There is a popular argument that real photographers don't use post processing. That it somehow takes away from the genuine image that is produced within the little black box.
No post processing has been done to this image other than to convert it from RAW to JPEG. What you see here is how the picture came out of the camera, but it is not how you'd have seen this image if you'd witnessed the original scene.
Although the light in the picture is low giving it the effect of being soon after sunrise or before sunset, this is not the case. It was taken at nearly 10am and the sun was already quite high in the sky giving the scene the look of a well lit sunny day (for England at least).
By selecting a fast shutter speed of1/500 (the photographic equivalent of closing your eyes then blinking quickly) and a narrow aperture f/16 (the photographic equivalent of squinting), I dramatically reduced the level of light entering the camera. You'll have to take my word for it, but this has dramatically altered the look and feel of the picture, making everything look dark to the point where much of the foreground is silhouetted.
In doing this, my aim is to demonstrate that popular arguments based on the unnaturalness of post processing are completely wrong. This is for the simple reason that there is nothing natural or exact or correct about the image as produced by the camera in the first place.
Beautiful photo and interesting discussion.
I admit I admire photographers who can "play" like this:) Not my case:)))