Tuesday Thunder - St. Paul's and Gherkin

I have a bonanza of FIVE pictures today, albeit of the same place, but in different shades. The setting is South Bank view of St. Paul's and Gherkin. I love this view – am not sure if it was better without the cranes that seem to be omnipresent throughout London nowadays, but nevertheless, I have used them to my advantage in some of these pictures.

Firstly, I should thank Ian and Carolyne for waiting patiently while I took this picture in their company. Next, lets put the feast on the table. J

1. Unedited version. It was dusk time with clear sky and good natural magic hour lighting.

(taken with Canon IXUS 310HS)

2. Monochrome. There was drama in the scene with both water and sky in ample abundance in the frame; also, the tall cranes accentuated the dramatic story. All these elements are compelling enough to convert this picture into a Monochrome.

(converted in Noir Photo app)

3. Cinematic. The shot looked fit to be part of a Hollywood movie – so, I added some cinematic effect to it.

(applied Drama filter in Snapseed and thick vignettes in Bleach Bypass to give the spotlight effect)

4. Artistic. No explanation required here. The photo effused so much of artistic flare that I felt it natural to apply an artistic filter to it.

(applied Clarity and Magic Hour filters in Camera+; added some sharpness in PS Express; concluded by adding a gritty black border in Camera+)

5. Sunset Enhanced. I used Sunset Taker app to enhance the evening colour in this version of the photograph.

I hope you like today's post and there is at least one version which manages to hold your attention – tell me which one!