Hazy Illinois River valley

[Wheeler McDougal Jr.]

Hi All- I really like this image, but I am wondering about the bush on the right side of the frame. Sould I have cropped it out at the time of exposure. I like it but I am no sure it is very good there. What do you think? Also, the river vally is quite hazy and I am wondering whether a polorizing filter would have made some difference in cutting through the haze.

Thanks
Mac

2008:11:01 11:02:35
24-120mm @ 120mm
120mm (in 35mm film)
1/800 sec, f/14
Mode: Program
Metering: Multi-segment
ISO: 1600
White balance: Auto
Flash: Off
File size: 936KB
Image size: 4256 x 2832
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Contrast: Normal
Color profile: sRGB

[Alfred Forns]

Didn't like the little bush but is growing on me ( no pun intended :) )

The one feel I'm getting from the image is that cropping is just off? On the bottom there is some green grass and the little bush is clipped. Would like seeing none of the grass and more of the bush (if kept) An alternative would have been pointing the camera down more.

The use of the polarizer would have intensified the fall colors but not sure that it would cut down the haze.

[Robert Amoruso]

Mac,

Use a Local Contrast Enhancement using USM on BG copy at 20/50/0 will cut some of the haze.

Haze can be used effectively to add depth to an image but the BG needs to be more interesting then it is here. The green bush is a distraction and the detailess sky would need to be cropped out. Once you do that, you are only left with the small patch of orange leaves which by itself is not a strong image. I just don't feel this image matches up to your other stronger postings.

If the colorful foliage was the subject a better position was needed. If the view was the subject, the haze is too distracting. The tan grass in the FG is also distracting.

Try this link for removing a blue haze http://www.lunacore.com/photoshop/tutorials/tut016.htm.

Using a skylight or UV filter on the camera also reduces haze.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Mac,
All good advice above.........and i do have to ask.........why ISO 1600??? You could have gone down a bit to avoid noise...........that much speed wasn't necessary......definite overkill. Time of day here is too far gone IMO.........so a few hours earlier or late would have given better results.

[Wheeler McDougal Jr.]

Roman and Robert, HI
Sorry I didn't get back to this but have been busy. I have submitted a repost of the image and used Robert's web address to try to get rid of some of the haze. I think it helped. I cropped out the bush on the right and all the grass at the bottom. The crop of the bottom wouldn't let me crop all the grass so I removed what was left. I think the result was better, but I agree with Robert that it is a weak image overall but certainly better than the first post. Thanks for the help.
Mac

[Wheeler McDougal Jr.]

Sorry the image was a bit too big and didn't upload. I fixed it and I hope it will work this time. P.S. I don't like the color of the sky and water, too much green it think, can't seem to rid the image of it.

By the way Roman the 1600 ISO was just a stupid mistake!

Mac