Can't create a perfect "Dream" effect to a nature photo

I tried to follow this tutorial: http://www.thinkdigit.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-6350.html

Using this photo: http://www.auriance.com/docs/tmp/original.jpg but
the result is crappy: http://www.auriance.com/docs/tmp/result.jpg

What I'd like to have is a result as good as this:
http://www.auriance.com/docs/tmp/perfect.jpg

Do you know how I could do it?
TIA.

 

You can get similar using one or few action's you can get them FREE from
Central Action web site. I don't remember the exact link but probably
something like

www.centralatn.com or something like that. But you can just GOOGLE for
"central action" or "center action" (?) and you should be able to find it.

 

I have been playing around, trying to duplicate that effect with
your image Charles, and I don't think you can get the exact same
results with that particulr image. The reason seems to be because
there is much more foliage, and a lot less light behind the foliage,
as in the example you gave.
I used the tutorial here http://photoshopforall.com/?p=15 but I
didn't get the exact results you wanted.(one thing, if you use that
tutorial, lighten the background image first. I went to Image -
Adjust - Brightness/Contrast and moved the brightness slider up to
about 50.)
I also tried using the image you have, duplicated the layer, then
applied the Gaussian Blur (about 1.6) to it. I then used the history
brush set to about 20%, and applied it to the trees and some of the
foliage in the foreground. Even with that, it still didn't have the
exact look of the example you posted. Again I think it's because the
example has a lone tree with a fair amount of light behind it.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Talker

 

Thank you guys.