Edit: changed the crop and toned down the sky a bit. Thank you everyone for the feedback.
Shot with a Tamron 24-70 while scouting locations for other shots. I used a overlay gradient on the sky to try replicate an ND filter and then isolated the greens and yellows to adjust with a curves adjustment layer. I thought some of the greens were way too saturated to look natural, so I masked them out a bit, but I'm not convinced that it's still not too overdone on the foreground. I welcome any comments and critique. Thank you.
I struggle with this question more than any other. In some of my photos, especially my early ones, my greens were, as one member put it, "radioactive". I think yours here look very nice. Subtle greens with some brown that should be there.
Thank you for the feedback! It's that "radioactive" look that I'm trying to avoid.
Idk if saturation is the issue here, the tones just feel a little off to me, and there is a color clash between sky and grass. I'm curious to see what the original image looked like, its a nice composition otherwise.
Here is the original. Looking at it now, I kind of like the context the long grass in the foreground provides. I didn't like how the horizon split the image in the middle. The comments about t he clash between the sky and the grass really helps, thank you.
I think when I created the B&W layer for my curves adjustment layer and isolated the greens and yellows, I pushed everything too far and I might go back and tone that down a bit. I am not sure I am happy with the transition gradient on the sky either, it seems a bit heavy handed. It doesn't look like I actually used an ND filter and that was what I was going for. Thanks again for the feedback.
Yes, I like the foreground grass in the original as well, it adds texture and depth to the scene. I don't think you need to stray that much from the tones in the original. I think another problem is that the lighting on the image is very flat. Since this is a very simple scene, natural dynamic lighting would have helped it pop more, rather than trying to make colors pop artificially.
I think you're right with the lighting. I think had I had the time to get all of the shots with the 19mm that it would have brought in more of the actual light that was there and maybe have portrayed the storm as it was. Thanks again for your comments, I think I'm going to go back and redo the crop and edits again.
I'd suggest you don't waste your time trying to "save" images with post production. If the image lacks good dynamic lighting, you need to go back to the location with a tripod and catch some interesting light.
I am with Francisco, I don't think the color of the green is the problem. It is that the balance between sky and ground is off. They look like 2 separate pictures to me. But otherwise, really wicked clouds!
Thank you for the comments. For many years I really believed that if you didn't catch everything in the camera you weren't doing something right. I'm still trying to unwind what that is/was all about and I'm starting to try and find more in some of the images I'm taking than just discouragement when the final product isn't what I see when I'm out capturing the image. The comments about the balance between the sky and the grass really helps. Thank you.