Edit Me An Image #77 - Dark Forest Wedding Scene

Continuing the image editing thread, 77th issue.

General rules:

♦ A previous round winner presents a busy or just not so interesting image, having at least some potential for different crops or visions.
♦ 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. Sky replacements are OK unless the sky is the main subject..
♦ Generative AI must not be used.

Timing:

Get your images posted by August 23. As always, you can vote during the entire contest plus one day after the image submission deadline. I'll post reminders.

The photo:

A high DR challenge. This was shot in a VERY dark forest, but with VERY bright dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy to blast some portions of the scene. Exposed to the right at base ISO for maximum dynamic range - it's all in there, but the challenge is to cram all that dynamic range into a final image that looks more or less "normal" (at least that would be my inclination). The original scene looked dynamic, but bright and normal to the naked eye.

A simple edit from the RAW file with all the detail "just" crammed in at both extremes to make an editable jpeg...

And a link to the RAW file (Fuji X100V)...

www.dropbox.com/t/TveiPVfu8bYJTiEq

My first try - brought within DR. Used Adoptive color profile. Some Highlights tweek, added sharpness ans texture.

Second try - In LrC Highlights to -100, Shadows to +100, exposure to +3. Added sharpness and texture.

DXO with Color Efex plugin, also slight crop on left to get rid of that leaning tree trunk.

My third try. I cropped out two men on the right and some empty space on the bottom.

My vision.

I was going for a darker forest path to accentuate the dappled lights. DXO FilmPac 6 with adjustments in PS.

This is last day for submissions (Sunday), voting tomorrow (Monday).

Just a note: The original scene was quite dark in the shadows but with blazing bright highlight detail where the direct summer sunshine filters through the forest canopy. This is absolutely a challenging image to work with that probably isn't going to get where it needs to go with global adjustments alone.

However you choose to go about dealing with the dynamic range, the highlight detail was recorded intact in the RAW file and should ideally not appear blown without detail in the edit. Some good results so far, but some could still stand some fine-tuning in that regard (IMO).

After messing with this for too long, I've come to the conclusion that the vision Erik has of this image is unattainable. :) Nonetheless, here is a final version which is punchy, but a little too HDRish for reality. PS and SNS-HDR tools used.

Well, there's a four way tie here for me to choose from and I'm going to go with Sagittarius' nice first effort, my favorite in terms of overall color.There are things i like better about some of the other entries, Vahur's in particular for it's more natural/less "crunchy' (to my eye) rendering, but it was just a we bit too magenta (again, to my eye) to give it the nod. Also, Sagittarius had two entries in the final four that probably ought to count for something. Nice tries all, this image is indeed a difficult one.

Here's my take, and about as true to life and dynamic looking as I could make it without appearing too dark or too "HDR". The light was about as difficult as it gets for the entire wedding, I'm glad I was just a guest.

Congratulations Sagittarius, you're up next...