Sunset-Moonrise At The Mittens (View Larger)

The sun was setting and the moon was rising and it just doesn't get

much better for a photographer. This was a 6 exposure HDR converted in

Lightroom to B&W and further processed in CS5. I added both a Ektalure

Cream & Selenium tone.

The components make for a great and compelling composition.  Good HDR work as well.  I'm wondering if it could be topped off with somewhat darker clouds to better match the time of day and to provide a better backdrop for the mittens.  I wanted to see, so I used Viveza 2 and accidentally (really!) did a layer of Silver Efex Pro 2 even though it was already a B&W.  Anyway, the result is attached.

Excellent B&W work Leo! Love the composition. Really like the tones you got in this one.

All the best,
Neil

Love this so much. Great composition with the meandering road in the foreground and I love the way you processed this picture, as the tones are phenomenal.

I came to the same conclusion as you did after I reviewed my effort. Great minds! I thought that both the moon and Monuments would would stand out more with a darker sky. I made a selection of the sky, then added a gradient to it and then adjusted with a levels layer until it looked right. It definitely adds drama to the image. Thanks for taking the time to post your rendition, Stephen, I do appreciate it. I am attaching my reworked effort.

I'm really liking the exchange between you two.  I agree with both of you and had the op to see the latest edition of what was already a stellar photograph.  Very dramatic with the darken sky. 

Nice gentlemen, very nice!

Leo, I do like your second effort -- the moon is simply more clearly defined, and I think that's important.  My quick effort didn't do justice to the light on the towers, but you've taken care of that very nicely.  Very nice work.

Regardless all that beautiful comments, I can't live you in the dark. The moon, in large view, has a black frame around it. It is  usually the sign, of a copy and past technic, when you don't erase the black line,  witch is happening, when you copy a subject, to use it for an another image, specially a bright subject like the moon. As commented all ready, the second version of yours is better.

Your moon with a black frame.