I took this at Horseshoe Lake Refuge in Miller City, IL. Unusual site to see cypress trees that far North but that is what they are. Taken on 10/31/09 and the Fall colors were still present. Very minimal processing in PS. Curves, highlight/shadow, light dodge/burn/saturate, and sharpen.
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What a find in the middle of Illinois! I too, would have thought these trees would be located on the edges of Florida!
It was a good find and you made the most of it. Your many comments tell you that there were many interpretations of your handling of this scene.
I guess I am on "the side" of those who think it is a touch over-saturated and thus tends towards harshness. The Hue/Saturation sliders in Photoshop are helpful and by going through all of them just a little at a time, it is frequently possible to build up to an optimum presentation. I put your very fine image on my own computer and (based on the date taken) adjusted the colors to be a bit more cold. That seemed to take the harshness away.
this is just a thought, of course. You are the complete judge of how your work presents.
Keep up the good work. You say you are new to this. Lots of practice and playtime will make you an expert in no time and I look forward to seeing more of your work.
very cool location - the dock is a great added touch. in some respects, the light seems a bit intense on the trees and the saturation (especially the blues) appear pushed a bit too far so that we can see some noise issues in the sky)
Topaz? I like the low PoV & the colours work really well together. As do the vertical lines against the horizontal of the ripples, tree line & pontoon planks
Is this in Texas? IMO your sunlight is very harsh, have you ever tried using gradients before? IMO that would have toned down the harsh sunlight in this picture.
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