Sundown

[Bambi]

I like it, and I'd like it even more if the foreground was a bit brighter, like if you either used a grad ND filter and upped the exposure at capture or even just dodged it up a bit in post

...and MA I'm getting wise to your way of subtly pointing out a potential issue in an image without actually saying it outright. Ohhh, you are smooth! Now I know what you meant when I was in my eye-candy HDR phase and you would write "sure is vivid"

I like to massage the newbies before I tell them bad stuff

Oh yeah. It's like interpreting your child's report card: "Amanda has a lot share in class" --interpretation- your child talks too damn much.

The only one I haven't figured out is 'interesting' -whether that's good or bad

but the upside is that it makes me look again with my own eyes rather then rely on someone else.

[F8&Bthere]

Lightroom has the curves feature (called Tone Curve) and is very effective.

I would also use the recovery feature to regain a little detail in that bright spot as well.

Yes absolutely this image can be improved quite nicely in Lightroom alone. Recovery slider, tone curve, local adjustment brush to dodge the foreground (or crop as per Marko's suggestion) and it's a home run. Excellent sky there.

P.S. Gale, I'll have to start another thread to satisfy my curiosity on what you meant by "Windows 7 ate my CS3" because I am starting to have problems with Windows 7 myself.... I had a feeling I should have pushed the budget and gone Mac.