Leaf in a Rainstorm (abstract) / Venice in Summer

When I saw these large raindrops gathering on a leaf with so much character, I had to stop to take the shot. This heavily treated interpretation is intended to have almost an HDR feel – high dynamic range. The effect is achieved by actually taking three exposures. The first is under-exposed by one or two stops; the second is exposed correctly; and the third is over-exposed by one or two stops. The three image files are then sandwiched together, with – effectively – the most visually distinctive elements of the first and last brought into relief within the correctly exposed version. The effect can be particularly compelling in portraits and landscapes and – although somewhat off-message for this blog (I hope you will forgive me) – I have attached a shot taken using the same technique during a day in Venice. If you study the picture for long enough, I'm sure you'll find a pigeon or two…