Edit me an image #73 - Deep in The Dark

Continuing the image editing thread, 73rd issue.

General rules:

♦ Anyone (except author of original image) can edit the presented image, up to three distinct edits in separate posts are permitted.
♦ All edits must be based on original image, not on another people's edits (of course borrowing ideas would not be a problem).
♦ Short explanations about your editing intentions and/or techniques are encouraged, but not required.

Once the deadline for images has been reached, no new image versions will be accepted. Questions and (polite) discussions of techniques are welcome, so that we can learn from one another how certain edits were achieved.
The edited version gathering most likes wins and its author will start next round, unless they would prefer to pass the torch to someone else.
On the closing day for voting, if there is a draw in the number of likes for two or more edits, then the person that posted the original image will decide the winner from the the photos receiving the most votes.

Editing rules:

♦ All "normal" adjustments (brightness, colours, curves etc) are permitted (both local and global ones).
♦ All geometric adjustments (perspective, cropping etc) are permitted.
♦ Artistic effects (brushes, textures etc) are allowed.
♦ No additions or replacements may be made to the main subject matter of the image; non-essential objects may be removed, and parts of the original image can be "moved" to a different position in the image.
♦ Generative AI must not be used.

Timing:
Get your images posted by July 06. As always, you can vote during the entire contest plus one day after the image submission deadline.

The photo:
Deep in The Dark

It is a high-contrast image taken in a salt mine transformed into a tourist attraction. I think it will be interesting to see what options will be chosen to balance the whole image, or other personal perspectives.🙂

Looking forward to your edits.

Here's the jpg:

And the RAW file (ARW) can be found: here

~80 meters from the balcony to the lake.

I cropped to emphasize the depth and to more prominently feature the most interesting bits, especially the water at the bottom. Lightroom.

Last day for submissions (up to 24.00 Universal Time (UTC) - then one more day to vote.

Today you can vote until 24.00 Universal Time (UTC).

Just for information and fun: on that balcony there is a guy in a blue jacket photographing salt stalactites in the area where a rope net is stretched (weird structure), which has the role of capturing any formations detached from the ceiling.

In the second image you can see the dome from the bottom up and you can guess where that area is located.😀

So, the winner is ErikWithaK who managed to best emphasize some aspects of the original image, apparently hidden.

Thank you to all participants for their participation and effort!🙏

Considering the total number of votes accumulated throughout the entire voting process, you are in second place in this session and could take the initiative with a new image offered for editing, if ErikWithaK does not want to continue the challenge.🙂

Hey, sorry, I’ve been on vacation and without cell/internet service for the last week and totally forgot about this thing. I still won’t be home for a few days so, please, whoever came in second, consider yourself the winner and start a new challenge without me.

Since we haven't started a new challenge, I thought I'd belatedly post my two versions that I had completed, but forgotten to post earlier. :)
One is a sketch and the other is an extraction with a change of background.

It's a good idea to keep the discussions active.👍

So, let see the unseen at the bottom of the dome.