Color vs B&W C&C

Which do you find more appealing and why...

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

The color shot. The BW seems to lack definition. It doesn't contain a wide enough range of grays to keep my attention. The color provides visual variety that the BW doesn't.

Color looks much better. Nice reflection.

I'm going with the black and white version...it shows much more shadow detail to my eyes.

I am going with the B&W out of the two - the contrast detail looks good. The color one lacks color depth to me (maybe it's the dark trees)

Now, an even more difficult question...is it worth spending any more time on it or...send it to the trash can?

i like the b/w one better but it needs just a bit of something. maybe more detail in the trees ? something white white?

chauncey wrote in post #11155180
Now, an even more difficult question...is it worth spending any more time on it or...send it to the trash can?

There's more that can be done with it...I wouldn't necessarily toss it in the trash can just yet. First, open Levels and set your black point. There's also some room in the shadows to still pull out some more detail. I'd also crop off some of the featureless sky...this will also take the horizon line off dead center.

color hands down. nice reflection

This is where an HDR might have brought out more of the tree definition.

HDR wasn't needed...there's still plenty of detail in the shadow areas. A simple hard grad filter would have taken care of the bright sky. I took a play with both versions...just a few curve adjustment layers to pull up the shadows and knock down some of the highlights, and another tweak or two (I wasn't trying to make wallhangers out of them). These could still be improved upon/toned down, but they do show that you can still pull some detail out (if you haven't given up on them yet).