Variations on a Theme

Hard to believe that the above picture comes from a photograph.  Moreover, this is after only a couple of clicks in Nik's original HDR Efex Pro.  The result is definitely more Norman Rockwell than Edward Hopper, but still it has its own charm I think.  The effect is well suited to an old time ice cream parlor scene.  But the effect is a bit too front and center, taking over the picture.  So I tried a grittier black and white variation.

This, too, has its own charm I think.  But to be honest, this is a scene that works a bit better in color.  It works best, I think, pretty much as it came out of the camera, with a little straightening, a slight crop and and slight vignette to keep attention within the boundary of the picture.

Ah, there it is - back where I started.  "Leopold's" needs that pink glow.  And this allows you to focus on the stories - the man checking the screen on the back of his camera while the woman samples her ice cream, the girls on the right looking a bit bored, the couple just inside the window, the line at the counter, etc.  A long way around to the beginning, but I learned some things along the way and that always makes a journey worthwhile.