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I was walking around the CBD at lunchtime taking a few images and came across one of those rare (well perhaps not so rare since I found two in a row ) old cobblestoned alleyways from times long past.

Cam & Marcus should perhaps recognise this since it's so nearby

These were really just long dark tunnels, with old cobblestone paving and old wooden rails along the walls - lets face it - it was basically pitch black inside and bright sun outside so I was never going to get an interesting single shot with any detail anywhere... so... Looking at the scenes I felt it cried out for some really grungy HDR treatments - you know the kind normally associated with over textured, over saturated, over glowing, over everything'd psychedelic HDR images. With many scenes - especially ones which include nature, the sky, clouds, plants and other things like that, this sort of over processed HDR look just looks too way out there and so wrong for me. However for some subjects - particularly plain architectural scenes and especially of old grimy, grungy and dirty things, I think that look can suit and enhance the subject.

So without further ado I let things fly and...

Sydney of Old

NIKON D7000 + 17.0-50.0 mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm, 5 sec at f/11, ISO 100

I'm sure it won't be to everyones taste but I'd love to know what you think...

I also have another of a nearby similar tunnel laneway which I also grunged but to a lesser degree - however I don't think I like it as much.

I like it - I think the treatment works - it makes the shot.

For me, the effect is too pronounced and takes away from the scene. It seems to verge on solarisation which doesn't benefit the scene.

Reschsmooth wrote:For me, the effect is too pronounced and takes away from the scene. It seems to verge on solarisation which doesn't benefit the scene.

I totally agree. The effect is too pronounced and makes all of the verticals and horizontals stand out to the point of searing the eyes.

Tone it right back and perhaps take it through a filter such as midnight to give it a more forbidding feel. In other words emphasis the cobbles and knock-back the surrounds

Just my 2¢ worth

I agree with Pat. It looks too much. It has made everything look shiny as if you were trying to make it look new even though it is old.

I definitely know where that is!

I do agree with Patrick, Chris and Andrew though. Try toning it back again a bit

aim54x wrote:I definitely know where that is!

Spitting distance?

Reschsmooth wrote:

aim54x wrote:I definitely know where that is!

Spitting distance?

Not for me. No. But I do know where it is. It gets even better if you follow it up around the corner.

I agree with the consensus. The treatment does not suit the image.

Reschsmooth wrote:

aim54x wrote:I definitely know where that is!

Spitting distance?

Almost

I'm with the majority view here: the image does very little for me.

I would rather see this as a somewhat low key "light at the end of the tunnel" sort of image, with just a little bit of detail being visible within the tunnel.

I bow to the wisdom of the masses (although I still like what I did but perhaps more for the processing and effect more anything else - BTW I was going for a sort of bleach bypass look)

I take it this one of the other tunnel may also not bring any cheers (although it is much less surrealy processed - is that even a word )...