Caberfeidh B & W

It was suggested that I try a B & W version. So here it is. It isn't the

same shot as the previous posting, but one taken a few moments later.

I darkened the background so that it was less distracting, but I'm not

sure if thats a good thing or not. Your thoughts and comments are

always appreciated. Thank You

Alf, the shading seems a little unnatural to me. The lights also seem a little blown out. I PSed it using the highlight/shadow tool to even the shading out a bit - lighten the dark and darken the light. This seemed a little more natural to me. Regards Dave.

The sun is hitting my screen, though.  Perhaps I am dazzled by more than your picture.  all best, j

Hi Alf,

Both your image and the re-worked image shown can be improved.

However, the original color image needs to be shown , such that the correct processing sequences can start.

In this case, the BW posted and any follow up processing is still quite limited as to what can be accomplished.

Best Regards,  Mike

Great shot! Best regards, Ilkka

Alf,

  Wonderful b/w image with great details & lighting.  Thanks for sharing.  Take care, Patsy

Hi Alf.  Personally, the idea to darken the back ground was spot on, but I believe the image is missing too much scale.  Just my opinions though, other's may vary.

-Dave

DAVE

Many Thanks for your thoughts and contribution, much appreciated. I think you could be right, whilst attempting to darken the background I think I've probably created too much contrast. I'm still trying to get a good workflow together for B & W, but the variance between images can be vast.

Best Regards

Alf

JAMIE

Don't be too modest on my behalf jamie : - ) Many thaniks for your interest and kind contributions.

Best Regards

Alf

MIKE

Sincere thanks for your thoughts and information, if I get a chance I'll post the original.

Best Regards

Alf

ILKKA

Many Thanks for your interest and kind words.

Kind Regards

Alf

PATSY

Many thanks for stopping by, I'm pleased that you liked it.

Best Wishes

Alf

DAVE

You have raised a good point. In removing the backdrop of trees and shrubs perhaps it does lose some perspective and scale also. Your thoughts and opinions are invaluable to me Dave and I thank you for making them known.

Best Regards

Alf

Alf, I believe you mis-read me.  I was referring to too short a gray scale (white - gray - black verses white - light gray - gray - dark gray - black).  I played a little with your previous color version, your results here seen much akin to using the maximum black setting in PS.  You may come out with a bit more natural appearance with a red filter conversion and a bit of additional tweaking (red down to 75, yellow down to 0), then raised the brightness by 20.  I have attached this conversion as a sample.

-Dave

I see a beautiful b/w image with very good tonality. I think you pulled it off nicely...at least to my amateur's eyes :) Well done, Alf! Kind regards.

You've tried to do two works through b/w conversion, firstly a mono conversion and secondly improving the background distraction, and in this way you failed both! Actually, the contrast is very heavy for my eye and the whole image changed to the posterized effect. You can use painting with light method on original RAW via its copy in an nondestructive way. This methods creates very stunning results if done meticulously and with patience. It still seems a nice original shot.

Hamid.

DAVE

I did indeed misinterpret "scale". I have limited knowledge of B & W photography, so the settings you have shared are something of a revelation to me. I think I have a long way to go yet though.

Many Thanks Dave

Alf

ANABELA

I am very much an amateur too when it comes to B & W but I'm very pleased you liked what you see.

Warm Regards

Alf

HAMID

Well thats the benefit of PN to see where we succeed and fail. Maybe I should have posted the original. But you touched on a certain point there through the processing technique you describe. "if done meticulously and with patience" It begs the question of how far do you go, and when does it stop becoming photography and turn into digital manipulation. Many thanks for you invaluable feedback Hamid

Best Regards

Alf

Hi Alf, what is a good B&W, it is subjective to the eye of the viewer, some times I' think we forget to stand back and look at the image for what it is, we will pick and pull it apart just because we can thanks to having photo-shop at our fingertips, I know its up for comment but at the end of the day it is still subjective to the viewer, see we all have a view and thats just mine, great shoot Alf, kind regards Grant.

Many Thanks for your thoughts and views, they are, as always more than welcome. And you do raise the ultimate point, something we as photographers seem to forget in our mission to achieve the perfect image, and that is, the very simple concept of what looks good. Not just what looks good to photographers.

7 years ago my wife bought a large print of a boat and tree on a shore with a stormy sky behind it, I thought at the time that it was one of the best photographs I had ever seen. 2 years later I took up photography and after another 2 years I became critical of the print, and progressively so with each bit of new found knowledege I gained. The fact is though it is still the same print that I marvelled at 7 years ago, and I leave it there to remind myself that no matter how technically perfect we photographers think we are, it is the eye of the beholder that matters, and photographers are a minority.

Thats not to say we shouldn't aspire to improve and listen to good advice, for thats the reason for inviting comment, to glean more knowledge. But its always good to retain a sense of balance regarding the "subjective" element of critique.

Cheers Grant!

Alf

Alf: I think I like the B&W version more than the color image. The deer stands out a bit more. I think Dave's version is a touch more balanced foreground/background.  Awesome work!

All the best,
Neil

Many thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, much appreciated. I think you are right, the B & W versions give a clearer profile of the deer. The colour version I suppose by the very nature of the deers colouration and camouflage design is less conspicuous. And yes Daves version is a definate improvement.

Cheers Neil!

Alf

Nice capture with a lot of details even in B/W.  Very good.  Best Regards,

lovely B&W conversion, when I see a deer in the lake district I always get a bit of buzz as you don't see them usually by the time I've got the cam out and off cause changed lens are there is usually wide angle job on they are long gone.

Super work Alf well done.

Rich.

Alf, Since this was shot a few minutes later than the color one that was posted, I assume the lighting hadn't changed drastically and the camera settings were similar. In looking at the color one, it seems that simply de-saturating might keep the background foliage visible without it becoming distracting. The lightest tones are in the antlers and the whites of the face, so they should emerge enough from the background to still be quite apparent. I like the position of the animal on this one, it seems to make the antlers seem more grand. 

WANGHAN

Many Thanks for your interest and kind words, much appreciated.

Best Regards

Alf

RICHARD

Thank you for your kind words and interest.  I have only seen one deer in the lake district so far, and  we kind of surprised each other in a forest near "Tarn Hows" the deer bolted one way and I was so surpised I didn't even get to raise my camera. In this particular location thought they are quite prolific so I took the precaution of changing lens first.

TONY

You are quite correct these were taken only a few seconds apart, and the lighting would have been very similar. I think your simple approach of processing is more than likely the correct one, my clumsy attempt at processing was probably far too invasive, but I am a bit of a novice at B & W so your imput was particularly welcome.  Sincere thanks for your observations and suggestions Tony, very much appreciated.

Best Regards

Alf

Alf,

I think this is a great shot. It is a wonderful nature shot of a magnificent animal and it is also a beautiful example of photo art. I like the way the light hits and accentuates the antlers and highlights the face, back and tail. This is wonderfully dramatic. I also like how the light highlights the stalks of grass, their curves are in harmony with the deer's stance. They are like an artist's brush strokes, each one perfectly placed and applied. I like how the deer is placed in the frame, your crop is right on. Tones - perfect.

I like your story about the print your wife bought you 7 years ago and over the years you became more and more critical of it. I know exactly what you are talking about, I do that with my images as well as other things that I have purchased. That said, I  know i could live with this image for a long time and doubt if I would ever find fault with it.

I didn't see the original, after I post this I am going to look for it.

Well done!

Linda

Always good to hear from you! Thank you so much for your interest and kind words. I'm really pleased you liked this one. The deer was very accomodating, standing quite still and just moving his head now and again to allow a different shot.

I'm a bit of a novice at B & W so I take on board all the excellent advice I've received regarding the processing of this one. You have pointed out a lot of very positive virtues regarding this image, and perhaps they balance out some of the less enthusiastic feedback Its received, but in any case its very gratifying to know your views.

I think we all do that critical thing with our own images, what looked great a couple of years ago suddenly becomes questionable, and yet the image hasn't changed, just our perception of it through the eyes of the same person with new found knowledge. I sometimes think we can inadvertantly scrutinise photo's to death, and I include myself in this, both when viewing my own work and other peoples. And whilst objectivity, improvement and help are primary motives for my doing so (and I suspect others doing so) , I can't help feel that collectively by examining and highlighting every tiny fault we photographers can very easilly lose sight of what simply looks good, warts and all.

There is no original posted Linda I posted this as a B & W only, but there is a  colour photo I took seconds before with a similar title that you could make comparison with.

Thanks again Linda

Best Regards

Alf

I love it Alf, but I would like to see the colour version. Again beautiful photography.

I haven't posted a colour version of this one, but there is one taken from a few moments earlier currently located in "single photo's". Many thanks for your expert views Birte, very much appreciated!

Best Regards

Alf

I quite like the overall effect of the B&W actually; the heavy contrasts & darkness beyond create a dramatic impact -- & I guess that it's really about what atmosphere you were after.... Your Caberfeidh 1 photo had a nice diagonal line of grass blades behind & in front of the deer, which seemed to create an additional depth & looked nice in Dave's B&W rendering, I thought.... I like your story of the print your wife bought, Alf; it's something I too recognize and reflect upon.....= Good sometimes to put things in perspective again... Best regards, Marjolein