You wanted the detail, so I used a technique I’ve been using with images like this, a bright highlight but the majority is in the weeds. First I apply a log curve to lift the shadows to where they can be seen, then a S-shaped control point curve to put things to my interpretation.
Quite a few wonky pixels, some which survived the downsize.
It is playing…I tried the low light module just for the heck of it …I think I like the blue version…not maybe keeping it honest though…and I didn’t really do much to it…
I opted for a bluer look. It is rather hard to determine what the overall colour would have looked like without having been there and I do associate night with dark blue skies. Then again, maybe there’s light pollution influencing the colours toward brownish/orange.
Can anyone be honest about a scene even if they witnessed? 24 hours later I don’t really remember what I saw. I edit to make a good looking photo. Honesty is ephemeral, subjective and elusive. If not impossible.
Hi folks,
Thanks for taking the time on this, comments too give lots to think about (or not - think less do more…)
Anyhoo, the honesty bit was fishing for ideas on how far to illuminate a dark scene. Think it came out ok
before and after screen grab
Moonlight, being just Sunlight bounced off a distance reflector is not very much different than sunlight. Only darker. From photographing portraits under moonlight I learned that digital cameras have no problem capturing that. But our own night-vision somehow sees those colors rather muted and shifted towards blue.
Since photography is never really honest let’s go with beautiful or interesting.
Try to restore the deep blue night sky effect but induced coloured halos … I don’t think I made a terribly good job on the rest of the image … more an experiment !