Nice view!
DSC00021.ARW.xmp (76.8 KB Ansel)
As usual, I experimented around with creating different PNG variants in RawTherapee (mostly adjusted for different WB and exposure), to use as layers in GIMP. I didn’t take a lot of time, I’m very sure that much better results can easily be achieved using this “technique”.
Initially, I tried making the sky more realistic-looking, but nothing looked convincing to me, so I then decided to settle for an interesting if very unrealistic color gradient in the sky.
These are the two RT variants which I used as layers in GIMP:
DSC00021.jpg.out.pp3 (14.2 KB)
DSC00021.Ebene_1.jpg.out.pp3 (14.2 KB)
That’s quite a gradient
But interesting idea and technique with the layers, thank you.
You’re welcome, although I’ve seen comments on here that indicate that at least a few others are doing something similar, i.e. using layers in GIMP to do things like WB and/or exposure blending.
So far it’s been my primary way of recovering highlights, reducing blown-out lights, and raising darker parts of images.
@david is hinting at similar things e.g. here:
Although I can hardly call my process a “technique”. Or a process. It’s more like (barely) educated guesses as to the effects of a particular layer and mask and then fiddling around with it, inching ever closer to something I like well enough.
I’m neither proficient nor efficient at it is what I’m saying
I’ve also redone my edit of your image, softening the gradient to something a little more plausible: