What I posted(thumbnail in upper right corner here yesterday? This is the original I worked from. This is what your camera gives at high noon with over exposed/underexposed areas at the same time.
I posted this under "General" because its more like advice, then a How-to-do "tutorial" just some insight into the creative thought process that brought about a post. not how one was actually done. something for the people that come along and wonder...HOW! without miss leading them
The detail you pulled out is amazing too. The sun and tornado with stormy skies and then partly clear is a master stroke. The original looks like a sea shot I might have taken around here and stands up well too..
In the manipulated one I prefer the created composition as a whole, while in the original one, one is almost forced to pay all the attention to the (strength of the) waves. I like to express however that, to my opinion, the latter one isn't a poorly taken shot as suggested in your narrative!
Thanks for this post and for your clear explanation too, my friend!
Try to change what you can't accept, but accept what you can't change. Please CLICK HERE to see my journal! Feel free to save my images or to add them to your favorites.
You did some superb tweaking,layers, and such to this image to arrive at that dramatic image Chris. A tip of my hat to you and please forgive my bald head.