Peggy Reeder
March 2025 - Desert Sunset
Original
About the Image(s)
This sunset image was taken in the Arizona foothills. I did editing in both Lightroom and Photoshop. My goal was to add texture and color to the sky by enhancing the clouds. The main effect was to warm it up and make the colors more pinks and oranges vs blues and purples. I like the look on my monitor, but I recognize that it may not appear the same on yours.
5 comments posted
The first thing I noticed in this image is that it is divided half sky and half land. Based on what you say, the sky is your main subject. Therefore, I suggest to eliminate the darkest part of the foreground and give more dominance to the sky. I selected the sky and pumped up the saturation a bit, then brightened the Re a bit and cropped the bottom a bit. See what you think. Posted: 03/06/2025 10:05:07
I like what you've done Joe. I thought my sky was pretty good, but I like yours better. Also think the crop is a good improvement. I didn't want to shoot much further to the left because that brought in more of the building, and the sky was becoming too bright. Thanks for the suggestions. Posted: 03/13/2025 17:25:12
I agree with Joe on the cropping and saturation. I would also eliminate that building in the lower left. It looks like the brightest part of the remaining sunset is to the left. Any thought given to moving the lens that way? Posted: 03/06/2025 15:03:46
I like the diagonal lines (rays, almost) given off by the clouds, which give a dynamic feel to what would ordinarily be a static look. I do agree that, although the sunset is not all that prominent, my 'mind's eye' is drawn to that corner and upsets the compositional balance somewhat. Could you have moved the camera to your left so that the sunset would have been moved closer toward the middle? There is a rule of thirds of sort with the green brush in the foreground, the hillside,and then the sky. Posted: 03/12/2025 19:44:10
You've done a nice job with the sky. Joe's version is a little more dramatic. I like the larger mountain on the right and think it might change the look if it was removed by shifting to the left. Posted: 03/26/2025 19:07:57