Morning in the Park

[Cheryl Flory]

Canon 40D
1/100"
F8
ISO 400
70mm

different morning, same river.
I know this image is not as sharp, so I am going to pretend I intended it to be "softer".
does that work?? :D

How can I improve this? I did sharpen slightly the runners and the branches near them, but then decided that they stood out too much.

what do you think?

[Thanaboon Jearkjirm]

I like this as it is, but can you post the sharpen version as well?
Like how you place the runners in the middle, they feel like the main subject to me even though they are small in frame. This tell a lot of stroy, nicely done. The morning light is a plus too, but not sure about the brush in LRHC, a little dark compare to the rest of the picture.

[David Thomasson]

Another winner, Cheryl! I can hear Grieg playing in the background. :p The quality of the light really makes this one.

Here's the direction I would go with it ...

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/9356/morningq.jpg

Animated gif for comparison (500k) ...

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/3028/morningo.gif

[Cheryl Flory]

how did you do that, David? (In addition to saturating the yellows. color balance??)

[Cheryl Flory]

Thanaboon,
here it is with a little sharpening--

[David Thomasson]

how did you do that, David? (In addition to saturating the yellows. color balance??)

Not saturation. A photo filter, using Blend If to keep it from affecting the darker areas.

Cloned out the little gaps in top center.

Used Threshold to isolate the brightest areas on the left and across the path, made a mask with that, and painted on a blank layer in Overlay mode to brighten those areas.

For the pale green branches in the shadows at top-center, painted on a blank layer in soft light mode to bring those out a little more.

Sharpened overall with USM.

[Lance Peters]

Nice work on the repost David - nIce base image Cheryl!!
Like the light and the composition.
TFS

[Gus Cobos]

The composition and lighting is sweet Cheryl...I like it...Dave's repost puts it over the top...looking forward to the next one...:cool:

[Cheryl Flory]

Thank you for the directions on how you adjusted my image, David. but wow! that is way over my head. lol I will have to see if I can figure out what you mean...

Thank you everyone! Your critiques are so extremely helpful!! thank you!

[Alfred Forns]

Sweet image and what a re post !!! Sweet all over !!!

... Cheryl would have tired to have the people a little to the right of the tree to keep from merging !!! Got a big keeper !!!!

[Oscar Zangroniz]

Great composition and soft tones. Excellent mood to this.
Congrats.,

[David Thomasson]

... Cheryl would have tired to have the people a little to the right of the tree to keep from merging !!!

Good point! Maybe make them a little smaller and further in the distance, and take out the other person with the dog, which now seems slightly distracting to me.

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/7193/morning2.jpg

[Cheryl Flory]

Hey, at least I waited until the 3rd and 4th runners were behind a tree!! lol

but actually, I do like it better with the people moved. At the time I was taking this photo, I had just met another photographer at the park who was telling me what I was doing wrong. I saw this and was photo-ing this scene, and he was looking at me like I was crazy for shooting it. But as soon as I saw this lighting, I knew I would like it, if I could get the adjusting correct.

[Harold Davis]

the last repost nails it for me!!! well seen and executed, cheryl. great use of the light.