Kyle Gillis
January 2025 - Sunnylands, Rancho Mirage.
Original
About the Image(s)
I initially thought this photo was too busy but decided due to the depth created by the leading lines and the framing offered by the trees, that it was worth editing to see how it could be improved. My hope was to produce an image that retains a bit of mystery as your eye wanders through the details and shows off how lush a densely planted desert garden can be. All work, including extensive tone-mapping and warping the image to straighten the back path without losing the corners, was done in Photoshop.
I'm especially interested in whether the exposure and contrast need improvement - I don't trust my monitor or my eyesight. Also, I did a lot of work on the open sky and had trouble with the adjoining tree limbs turning blue along the edges. Is the editing too obvious? Guidelines on how much to sharpen the image after resizing would be appreciated. Thank!
Camera: Fuji X-T5
Lens: Fujifilm16-50mm (FFE 32-75mm)
Filters: N/A
F-Stop 6.4
Shutter Speed 1/350
ISO: 125
Focal Length: 16mm (FFE 32mm)
Tripod: No
Location Sunnylands, Rancho Mirage. Off lawn adjacent to the Visitor Center.
Light: Mid-morning sun.
I greatly appreciate your help this month!
Kyle Elizabeth Gillis
5 comments posted
I think you picked a good image and your edits generally work well. I particularly like the side lighting and the highlighted barrel cactus along the walkway. The walkway itself provides a pleasing curved leading line moving the eye from front to back.
I think I tend to consistently underexpose my images. Therefore, your edited version looks a bit too bright to me but I think many others would say the exposure is just fine. In the original image the highlighting of the cactus is quite striking but in your edited version it is less obvious because of the increased brightness/contrast overall. Rather than increasing the overall brightness I think I would have just opened up the shadows using the shadow slider and brush where needed. See attached. I tried to make the sky more blue but that also made the leaves too blue so I left that alone. In your edited version your sky looks better with more detail. When I want to sharpen an image I usually use Topaz sharpen but I don't see any problems with sharpness in your photo. Posted: 01/08/2025 17:34:03
I also find the image to be well composed and am especially drawn to the cactus plants through the use of lighting. The leading line of the pathway and the frame of the arching tree limbs bring the viewer into the imgage. Your editing worked well, I think, Kyle. My only suggestion would to bring down the highlights or to use a brush to reduce the light on the pathway just a bit. Posted: 01/19/2025 15:34:21