Sepia or b/w?

[Laziferous]

I posted this in the sharing forum also, but wanted possibly a few, more targeted comments. Let me know what you think :)

I took this shot about 3 months ago. I actually forgot about it until I was browsing through my pictures. I remember not liking it, but it caught my eye this time for some reason.

It definitely needed the crop though. There was a bunch of dead space at the bottom, because I didn't have a tripod at the time, and needed a long exposure to be able to see any detail inside the room... so I had to set the camera on the floor.

I know the window is overexposed, but I like the effect.

Which one of these do you think works better?

http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/data/500/16IMG_2385-small.jpg

http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/data/500/16IMG_2385-sepia.jpg

[Leighow]

CHRIS

For me there is no contest -- the Sepia wins .. hands down.
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Why?

Well it delivers "The Luminous Interiour" ! The eye does not dwell on the window it drinks in the light on the RHS of the back wall, the beams, and the LHS of the back wall. Your shosen sepia tint also works natyrally with "wood".

The only thing I wondered about (and I like the shooting angle) is the stone frame that walls-in the window. The pointf here is that the entire window seems to be surrounded by an "air gap" that the viewer sees as a kind of "light from heaven". Great effect, but I wonder whether the stone that surround the wooden frame could be a tone darker.

Sit Jessica.. oops.. enough Howie !

See yah!

HOWIE

[henkbos]

Sepia beats B&W by a few lenghts here. Would love to have seen less over-exposure in the window (bracketing), but you can't have it all.

[KarlJones]

I'm with Howie and Henk... sepia, no doubt. Nice!

[Laziferous]

Thanks guys, I agree with everything said here. I also like the sepia better. Thanks for confirming my instincts. I also agree that the window could be less exposed... I do like the effect, but it's a bit much.

Thanks again!

[stopbath]

The sepia is better, but I think it could be toned down a little from the richness of the sepia. It just seems too vibrant for such a shot. Perhaps a little desaturation.

[mpaul73]

Laz
I like both. I like the moob of the shot and it had excellent lighting. I think though I would agree with everyone here that the sepia is the best though I might be tempted to tone the colour down a little but that would just be my taste. Good shot!

Regards
Martin Paul.