Up for the Big Show (+ [b]Final Rework from E.S.S.[b/] )

On a camping trip this weekend with 14 friends, I managed to stumble out of bed at 5:30 in time to catch some beautiful color in the sky.....something I've yet to experience with a camera in hand.

This was also the first time I was able to use my GND filters so I began that learning process.
Summit Lake is a tiny lake in the Mt Hood National Forest, very close to Timothy Lake. It's not terribly photogenic, but is a wonderful getaway with opportunities to kayak among the lake reeds and view waterfowl and salamanders. You also get your fill of mosquitoes.

C&C Welcome.

Canon EOS 20D
Tokina 12-24mm F/4 DX
ISO 100 : F/16 : 5 secs : 0/2 EV
Stacked 2SS GND, 1SH GND, Circ Polarizer
50 minutes before sunrise.

It feels to me that I'm looking at two completely different photographs. Overall I like the comp but the difference in the sky and the foreground is just too much to believe. In fact, why isn't the reflection darker than the sky (it should be) and why doesn't it have any of the color the sky does?
All in all, way, way to much GND in the sky.

I have to agree with Mark's comment. On the bright side, you just have to tweek your usage of GND filters just a bit (and are way ahead of me!)

thanks for the suggestion/comment Mark. I'm looking into it. I think this is a combination of my tiny LCD (on the 20d), my lack of experience with the filters, and perhaps some heavy-handed use of Levels adjustment layer.
A repost soon to follow....

Here's 2 posts: First is straight out of camera. The soft edge GND runs down into the reflected clouds a bit, the hard edge is at the far shore line. Perhaps this was too much GND. I felt that the FG log needed some strength, so I blended 1 exposure for just that area, and a little in the trees beyond.

And here is an attempt to make the sky more like the original but brighten the log and trees. No saturation was added at all, just a slight bump of the midtone slider in levels.

I like what you have done with the third post. The lighter sky and detail on the far shore are a big improvement. It still feels like selectively darkening the brightest part of the reflection a bit would help balance the scene. I really like the reeds and log in the FG.

The problem, for me, is not so much the relative brightness of the sky versus the reflection, but the difference in color. The sky has much more of a magenta cast than its reflection. This would suggest to me as much a problem of equipment as technique -- in other words, it appears that your GND might be adding a color cast where it should only be cutting light. Which brand are you using?

It's possible that the filters are adding color cast. I posted the RAW image to try and show this.
I'm using Hitech 4x5 Gray GND's.
One thing that is happening here is that the bottom frame water is reflecting the brilliant, clear blue sky that was above and behind me. I believe that this reflected light is also lighting the top of the log, giving it a slightly cooler tone compared to the distant sky that is just beginning to be lit by the sun below the horizon.

That might be the case, but I'm specifically looking at the reflection that matches the sky in the image -- in other words, the section between the two cloud banks on the horizon, whose reflection is above the log.

And I would hope the HiTechs don't have a color cast -- that's the type I use, albeit in the smaller, Cokin P size.

Nice exchange of cmments related to your photo, Chris. I like the 3rd post the best, but agree with Sean and James. There might be another darkroom trick to try to get the fg light in better balance with the sky's richer colors. Try making a selection of the fg up to, but not including the trees. Then create an adjustment layer > selective color > neutrals. Try adding a touch of black, then maybe fuss a little with the magenta and cyan sliders in there, too. Gees, I hope that explanation is clearer than mud! Also hope it works, as the image has nice potential.

Thankyou Catherine for the suggestion....I'll have to give it a try.

I posted a complete rework on ESS with everyone's suggestions taken to heart. I ended up using a different shot that had more effective cloud formation and color, and I think before I added the 2nd GND because it was easier to save the tree line and the water reflection.

Here is the final of this image, for the last time so nobody gets too bored:).

Thankyou for all the constructive criticism!

Oh, my !! Brilliant rework!