photoartflightSunbeam Through Opening In Clouds
While I was working on files from a previous visit to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland, I came across this image of a sunbeam shining through an opening in the cloud cover. I used a 400mm lens to isolate the beam so it was more prominent in the image. With a wider view, the sunbeam did not seem to stand out as much. I think the beam as is, is prominent enough against the clouds and I did not want to enhance the beam to make it stand out more, opting for a more natural look.
Double Sunbeams, 400mm f/4 with 1.4x Teleconverter
photoartflight 
Beautiful images!
Thank you! It is fun to see what you can find to make an interesting image at Blackwater NWR. It is not just birds and wildlife. Some of my favorite images from there are what most people would walk by and not notice.
I love it when that happens! Always seems like a blessing. 🙂
Yes, I agree! It is always nice to see when it happens!
You answered the question that came to mind right way, about whether to process the picture in ways that make the sunbeam stand out more.
Thanks! It is always easy to overdue things in Photoshop, so I try not to. So many images I print for clients are way over the top, but I guess that is what they like. Or maybe that is the way they “see” it or think it should be. I remember the old “film” days when everyone liked Fuji Velvia transparency film, because of the saturation.