Quote Originally Posted by GB1
AE, N8 - I agree that the non-HDR is flat, and maybe the HDR too to a lesser extent, but the edit goes too far for me as the bright areas just seem on fire.
Feel free to check their RGB values

Maybe somewhere between the two would be best?
I did notice once the posted shot seems to be more contrast than it was in Photoshop. Hey, it's your shot, your call

Btw, AE, I've noticed that sometimes (or most of the time) converting digital color to B&W flattens it out. There's some plug-ins that do much better, but they're expensive.. one I think costs $300.

G
After converting the color image into b&w, you can adjust its contrast using curves, levels, high pass, dodge & burn or any other tool of your choosing. It's no different than adjusting the brightness, contrast, etc. of a color image. The job is not done after the color is gone