Zebra B&W-Masai Mara

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

7D and 100-400 L
f/5.6
ISO 320
1/640
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8016/7459111054_6a8e2422d1_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/40906945@N08/7459111054/)
EastAfrica0071 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/40906945@N08/7459111054/) by docsanjeev (http://www.flickr.com/people/40906945@N08/), on Flickr

[Morkel Erasmus]

Zebras are usually good candidates for B&W conversions due to their coat patterns.
My first concern here is the closed eye - with a facial portrait like this where the animal isn't pertinently doing anything, you need the eye to give life to the image.
Secondly, the blacks are quite choked up, as you need them dark but you need some detail in the black fur and the snout.
The way the face is positioned I would have gone for a vertical portrait crop.

Just my thoughts, Sanjeev...but this one is not cutting it for me I'm afraid...:e3

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Sanjeev, firstly congrats on exploring B/W, good call, but sadly I can only echo Morkel's observations/comments.

Knowing the software you use, was this done in PS, as you have more control IMHO, but easier to get everything looking right in PS before going to the action for B/W, as you can then tweak even further after, if need be? Like a lot of your images you have all the information there it just needs a little coaxing as I have mentioned before. One simple action and you have the detail in the nose, the eye well... Also a few more rounds of USM and things crispen up nicely. It's not perfect, but I just wanted to try and show you what you have. :S3:

TFS
Steve