Ok. Hit me.

I think the bush in the middle distracts. It gives the impression that You've wanted to capture the bush, not the landscape. Maybe a little crop from the bottom helps? But I like the sky and the architecture behind the bush.

This is fascinating, it looks like our prairie famrs but here the border bushes are planted trees and out buildings look different, they tend to be white. We have more grain silos and storage bins made of corrigated steel. The only suggesion I would make is a little dodging on the bush to bring out more detail. Perhaps a slight brightening, and maybe crop the grassland in front of the bush to bring the bush closer to the bottom of the screen (make it more pano-like).

I think that "bush" is a dry stone wall guys! (They're perhaps peculiar to the UK?).

--NN

noisynoodle Wrote:I think that "bush" is a dry stone wall guys! (They're perhaps peculiar to the UK?).

--NN

Thanks for that NN, I thought they meant the tuft of grass at the bottom.
Yes. It is a dry stone wall, but it is dominating the picture I guess.

NT73 Wrote:

noisynoodle Wrote:I think that "bush" is a dry stone wall guys! (They're perhaps peculiar to the UK?).

--NN

Thanks for that NN, I thought they meant the tuft of grass at the bottom.
Yes. It is a dry stone wall, but it is dominating the picture I guess.

What a difference a week makes.
I went out yesterday and took a few more, but with the sleet and snow and stratus cloud they look a bit dull.
But you may make out the dry stone wall a little better.
It almost looks like a B&W shot but for the blue door.

Wow, guess you caught it at the right time in the first one...

Agree somewhat with the bush/wall...

I like the composition of the first one, but the shadows are a little harsh. I actaully prefer the 2nd, but I am a sucker for snow and ice

That looks like my part of the world, I lived in Derbyshire until 5 years ago.

I too prefer the second one, I like being able to see all the detail and the softer light suits the snow covered countryside.

Sorry for playing with your picture but it is beautiful and I couldn't resist to work with it ... Hope you don't mind...

You could mend your first picture increasing the dynamic range in the image...
First you change your image to 16 bits and then to 32 bits then you turn it again to 8 bit or 16 bit and you will have the option to tone your picture... with a higher dynamic range....

Method: Local adaptation because it gives you the opportunity to work with curves and makes good contrast.
Not always this technique makes all in your pictures...

In this case I worked a bit more afterwards. First with birgthess and contrast (I have to do this because I am not so good at curves) and then between these two layers I have a new laye I filled with black color and blended it to soft light and changed the opacity to 7%, this gives a more general contrast... click in your last layer which is b&c and make your last saturation to the image... merge your layers and sharp a bit ...

I understand if yome people think that the colors look a bit overdone or unreal, but I think for a landscape this technique makes your picture look great.... well, I like it a lot

Feel free Irma. It looks like summer. I only have the first edition of PS and it does not have curves, and wether it has 16/32 bit options I dont know. I will have a look. I could get the wall the same when I tried, with the dodge tool or select and alter brightness but the rest went sort of misty. So I left it as it was.

If I got out of bed early the wall would not have been in shadow.

The whole area is nice for photography. Hills, valleys, reservoirs, old houses and animals, but it is better when it is warm.

NT, your image reminds me of an area very close by to me. We had just about the same amount of snow a day ago too. I have to admit, I like the landscape and your image but what Irma has done is a huge improvement.

Petographer Wrote:NT, your image reminds me of an area very close by to me. We had just about the same amount of snow a day ago too. I have to admit, I like the landscape and your image but what Irma has done is a huge improvement.

It is raining heavily now, maybe tomorrow it will be flooded fields. I may get up there again.