Tweaking cell phone landscapes

Actually, an expensive full frame or larger camera could also be used to get this same rather washed out look in this situation. It doesn't take much to make this image look a lot better, though the quality of a cell phone lens simply won't be good enough to bring out any of the detail on the state capital building. Details that I could see with my eye, even through the windshield.

Original Cell phone image
This cell phone image came out of the camera ok, but a bit of time in lightroom improved it enough to be a nice image -- a bit too noisy for printing, but not bad on a computer screen. Best place to park after picking up my Taco if I already have my coffee and desert. There's three spots behind the Arby's that's on the hill overlooking this shopping center. Off in the distance behind Kohl's you can see the dome of the state capital building. Much clearer to the eye than to the camera.
Post process settings
To develop this image, I first gave the tone curve a nudge down in the center. Then I boosted the shadows, dropped the highlights a bit, boosted the shadows some more and boosted the blacks a bit too. A little clarity helped pop things and a bit of saturation brought out the rich green of the rained on grass. The latest version of light room also has a dehaze feature which is kind of like a stronger clarity control, but I gather it's an effect rather than a photographic type of control.
Tweaked cell phone image
This cell phone image came out of the camera ok, but a bit of time in lightroom improved it enough to be a nice image -- a bit too noisy for printing, but not bad on a computer screen. Best place to park after picking up my Taco if I already have my coffee and desert. There's three spots behind the Arby's that's on the hill overlooking this shopping center. Off in the distance behind Kohl's you can see the dome of the state capital building. Much clearer to the eye than to the camera.