Learn Na'vi iPhone App - Background Image

[Seze]

Kaltxì ma smukan,

I have been working on an iPhone/iPod Touch App over in the projects section and I need some help/advice on an image I've been working on for the App.  I've posted this over here since all the artists in the community can be found over here, and this is an art specific topic.  The problem I am having is with the text that shows up on the image.  I am having a really hard time figuring out what to do with the background going from really dark to really bright and back again with gaps in the tree branches.  I tried using drop shadow to give the text something to contrast against, but I just can't seem to get it to look right.  I also moved the text up to try to get it out of the bright spots on the edges of the tree, but it feels to smooshed together at the top now.  Below I have included two versions of the image, showing what it looks like in the App and on its own.  Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated on this.  The psd file can be found here. 

Screenshot taken from the App


Actual PNG file used


Irayo for any help or advice you can give...

~Seze

[Skxawng]

you could clone-stamp out the parts in the tree that are screwing with the text. Perhaps other than drop shadow you could use outer-glow?

[Rain]

This would seriously be the only app I would have if I had an iPhone.

[Nume fpi sänume]

Outer glow would help bring the words out for sure.

[Seze]

Outer-glow helped quite a bit.  I actually tried using it before, but I think I was using it wrong (I'm a software developer btw, not an artist...).  I attached the new version for comparison.