Blended Image for Critique

[Meerkat17]

This is a blended image, the last shot I took as I headed back to the car, knowing I'd possibly not get anything from it other than a silhouette of the castle - It's been processed twice from the RAW file, one very light and the other as the original dark file, then blended together in Photoshop to bring out some of the detail in the foreground and castle.

Is it a keeper or is it still too dark?
Should I crop it slightly left and bottom?
Would it have been better composed had I included more of the ocean?

Your comments are welcomed.

Regards
David


http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/_MG_7171_blended.jpg

[37*ALBERT*WAY]

I think that the best wiew is without the low side, take off most of the field.
The castle obtaine prominence...
My two cents...

[lomond]

Hi David,

I think it's still a bit on the dark side, though I do like it.
I'm wondering how it would look at sunrise rather than sunset.
Also I think I would have included more ocean or crop the ocean out altogether.

I think this might look great as a pano to include more of the ocean ( showing the castle in its surroundings ) and shot at sunrise.

Regards

[tim]

I like it, well done :) Care to share your blending technique? I've tried a few but not found one I really like.

[Meerkat17]

I think this might look great as a pano to include more of the ocean ( showing the castle in its surroundings ) and shot at sunrise.

Nice idea Cameron! That means I have to be up at 2:30am to drive up there for sunrise at 04:25 :lol: Don't think it's going to happen tomorrow! ;) Thanks for the critique, I value what you have said and will possibly do just that in the next few weeks, when I'm not so tired!.:D

Tim
I'm afraid it's one you probably already know or have tried before.

http://luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/digital-blending.shtml

All I can say other than that is I worked on both the light and dark images to bring out the best I could before I actually blended them.

Regards
David

[PhotosGuy]

I like it. Maybe just a tiny bit more detail in the left side of the castle?

[Meerkat17]

Frank,
Thanks for your input, I'll certainly have a go at lighting that area up.
Regards

[weemannie]

I think its blended really well. Did you try cropping the bottom?

[Meerkat17]

I think its blended really well. Did you try cropping the bottom?

Thanks Trevor,
The only thing I've tried at the moment is Frank's (PhotosGuy) suggestion of lightening up the left of the castle and it seems to have worked OK. Its also much lighter in Adobe RGB than it is converted for the internet.

David