caontrst" select these and see what you come up with. You can of course alter the slider's yourselve in levels or bend the line in curves to get dieffernt effects. Remeber to work on one area at a time, for example the hills, and once you've got those as you like them remove the effect from the rest of the image by using a layer mask and black brush. Another simple adjustment you could try is the "Shadows/Highlights" which is under "Enhance" in elements and "Image" > "Adjustments" in PS.

John is it level or do you think it needs a very slight twist to the right, it could be just my eye's and I'm possibly being pedantic

Take care

Martin