Trying to decide ...

My experience has been, and looking at Izzy's reworking helps confirm this, that Shadows/Highlights is a tool that is most successfully used in rare cases and subtly. Curves, levels, and dodging and burning often can accomplish what Shadows/Highlights often does in a more rough and less visually harmonious manner. The dark line of trees looks artificially lightened in Izzy's, because Shadows/Highlights creates an artificial-looking fuzz/haze. The Highlights tool gives a kind of bumpy texture to what was originally a more organic yet still not blown main highlight in the center of the sky. (If I found the bright spot too bright, I might try a patterned brush and very lightly brush in some texture from a mid-tone section of the sky.) It also hardened the darker edges of many of the smaller, lighter clouds so they feel less soft.

 

I think kmac's final version has a more organic, natural feel, though the added sunbeams stand out because of their sharp texture and software-generated feel. Those sunbeams, for me, become the dominant energy feature of a photo that originally had a more still, sublime, meditative quality to it.

The dark line of trees looks artificially lightened in Izzy's, because Shadows/Highlights creates an artificial-looking fuzz/haze. .

 

Hmmm! I see what you mean by "fuzz/haze". Don't use "Shadows/Highlights" that often and I don't know if I'd call it "fuzz/haze". But! I am taking note of it and the next time I do any editing with "Shadows/Highlights", I will pay closer attention and see what happens.

Hope you don't mind.

 

No, not at all, I've noted your changes. In particular, I now like how the detail in the highlight below the top middle cloud stand out more, I'll work on that.

 

 

though the added sunbeams stand out because of their sharp texture and software-generated feel. Those sunbeams, for me, become the dominant energy feature of a photo that originally had a more still, sublime, meditative quality to it.

 

Thanks for your comments Sam. Yes you are quite right, the sun beams still don't look right. Photoshop provides the geometry and a few basic adjustments for adding "sun beams" in their crude form, but the rest is left to the "artist" to modify them to suit the composition, and that's the hard part. However, with each step I'm getting closer, and learning a lot in the process. No doubt I'll have other images that sun beams will enhance, so the practice I'm getting now will be for more than just a one-time effort.

No, not at all, I've noted your changes. In particular, I now like how the detail in the highlight below the top middle cloud stand out more, I'll work on that.

 

Glad to help (G)!.

Don't know how well this'd work, how to do it, or even if it could be done, but! This is a grayscale (b\w) landscape. Among the tools used in that genre (at the time of image capture) are assorted filters (red, green, blue, yellow, etc.) which are placed over the lens. Don't know how but if there was some way of duplicating the effect that say a yellow or red filter in front of the lens at the time of capture might've had. Don't know what kind of difference (if any) it would make for this image, but it might be worthwhile to look into for future reference.

Among the tools used in that genre (at the time of image capture) are assorted filters (red, green, blue, yellow, etc.) which are placed over the lens.

 

I'll be using filters from now on. Nearly all my shots in recent years have been for testing cameras and expired film as my film camera collection grows. I'll try out a yellow filter first up for landscapes, then a polarizer. I've collected about twenty filters of various kinds, just haven't used them.

 

I've essentially finished all the testing I wish to do, now I'll just go for the "photography". I now know what each camera is capable of and my fav format is 6X9, plenty of 120 film around, no excuse to use expired film any more, although I have a mile of it.

 

For the image in question, to darken the sky in Photoshop, I used the "Quick Selection" tool to separate the sky from the land so the land wouldn't darken with it, but I guess a yellow filter may have avoided going to all that trouble. I won't bother any more with this landscape except to give the sun beams another go. Sam has been very assisting with his "software-generated feel" critique comment, so back to the drawing board with the sun beams. I have another pictorial idea to try, another way to present the sun beams. Less beams, strategically placed, and perhaps gradually fading before they hit the ground. That's the benefit of the "Critique" forum, it generates new ideas to try, for continual improvement.

Edited May 25, 2021 by kmac

That's the benefit of the "Critique" forum, it generates new ideas to try, for continual improvement.

 

Amen!!!