While bracketing images in-camera and then using Photomatix or Nik HDR to create a true HDR is preferrable, tone-mapping can produce nice results. After some minor adjustments, I used one photo and imported it into Nik HDR to produce an initial image to work with, but most of what I did here after that was in photoshop.
I’ve included the original below in case you are curious.
Martinez Train Station – Tone-Mapping
Original – Lauramacky
Laura Macky Photography 
January 11, 2016 at 8:26 pm
The edited version is so good! 😀
January 11, 2016 at 8:28 pm
Yay! Whew! It took me FOREVER. Thank you Julie! :))))
January 11, 2016 at 9:48 pm
So worth it Laura!
January 11, 2016 at 8:38 pm
fab-u-lous, I must admit I DO like Nik HDR
January 11, 2016 at 8:47 pm
Thank you! It really adds a lot of pop doesn’t it.
January 12, 2016 at 2:24 am
yep
January 11, 2016 at 8:41 pm
I love what you did with the original photo. I think it is very difficult to photograph and present buildings beautifully but you’ve done that.
January 11, 2016 at 8:48 pm
Why thank you so much. I really appreciate it! It took me a few hours with this one.
January 12, 2016 at 1:05 am
I appreciate that it took you a lot of time. The end result is seamless and natural looking, with an inviting air. Enjoy lots more image editing adventures. xo
January 11, 2016 at 9:19 pm
Big huge beautiful difference! 😍👍🏻
January 11, 2016 at 11:41 pm
Really well done, buildings can be extremely difficult to capture. But I really like this and the tone mapping is spot on. Its not something I have yet mastered. I must admit, im a bit afraid of HDR. When it works it looks great but if it doesnt its dreadful. Sadly my few attempts where quite shameful 😦
Perhaps I shall give it a go again sometime,
January 12, 2016 at 6:18 am
Thanks so much Eddie for your comment. :). Have you tried Nik HDR for tone mapping? I think it does a good job. I should’ve also posted the result after tone mapping but before the final result because a lot was done in Photoshop. Anyway give it a go again sometime. Nice to see you here!
January 12, 2016 at 12:24 am
Great result, Laura!
January 12, 2016 at 6:14 am
Thank you 🙂
January 12, 2016 at 1:45 am
Wow! what a difference. Great work Laura! 🙂
January 12, 2016 at 6:12 am
I love that lol. Thanks!
January 12, 2016 at 1:53 am
Nice edit. Do you use Lightroom as well? There’s a feature there where you can auto-correct buildings (to straighten them up). This building is leaning heavily and could have used some.
January 12, 2016 at 6:11 am
Thanks about the edit. I corrected it already. The 14-24 lens creates quite a distortion unfortunately and because the shot was tight, it didn’t have enough room. 😦
January 12, 2016 at 5:44 am
Ride the train from Jack London Square to Reno, in the snow! It’s so cool! Did it twice…
January 12, 2016 at 6:13 am
We rode the train from here to Merced and then took the bus to Yosemite for Xmas. We loved it! I once took a train to Oregon through the cascades I’m December and wow it was beautiful!
January 12, 2016 at 6:32 am
The train to Reno is spectacular, he massive snow sheds… BTW the mailed roll is at Rob’s house but he’s on loan in Santa Rosa… I’ll get it when I come back….
January 12, 2016 at 7:57 am
Some day I’d like to do that. Oh good! I’m glad it got there. Hopefully it looks ok. Let me know. 🙂
January 12, 2016 at 11:01 am
Rob just told me he got it! I will:)
January 12, 2016 at 12:43 pm
Yay!
January 12, 2016 at 6:25 am
Whoa! Your edited photo is amazing! I’ve never tried editing my photos beyond the basics- this makes me want to try.
January 12, 2016 at 7:56 am
Oh I hope you do Sukanya! It’s fun to try and see what you get. You never know! Thank you. 🙂
January 12, 2016 at 8:15 am
Amazing retouching work through PS, Laura!
January 12, 2016 at 9:32 am
Thank you Amy! I’m figuring out more and more in Photoshop. So fun! The
January 12, 2016 at 9:49 am
I love the end result Laura. Great job.
January 12, 2016 at 10:29 am
Awesome. The edited image looks like a movie set.
January 12, 2016 at 12:43 pm
Oh that’s a neat point of view. It kinda does. Thank you, Elen.
January 12, 2016 at 11:25 am
Nice! That works very well.
January 12, 2016 at 12:43 pm
Thank you!
January 12, 2016 at 12:56 pm
Man, I woke up this morning cursing you. I haven’t even started to tackle Photoshop and you throw tone mapping at me? Do you understand how emotionally fragile I am right now? So I had to go online and watch a tutorial on it and, damn, that’s what I’ve been doing ever since I got Lightroom, though I didn’t know it actually had a name. And I learned a couple of new things from the tutorial, too. So thanks, Laura. Oh, and by the way, nice photo!
January 12, 2016 at 1:10 pm
I’m laughing. You are so funny Emilio! And I mean that in the absolutely BEST way. 🙂 So it is with my deepest and most SINCERE wishes for you to recover from the epiphany I bestowed upon you with this post LOL. Glad I enlighted you to what you’ve already done hahahaha. OMG..I’m laughing. Thank you. 🙂
January 12, 2016 at 1:33 pm
That’s what I’m here for, Laura! 🙂
January 13, 2016 at 5:31 pm
Beautiful shot..!
January 14, 2016 at 8:20 am
Thank you 🙂
January 14, 2016 at 8:21 am
You’re welcome Laura..! 🍁
January 15, 2016 at 7:42 am
Reblogged this on Laura Macky Fine Art.
January 15, 2016 at 8:58 am
Have to agree with Julie here (and in some ways relieved to hear that I am not the only one that takes ages to do this sort of thing 😀), the final ends up being a good photo from one which started off fairly lacklustre. Nice work, MM 🍀
January 15, 2016 at 9:17 am
Thanks MM. 🙂 I really love post processing and am trying to “expand my horizons” in this way. I practice on photos that are just ‘meh’. 🙂
January 16, 2016 at 3:52 am
Ms L…….nice job, love the final version. So you going to a follow-up tutorial post. Inquiring minds and all that……keep em coming…..en theos † jasL
January 16, 2016 at 7:34 am
Thank you James! I think a tutorial on this would be incredibly long and boring listening to me drone on. I need to do another video soon though; thanks for the reminder!