Photography is not simply reproducing the scene in front of you. It can be, if that is your vision–to capture reality. But for many photographers, capturing a scene is also about capturing emotion and a sense of place–elements that can override the need for a pure reproduction. The first image is a fairly straightforward rendering of sunset at Notre Dame, abet with a ND filter that allowed a 5 second exposure.
The second image, below, was developed using the Direct Positive preset in LR4 and then had a little boost added to vibrance and some selective clarity added.
The next image used a Cross Process preset in LR4, along with an added vignette and some addition of grain to give more of that old-style feel to the image.
The last version of the image is one where I really used the antique style to its full potential. I used a red hi-constrast filter, added a lot of grain, and a heavy vignette to finish it off. Although I do really like the Direct Positive image, I think this grainy antique version is my favourite. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Do you want your images to be perfect renderings of reality, or do you like to play with the emotion of an image after-the-fact?
Michelle Gilders' Photography 