An attempt at PP - comments welcome

[rawill]

I went to the garden and took this photo with the aim of making a few changes, and seeking some comments.

I am thinking I want to to get a tripod and try some stacking too, or am I trying to run before I can walk.

Robin.

The original:


My changes:

[Donald]

I am thinking I want to to get a tripod and try some stacking too, or am I trying to run before I can walk

Certainly not. So far as the tripod is concerned, then it should be right up there on the list of needs. If you know that you want to master the skill of stacking images, the go for it.

As for the images posted. Obviously you were the only one there and it's you who knew how you wanted the final version to appear. Based on what we see as the original it feels that you've pushed it quite a lot on post-processing. But, if these were the colours you saw when you pressed the shutter, then fine.

EDIT - If you haven't seen it already, there's a good discussion about stacking going on at the same time as this thread is active. It's over here.

[rawill]

Yes, that thread got me going on stacking.

Thank you for the comments, I think it has gone too far, some of it seems to have washed out a bit.

But I haven't really got a clue what I am doing!
Just experimenting.

[Geoff F]

The original appears to have potential; and does need a little brightness added. But I think you have probably overdone the saturation with your edit.

I would probably have used a little bit of Curves adjustment and little, if anything, else.

Sometimes when I find that simply using Curves is pushing the colour/saturation a little bit too far, I do the adjustment on a layer and set the layer blend mode to Luminosity so only the brightness gets affected.

But that idea does assume that you have suitable software and a bit of previous experience.

[Donald]

But I haven't really got a clue what I am doing!
Just experimenting.

But that's called learning. Keep on doing it.

[Daisy Mae]

But that's called learning. Keep on doing it.

yep...I have taken some decent shots and processed them into a monster.

If I have learned anything it is to treat each stage like an eye test ..better or worse.and use the delete as often as the add.

Most important ..have FUN!

[rawill]

The original appears to have potential; and does need a little brightness added. But I think you have probably overdone the saturation with your edit.

I would probably have used a little bit of Curves adjustment and little, if anything, else.

Sometimes when I find that simply using Curves is pushing the colour/saturation a little bit too far, I do the adjustment on a layer and set the layer blend mode to Luminosity so only the brightness gets affected.

But that idea does assume that you have suitable software and a bit of previous experience.

Thank you,
I haven't used curves as I don't understand them, as I said before I am a complete novice.

I am using FastStone.