A friend told me my Milky Way shots looked too fake and it stung

He said I was pushing the clarity and saturation sliders way too hard, making the core look like neon paint. I was pretty defensive at first, thinking more color meant a better photo. After looking at my old shots from Joshua Tree, I saw he was right. They looked like cartoons, not the real night sky. How do you all keep your edits looking natural but still pop?

2 comments

2 Comments

benlewis15d ago

Yeah, that "neon paint" look is a real trap. I try to edit until it looks good, then pull it back about 20%.

alex_hall9115d ago

But is it really a trap? Sometimes that extra pop makes the photo stand out. A little extra color can be fun before it gets weird. Pulling it back is safe, but maybe the wild edit is the whole point.