Processing raw images

Not that I'm necessarily the person to be explaining this, but suggest a camera, incur an obligation of explanation. :)

This is the (quarter size) ufraw view with the initial image and the "Correct Luminosity, Saturation" tab selected.
Same view, but after the "auto blackpoint" button has been pressed. The shot was taken in blazing high-summer late afternoon direct sunlight; moving the blackpoint has got rid of that hazy look.
Cropping a bit to either balance the composition or get the bit of street sign out of the lower right hand corner, take your pick.
Saved as a PNG and opened in the GIMP; this is the first sharpening pass with Unsharp Mask. (Filters->Enhance->Unsharp Mask). Second pass used 4.5 and 0.42.

Plain, unsharpened version, but with the blackpoint set:
Sharpened version:

This is why both the wide radius and the close radius unsharp mask blurring is worth doing.