I decided I didn't want to wait to post this one. I used the same unconventional technique on this one as I did on Foalhood Dreams I, and I think it's pretty obvious what a difference it made on this image.
Perhaps it's the sunbeams in front of Andromeda, but the noise reduction here adds an entirely different level of texture. The grass looks more windswept but still have a necessary touch of sharpness, and the trees look like something out of a painting without looking painted themselves. And I still feel that the only real photo-shopping I did on this image was to remove an unsightly fencepost in the background by her nose.
With this image, I feel more like I've taken an unconventional photoshop filter and made it into a workable artistic tool, which is kind of nice.
