Show some of your work.

[imported_artmar]

Hi Greg,

Yes, the blue sky colour was produced by a hue saturation adjustment layer, so you're of course right.  Given the colour of the terrain in that version (sort of a "sunny day" colour palette), could you recommend a different way of handling the sky?

(Speaking of skies, I really like vast sky in Tanja's HDR image, with the wispy clouds.)

Thanks again,
Art

[ggroess]

You could get away with just about anything...The lighting makes me want a wispy sunset type photo but Your choice...

Use a B channel mask from RBG and go to town....

I gave it my best shot... 8)

[imported_Tanja]

Hi guys,

Greg, wonderful sky  ;D ;D ;D ;
What you use for cropping? Is it a new feature in CS6?

Art, wonderful picture. But I agree with greg about the crop.
Not only because it would be sad to lost the nice beach and the deph of the picture. Main reason is that you get the perfect moment for the perfect points in the picture. You can have the horizon excactly on a third and the people on the very strong point of the diagonal method, where the diagonal touch the third-line.
What a timing! Or do you place them there?  ;)

Can I try with your sky?

Greetings, Tanja

[ggroess]

CS6 and PSE 11 include the golden ratio Crop as a choice for the crop tool.

Greg

[imported_artmar]

Thanks Greg -- I was thinking more along the lines of a herringbone pattern than a plaid, but you continue to stretch my boundaries.

Hi Tanja, sure, go for it. Because it rains here a lot, maybe a water repellent fabric above the mountains would be very useful.  ;)

Cheers,
Art

P.S. Had to pay my "models" a lot of money to walk along the beach like that.

[ggroess]

I was originally going to go Paisley or Tie Dye but I thought you might be a bit more conservative.

Greg

[imported_Tanja]

Hi Tanja, sure, go for it. Because it rains here a lot, maybe a water repellent fabric above the mountains would be very useful.  ;)

Cheers,
Art

P.S. Had to pay my "models" a lot of money to walk along the beach like that.

Good investment!  :D
Here is a really short try. Did you have the color selection on elements? It's also useful for sky-masks.
Sky is multiplied, contrast-pinned and manually painted with black and white on an extra layer.
Unsharp mask with high radius and lower amount, brings some more contrast. Normally I do on the L-Channel, but here on the whole picture.
Some magenta now in the sky, which don't has to be there ;-)

Greetings, Tanja

[imported_artmar]

Thanks Tanja, all good and helpful ideas.
I'm not sure how to use colour selection for a sky mask  (can we talk about that?).

No hot air balloons? Or flying boats? I like realism!

Cheers,
Art

[ggroess]

Hey...that was real Plaid...Honest...
No Photoshop Plaid was used...

Greg

[imported_Tanja]

Hi Art,
of course we discuss on tuesday  ;)

Greg, you have a plaid-selection for skies?  ;D

Greetings, Tanja