Photoshop is the answer, not what you're thinking. These shots just can't be repaired to create that perfect picture in the sense you're thinking. Think outside the box for a minute. Change the goal of the shot from the perfect picture into an artful masterpiece. Your own unique interpretation. Never let on that it wasn't what you intended and people will think you're the most creative, artsy person they know.
Photoshop is a powerful tool and can do a lot more than tweek photos. Using the available filters and sliders you can literally change the shot so dramatically it will look nothing at all like a photograph but become a masterful piece of art. It is almost as much fun as taking the pictures. Below are a couple of my own examples.
This is Mabry Mill along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. I had hoped to get some clear shots of the mill that included a lot of detail and the reflection on the water. Having never been there before I did not know what kind of lighting to expect. Of course it was awful! But, I had to make due, I wasn't going to be able to come back in the morning for the perfect lighting situation. HDR wouldn't work well either because it was too windy and the shrubs and trees would become a blur. I took my shots and when I got home I went to photoshop to make the best of it. It couldn't be repaired so -- here we go -- outside the box.
While still in RAW (Always shoot in RAW, it has so much more information and detail, making it easier to tweek). I increased the fill light to bring out the detail in the water wheel and deeply shadowed side of the mill, then saved the file as a TIFF. Opening the TIFF in photoshop and choose to desaturate all but the reds, making the mill stand out from the rest of the surrounding area. Next I went to the filter tab and chose the poster filter. (No set numbers here, this is an individual piece of work, make it to your liking. Stop trying to please everyone else.) What I wanted the end product to look like was anything but a photo. (See the detailed segment below) When printed on canvas this really works and I have taken a so so shot and made it a successful piece of art.
The Grand Canyon
The Blue Ridge Mountains
One final note. Even if you don't use photoshop, experiment with whatever program you do use for processing and tweeking. It is a lot of fun and can be very rewarding.
Until next time, join me on Face Book for daily updates and see what new pictures I have posted.
Have Fun with Photography,
Laura
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