Hi John,
Atmosphere and controlled colour saturation are prerequisites for my work and have been since my very early days (c. 1977).
"Atmosphere" can take on many meanings. For me, it must embody the time and place, compliment the image and even provide for aesthetics. Fog, snow, rain, the haze of the scorching outback here in Australia, the austral glow after sunset, the calm of a mirror-still body of water with clouds above... all this contributes to the atmosphere and "feel" of the image, and is something the skilled photographer will plan for and incorporate. Right now, on a day when it is 41°c outside (and that's in the second biggest city in Victoria, not the outback!!) the atmosphere could be described as "hot, oppressive", certainly devoid of the many attractive qualities that you would find in the outback (as long as you don't cook your film/camera/car/self into the bargain!).