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It looks like it lacks contrast on my monitor.

Thanks for feedback, folks! I know composition isn't perfect so as with details, I've better version of picture from same set but I've submit it to PhotoShelter and was accepted.

Would someone be so kind to take a moment and adjust colors for this picture to what they need to be? I'm asking for this so I could use it for reference for other pictures with similar sunset colors.

yeah. i would agree that it lacks in contrast... so I agree with dreamstime.  I took a two second stab at it and upped the contrast in a few places, and made all the darks black.  Not sure what the original was like and if it could 'handle' the contrast and saturation boost, but i am guessing so, if you were nice to it

yours



mine

One way of boosting the contrast is to use 'Curves' in Photoshop.... may I edit.. the ONLY worthwhile way of boosting contrast...

once you get curves figured out you won't go back.

yeah, that is what i have done.  i think i used 3 curves layers.

One thing I tried lately and seems to work well without much texture loss is a duplicate layer with soft light blending mode.  In general I've been setting transparency of this layer between 20-50%.  It improves contrast and saturation.  Has anyone used this technique?

I tried it in Denis' image however and it did not suffice to make it really pop up.  I think it does need indeed curves to help it.

I didn't know that brightness/contrast was so much different than curves to add contrast.  I thought both would actually do more or less the same.

Regards,
Adelaide

I used to be really hung up on curves, but since I discovered the magic of luminosity masking, the basic contrast adjustment is generally good enough when used in combination with the mask (which also has contrast applied to it to help isolate luminosity regions).  I still use the curves when I don't think that masking is necessary, especially in the RAW editor, where the curves are much more forgiving.  One of the best ways to give your colors pop is to contrast the A and B channels in lab mode (best place to sharpen is on the luminosity channel only), it is different than saturation alone.  The curves could be used too, but in most cases that is more control than is necessary.

I also use the duplicate and soft blending technique, or take it further and triple duplicate, set copy 1 to screen and copy 1 to multiply, then adjust the opacity of copy 3. 

I actually use this technique with multiple shots as well, I'll take 5 or more shots from a tripod, varying the lighting angle, then combine them into one file, each with its own layer twice, on one set I'll adjust the lighting to be perfect (its amazing what a single flash can do with multiple shots blended over and over), on another I'll pick the perfect white edges to erase around through to my background.  Enables perfect shadowless isolations lit with what seems like lots of lights in a very complex setup, in reality it is just a bunch of shots combined, lit with a single flash.