Evening Drink

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Created this image in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in a warm summer evening.

Canon EOS 1D Mark II, EF 400mm f2.8 L IS USM, EF 2xII, ISO 640, f5.6, 1/250, EV +1/3. Full frame.
Look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Manjeet & Yograj Jadeja]

Its a beautiful shot, adding color to this b/w image would make this image better.
we also feel that including more of the foreground would have improved the impact and included the reflection in the water. we know that you would have had to take into consideration the lighting conditions at that time,
would love to see the color image for sure.

[Dave Mills]

Hi Sabyasachi
I thought I would spend a bit of time to offer some improvements. As you see I cropped the image almost as a pano to focus in more on the tiger than the backround. I darkened the water and backround (burned in) to offer more contrast to the image. Curious to know your thoughts...

[Ken Watkins]

I am not sure if this works in B& W,the changes in tone are a little subtle. IMHO the crop is better but not the increase in contrast.

Can we see what it was like in colour?

[Steve Mandel]

Sorry, I don't like the B&W at all and not sure why you would want to render it this way. In addition, the B&W version looks too bright and needs the contrast, which Dave provided. Humans see in color and this scene is full of color; the tiger, water, and the brush - that is whey we desire it here and find the B&W frustrating. I wonder if you need to calibrate your monitor, have you done that? You might want to check that - I had the same issue until doing so.

That being said, the composition is great.

Steve

[John Ippolito]

Sabyasachi, my first thought was that it needed a contrast boost-but after seeing it, I prefer the lower contrast version, though I do like Dave's crop. The lower contrast version blends the tiger into it's environment, and after all it is a predator that is a master of stealth and camo. I also like the drinking posture accentuating the powerful shoulders.

I also would like to see it in color, but I do like it as presented.

[Jasper Doest]

Sabyasachi, although I'm a fan of B&W photography I don't think it works here. B&W really works well with strong textures and differences in contrast...here there are too many midtones to make this work IMO.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Dear All,
As per popular demand, I am posting the image in colour.

Steve,
I will check the calibration of my monitor soon. However, I am far more worried about the calibration required for my brain. I mean, something has happened to me and I am checking all the images in b&W these days. Probably, ghost of the past. :o

I appreciate your comments and look forward to it.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Marc Mol]

I am not sure if this works in B& W,the changes in tone are a little subtle. IMHO the crop is better but not the increase in contrast.

Can we see what it was like in colour?

My thoughts as well Ken.
That's better Sabyasachi, perhaps a pano though?

[Steve Canuel]

Color, with Dave's crop, provides the best choice in my opinion. The length of the tiger's body and the lay of the tail lends itself well to a pano crop and the yellowish/orange, black, and white combination of the tiger's fur just has to be seen in color:). Personally, I'd also remove the stalk of grass under his throat as it looks like a prop holding up his neck.