Critique: Dull afternoon to sunset photo

[kar1zma]

i took this pic in the afternoon



it was very bland i had an idea for a nice orange sunset look
this is my attempt





ur comments and advice to improve this pic

 

[ALB68]

I don't think you would see that reflection on the hood that was there in the original shot.

 

[IamSam]

One quick thing, whenever your starting one of these edits, one of the main things that you should always take into consideration is that you should never attempt to alter the the direction of the original light source.

 

[kar1zma]

Alb68 I'll darken the hood good point there thanks

Iamsam the shadow at sundown would be longer and since the sun is behind I kept the shadow in front

I couldn't justify the shadow on the left of the car when the sun was directly below

 

[ALB68]

I'm not a photographer but I don't think that the sun that close to setting would cast the front shadow? At the point shown, it is just minutes away from setting with no shadows being cast at all..right?

Alb68 I'll darken the hood good point there thanks

Iamsam the shadow at sundown would be longer and since the sun is behind I kept the shadow in front

I couldn't justify the shadow on the left of the car when the sun was directly below

 

[IamSam]

Iamsam the shadow at sundown would be longer and since the sun is behind I kept the shadow in front

I couldn't justify the shadow on the left of the car when the sun was directly below

Sorry, but you have completely missed the point. This is about how the original light source interacts with the entire image, primarily the car itself, shadows included.

You have an original image that is lit mid high and from the left..............your edit is trying to convince me, the viewer, that the scene, primarily the car, is now lit from very low and directly behind the car.......it DOES NOT work.

Don't try to alter the direction of the original light source, your edit should incorporate the same light source.

 

[kar1zma]

Right Sam so I should leave the original shadow as it is I am not sure how to fix the error

 

[IamSam]

Well, at this point about the only thing you can do is to change the sky. Add one that is lit more inline with the original. It can't have a sunset in it.

 

[MrToM]

...I don't think that the sun that close to setting would cast the front shadow? At the point shown, it is just minutes away from setting with no shadows being cast at all..right?

My thoughts exactly.

In fact, by the time the bottom of what you 'see' as the sun has touched the horizon the sun has in fact already set and is no longer visible.
What you see 'at sunset' is a refracted image of the sun. Its light is refracted through the atmosphere and 'bent'.....like a straw in a glass of water....so despite it having physically gone below the horizon you can still see an image of it above, if only for a minute or two.

This is why at this point it casts no harsh shadows as there isn't any 'direct' light coming from it. Any direct light you now see is 'reflected' light off the atmosphere or cloud, which then gets diffused or scattered before hitting the earth.

This type of 'diffused' light gives a very soft, light shadow with no hard edge.....if any shadow at all. It would be very difficult to distinguish a shadow from the surface it falls on....its that subtle.

Sorry to bore you with that detail.....it comes from my 3D background where getting the light right is absolutely critical.

Regards.
MrTom.

 

[chrisdesign]

Very interesting comments from everyone. To visualize all this for kar1zma I would go for a look like this.