Photo Editing/Effects

Question

I just started Photo Editing (Noob). Can anyone help me get photo effect like link1 from image "link2". Any help would be greatly appreciated.

LINK 1 http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=313036452134584&set=a.282130765225153.55408.207325742705656&type=1&theater

LINK 2 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Ulsoor_Lake_Snapshot.JPG

Answer 1

NOTE: I'm not the best at landscapes but I suspect that the first image was taken using a long exposure and at a different time of day than yours. I would say that much of the first image was achieved in camera with minimal post-production.

I didn't think you could achieve the colours in the first link as too much editing would damage the data. It's difficult editing an image in JPEG format but this is what I did in Lightroom 4:

1. Rotated the image so the shoreline was level.

2. Cropped the image (2x3/4x6 ratio constraint). I would have liked the shoreline to be in the foreground and have two-thirds of sky but there wasn't enough room for that. I prefer the feeling of vastness of the water so would use that one instead of putting the shoreline in the middle (I'ved included both so you can see the difference).

3. Tonal Curve : Basic S-shape

4. Basic Highlights and Shadows: the clouds needed some shadows to define them.

5. Split tone: green-ish highlight at about 30 saturation and purple shadow at about 30 saturation.

6. Added a graduated filter in the sky to give more shadow in the clouds.

7. Vibrance, Clarity and other minor tweaks to highlights along the shoreline.

I can't post images directly on here but have linked my interpretation of the image here: http://imageshack.us/f/585/20121222001.jpg/

Hope it helps :)