Walking Bridge into Fall

Fall is just around the corner - or maybe here already and the trees in my yard just didn't get the memo yet.  I equate fall to the change of color in the trees.  For mid-Michigan, the turn is generally the second week in October.  And of course, work will interfere with and extended fall foliage trip next weekend, but we'll see what can be worked out.
So this is a photo from the past, 2011.  The camera then was the D90 with the 18-200 lens.
As I look back at my photography history, I've gone through phases of file collection.  By the time I started using the D90, I was all into RAW files, but I would often change back and forth whether or not I would also create a JPG file.
Early on, I'd look at the JPG and use it as a reference to what I had created from the RAW file.  In the end, it turned out I was never happy with the JPG and I quit creating them.  But as I go back through my old files, when I do find a JPG file I'm happy to see it.
So, today as I was looking for a fall themed photo to play with I found this one from 2011 and a corresponding JPG.
From the set of shots that I took this day, I found some old one I'd 'touched up' and it was a bit on the funny side, as they were pretty much all 'grunge' settings from Photomatix.  Ah, the good ol' days.
This is the original JPG from 2011.

ISO 400, f/9, 1/40 sec, 18 mm

I think it is nice fall photo, but needs lots of 'little' tweaks.
First, the close bridge supports need to be straightened,  The 18 mm lens distortion is a bit annoying.  If I can't straighten them, I could crop them out, but I'd like to keep some part of them for framing reference.
I need to do something with the wood bridge.  I'd like some heavy contrast to bring out the grain, but that might not go well with the foliage.  Doable.
I also need to pop the foliage colors a bit.  It's fall, celebrate!
I used ACR to adjust the lens corrections, to straighten the bridge posts and to pop the colors a bit.  I used On One to create a layer mask over the bridge to increase the contrast on the wood and metal.
This is what I cane up with.

And the trees look a bit more upright as well.
Welcome to Fall.

Michigan Barn in Fall - 2015

With the 2015 fall viewing season just about over, I had to get out this past weekend and see the sights.  Without a doubt, fall is my favorite few weeks of the year. Michigan, like southwestern Pennsylvania is abundant with color.  I took a ride, with no particular destination in mind.  As the weather in Michigan goes, I hit most everything including sun, wind, rain and snow.  Aside from leaves and the colors, I was also looking at farm barns.  My photograph of a barn in Pennsylvania on a recent road trip (here) has shown me the fun of this subject.  One of my early favorites is that of a barn in Pennsylvania close to Ligonier.  I'll have to resurrect that image.
I found this barn structure close to the road and spent some time there.  As I am respectful of the property, I couldn't get real close.  There is a little evergreen tree in the front area that really keeps this from being a special image.  But other than that - has good stuff.
As I progress through my workflow, I apply a number of 'changes' to see what strikes me as something I want to work with.  In this case, I really liked what over sharpening would do.  So here is the direction I went with.

Here is the original RAW image:

1/125   f/25
EV -3.0
Aperture Priority
ISO 200
Focal Length 31mm
Focal Length (35 mm) 46 mm

The EV of -3 really gives a dark image - but there is no light lost.  I can work with this.  Since I don't use Nikon's JPG algorithms, the closest I can get is something along these lines as to what a photograph shot with the AUTO setting would be.

In order to put this together, I will have to make a few 'improvements.

1.  I know from experience that there will be a halo effect between the barn and sky.  I will need to find a sky that is similar and adjust it with the same settings that I have done with the barn, trees and grass.  But knowing that from the beginning will save me some time.  I won't need to remove the power lines and associated equipment on the right.
2.  Bringing in a new sky also presents a few issues with merging and the tree tops.  I will even the leave canopy so the leaves will look fuller.
3.  There is a white horizontal 'something' that I'm sure is functional for the farm - but not so much for me.  That has to go.
4.  There is a white window between the green tree and the black (Open) door.  Sure it belongs there, but in the end it will be distraction.  That has to go as well.  I will make the small tree a bit fuller as well to remove that distraction.

With the above edits done, this is what I get.

I now have something that I can put through the HDR program.  My original thought was to go for a sharp grunge image, really pull out the definition of the barn - and slightly over-saturate the colors.  Sounded good, but in practice didn't turn out so well.  Probably photo creep - just kept adding until it wasn't what I wanted.  So I dialed it back a little.  Got the colors and light right in the HDR program and will do the rest later.  This is what I have after tone mapping.

There is going to be some halo effect around the barn.  Not much I can do with it.  What I did do (correctly) is took a photo if the sky while I was there, just in case a sky substitution was gong to be required.  And it will be.  This is the sky I will use.  I ran it through the HDR using the same setting as I did with the barn.  This is what I will use.

With the two combined, this is what I have coming out of tone mapping - and ready for the final edits.  The final edits included some fall coloring for the trees and a bit of green coloring for the grass.  And a lot of sharpening.  (Finally got the overall look!)

There it is.  In the final cropping, I will cut out most of the right side and some of the grass.

The final image: