When Reality Looks Fake
During my road trip to Texas last month, I visited the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. Included in the complex is the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge. Before this bridge was converted into a pedestrian and cyclist bridge, it served as the Rock Island Bridge. The bridge crosses the Arkansas River.
I arrived at twilight to photograph the bridge. My plan was to capture images of the bridge as it was illuminated under a dark sky. I started shooting early and continued making pictures until the bridge was fully lit:
Clinton Presidential Park BridgeThe Clinton Presidential Park Bridge, or Rock Island Bridge, is a pedestrian and cyclist bridge in downtown Little Rock near the Clinton Presidential Center. It connects Little Rock to North Little Rock by traversing the Arkansas River. Photo captured in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 16, 2014. This photograph consists of five exposures blended together to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image.
I like the picture, but my concern is that the blue color of the bridge looks fake. The reality is that the bridge is lit with blue lights--and this is exactly how it appeared to my eye. But to someone who wasn't there, I suspect that viewer would think that I was having trouble managing the colors during post processing!
So, I ended up using the photograph that I captured about ten minutes before this one. The bridge was just beginning to be lit and there is a bit more color in the horizon:
Clinton Presidential Park BridgeThe Clinton Presidential Park Bridge, or Rock Island Bridge, is a pedestrian and cyclist bridge in downtown Little Rock near the Clinton Presidential Center. It connects Little Rock to North Little Rock by traversing the Arkansas River. Photo captured in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 16, 2014.. This photograph consists of three exposures blended together to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image.
Of course, choosing between these two images is a matter of personal preference. I wonder if you agree with my choice of using the second one in my Texas collection of images.