Long time no play from me, so I want to share a pure gold (plated) Pavilion today to welcome the New Year.
Kinkaku-Ji in Kyoto. The jpeg was processed from the camera jpeg.
Happy Playing!
2025_10_11-10_32_54_DSCF7088.RAF (32.2 MB)
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A quick render on my crappy laptop.
Nice shot Hansgeorg!
Thank you Uli, I knew you would create dramatic weather 
… and enhance the reflection quite a lot
2025_10_11-10_32_54_DSCF7088.RAF.xmp (19.9 KB)
I will have a play with this later and only if I can make it look some what nicer than the original will I post. You have a brilliant photo there.
I’ll have to come back tomorrow and decide if I can what I like better…
First two are the same edit just one has an instance of the color eq with a tweak and the second pair are the same pair but with local contrast added to each…
I did them in quick sequence not as duplicates but the edit can be grabbed from the jpg as a side car if needed.
I was happy with this little gem after very little editing, mostly in the tone mapper. In DT 5.4 I set the exposure pretty bright, then chose a point on the pavilion as the pivot and adjusted the output brightness downward. Contrast up a bit. Gamma up a lot, though I don’t totally understand this parameter. Then cropped to emphasize the reflection.
I see now it’s less saturated/contrasty than the original jpeg, but I’ll leave it since this is what looked good in the editor.
The sidecar is in the jpeg. (Is there a reason we don’t always do it this way?)
A quick play to get the morning going… Still learning RT.
This image calls for a film simulation, kodak 2393
2025_10_11-10_32_54_DSCF7088.RAF.arp (14.7 KB)
Darktable 5.5. Tried to make the temple stand out and also get a bit more structure in the clouds.
This is what I came around with.
In RT one local spot for the sky and another one (after seeing @Popanz 's version) for the reflection. WB is RGB Grey which I preferred here over Camera or Temperature Correlation.
Still not sure what to do with the tree
Beautiful location and great capture. My try
Golden Pagoda - 2025_10_11-10_32_54_DSCF7088.RAF.xmp (12.5 KB)
