# CXS Train#6131



## JRE313 (Jul 10, 2012)

I need opinions on this photo.
Here i have 2 photos go the same train.

I want to ask which sky is the best?

Here is just a normal sky.








Here is a sky with a Nik Software filter called Detail Extractor.


----------



## Bynx (Jul 10, 2012)

I much prefer the second one. The main problem I have with both images is the outline between the train and the sky. You should also watch when small areas are enclosed like those areas on the left side of railings to help get up the steps. The other thing I really find disturbing is the slant of the train. It looks like its about to fall over. Im sure if the walls of the train were vertical all would be well with the world.


----------



## vipgraphx (Jul 10, 2012)

I think both sky's are to soft for the other processing that is going on. Also that halo line in both that Bynx mentioned is killing it.

The small areas that Bynx referred to I would have to agree this is where you need to using masking to fix those areas.

Problem with wide angle lenses is sometimes the distortion works for the photo and sometimes it does not. In this case I think it works against it and some lens correction would have helped you.


----------



## JRE313 (Jul 11, 2012)

What do u mean by too soft??


----------



## vipgraphx (Jul 11, 2012)

You had to use some type of noise reduction in the sky. Or what ever filter you used made the clouds soft in both photos. If you are using topaz adjust for any of your filters do you have the noise reduction on? Are you using Topaz Denoise or any other noise reduction? 

Here is an example

This has no noise reduction added tot he sky. Look at the clouds you can see detail






This has noise reduction added to it. look how soft the clouds are. Loss of detail along with the trees.






When I look at this image the train seems nice and sharp with detail and then in the sky it looks like you lost that detail.

Here I used noise reduction for the sky but created a duplicate layer and then I brought down the opacity of the noise reduction layer so it was not so soft. This is an actual 3 exposed handheld HDR  not a single image. I think this was a good use of noise reduction for the sky.




stands by VIPGraphX, on Flickr


Now in this picture I think I had poor use of noise reduction. Do you notice how the sky does not match the rest of the image. Look at some of the lower branches where it took the noise reduction it lost detail. Now look at the sky closer to the horizon and you see how the clouds got really soft and lost detail....This is what I mean with your image.....





trail to lake by VIPGraphX, on Flickr


----------

