Blue heron (BW)

[Karm Redland]

Comments welcomed.



karm

[Steve S]

Comments welcomed.



karm

A nice image, I like the content and composition, but it looks dark to me. Many times when people convert to b&w, their instinct is to get more contrast into the image, but as a result, they make the image darker.

[Karm Redland]

Steve, I purposefully left everything dark except the base of the tree and the Heron's head. I definitely welcome comments on this strategy.

karm

[Steve S]

Steve, I purposefully left everything dark except the base of the tree and the Heron's head. I definitely welcome comments on this strategy.

karm

The brightness of your black and white should look the same as your color image. If the image needs more contrast, you'll have to find another way.................darkening the image only kills your shadow detail and highlights.

[Karm Redland]

Steve, here's a more balanced image. Comments welcomed.



karm

[pasusan]

Karm, I can't tell you how much I prefer your first image. To my eyes the composition is balanced - it's a beauty!

[Digital]

Karm, it is hard for me to decide which version is better IMO; however I think I will agree with Susan, and go with #1.

Anyway, a very nice photograph. Were you shooting in RAW?

Bruce

[Steve S]

Perhaps somewhere between the two.

[jprzybyla]

I like the image and composition very much. Although I have never explored B&W for a final image it does give me ideas. I have converted an image to B&W when using the Tone Curve converting it back to color for the final image.

Seeing the partial reflection on the water I would have liked to see the total reflection in the image. I think it would onlyl have enhanced the composition.

[Karm Redland]

Thanks Joe for your comments. I'll go back and look at the original image. (The one I posted here is cropped.) I'll look at your suggestion of including the entire reflection of the Heron.

karm

[Karm Redland]

Steve, unfortunately I agree with you. This will be my last attempt at this picture -- I promise.



Karm

[Karm Redland]

Bruce, yes, it was shot in raw.

karm

[FootLoose]

I prefer the first one, although I think the trunk could be darkened a tad to place more emphasis on the bird's head. But I'm no expert...

[Steve S]

Karm, you have good contrast in the first image, but it is very dark. In the second two versions , you brightened things up, but lost that good contrast. If you could keep the contrast of the first image, and brighten things up, you'll have a winner.

[Shadowman]

Very nice.

[Karm Redland]

Thanks John.

karm

[chauncey]

GBH's are a difficult subject due to their color and the fact of the normal foliage background.
I usually get around the problem by making a selection of the bird and post-processing it separate from the background.
The time spent is worth it for an image to be printed.

[Karm Redland]

Thanks Chauncey. I know what I want the Heron to look like, I know what I want the tree in the water to look like, I know what I want the water reflections to look like, what I don't know is what all that foliage in the background is supposed to be doing. I originally did the pic in color and it looks nice. However, I think the BW has a lot more potential depth to it. In the first picture I posted I solved my problem by just darkening what I didn't understand.

So yes, doing the Heron first and then separately doing the background makes lots of sense. I have tools that let me do that. However, as stated above, I really don't have a "fig" what part of the background should look like.

karm