Which is the better version?

[LaFoto]

Night view out onto the sea in Garachico/Tenerife (31st Dec 2009 going towards 1 Jan 2010).

The first shows the colours as the camera captured them, what with the night being all black, and the sodium street lights behind me giving off their usual reddish colours. Bulb-exposure makes this appear much lighter than it was.

The other version is the "Auto Levels" version upon which my Photoshop settled, thinking this was how it's supposed to be.

Who's right? Camera or Photoshop? What do you think?

 

[Mersad]

I would go with the first one because the violet is very unusual and not typical for a scene like that. I do have to say that I find the stone path (?) distracting in both.

 

[KKJUN]

The photosho version is extremely ugly IMO. looks very unnatural.

 

[LaFoto]

Oh, how I hear you about that stone path, Mersad.
Thing was: I didn't see a thing, it was quite (!) windy, the sea was fairly rough, and I simply did not dare to put up the tripod any nearer. Little did I know HOW much stone path was still getting into the photo. And a crop (while leaving the usual ratio intact) is difficult, as I also wanted to get this "foggy water effect" from the crushing waves ...

So you feel the PS version is ugly?
I SOMETIMES like what Photoshop suggests when you do the "Auto Levels", but more often than not I don't like it, either.

With this one I'm on the fence...

 

[Polyphony]

I agree that the first one is much better (the colors are great) but I also agree that the stone path is VERY distracting. It almost looks like it was pasted in. Also the horizon is off just a little bit.

 

[LaFoto]

I guess you're all pointing out why my heart has never been in this one. It was my first, one and so far only attempt in getting this "foggy water" effect from the crashing waves, the other attempts failed because the wind shook the tripod too hard (or I couldn't focus properly as I wasn't seeing anything out there) ... but I have always chalked this off as an experiment only. Now I know even better why. It's that awful path. Thanks .

 

[Nod]

# 1 gets my vote, I like the purple hue !

 

[Mersad]

I get why you didn't cut the stone path out. I would also want to preserve the foggy water effect. It's an eye catcher.

 

[Polyphony]

What if you walked down the path so you could shoot perpendicular to and over the edge of the path instead of having to angle the shot towards the rock formation?

 

[Mustlovedragons]

Of the two, my choice would be the second one.

 

[Czar]

Both are good and would be keepers. But if i had to pick i would pick the first one, it is unnatural, but that is its strong point, it gives our a aura of dreaminess compared to the second one.

 

[LaFoto]

Polyphony, should I ever get to Tenerife again, I will know this path better, and will venture forward some more, even on the darkest of nights. Keep in mind: before me was actually only black, mildly lit by the street lights far behind me. When I took the photo, my eyes saw nothing of what you can see in the pic... So I actually set up and shot "blindly".

 

[Idahophoto]

I agree with the others on this. The first one would be my choice though I don't mind the PS version. I think its just a preference really. I would also remove the path thing in the corner. It does not add anything to the photo. For a first attempt though, you did a great job, the scene is very beautiful.

 

[LarryD]

Both are interesting and I couldn't really say which one was "right"..

I do like the colors you have in your version..very mellow if a bit pastel..

The photoshop version, to my eye, seems like it may be closer to the original colors of the night as artificial light usually gives out more yellows...

The great thing about photography today is that you don'thave to settle for what the camera captured (although I'm still pretty much an old-school photographer and strive for that), but you can instead recolor, remove, and edit images for a more pleasing look.............

 

[Arkanjel Imaging]

#1 looks like a fantasy. #2 looks like a bad WB.

If you brought the levels down on the path I think it might not draw my eye so much. :thumbup: