IMAGE DOCTOR

IN ANSEL’S BACKYARD

On a visit to Yosemite, John Egan wanted to catch the beautiful orange/yellow effect that sunset can have on the high points from the valley floor. He scouted the area the morning before and found a still pond which reflected well. He wrote: “At the time of sunset, the pool was a mirror!”

This view looks to be of Half Dome, which captures amazing light and colour in other images I have seen, and is spectacular in black-and-white and colour, summer and winter. The black-and-white images by iconic American photographer Ansel Adams of Half Dome are now considered fine art. But back to your image! It looks a little light and pale in that sky area, and the simplest fix is to darken it and balance the lighting on the original and the reflection. While you are at, crop the cars on the right and the scraggy branches intruding into the frame from the left. Cropping a little from the top