My family took a day trip to Dry Falls in Highlands, NC, and I had the opportunity get some great shots throughout the day. On the way back, I quickly snapped this photo of the base of the falls. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to step off the trail to get a better view and I was being rushed back to the car so I just took the quick shot.
I've been trying to edit the photo to bring out the natural colors and do away with some of the sunlight that came in at a weird angle on the rocks, but I'm not really happy with the outcome. Any ideas on how to make this better?
I've just started studying editing and would appreciate any ideas or constructive criticisms. I've uploaded the before and after pic so you can see where I'm starting. Thanks in advance!
Dear Mark,
this is an interesting shot even if it originated from a rushed snap!
CC: in my view, you want to roll back your color adjustment, maybe, halfway to the original photo (or just blend the two). I am also seeing a small plant at the bottom of the picture capturing my gaze. I would suggest cropping just above the plant to bring the far end of the river valley to the top 1/3 line. It will make the eye to follow the river and be drawn into the frame. Hope this is useful, just thoughts.
Best, LY
Wonderful advice! I never thought about blending the images, or cropping out the plant at the bottom... I knew there was something "off" about how my eyes focused on the image but couldn't figure it out. Thank you so much!
You are very welcome, Mark!
LY