High Key Common Tern on kelp

[Dan Brown]

I captured the base image out in Monterey Bay on a pelagic birding trip. I cropped and rotated in NX2 and then applied a radical curves adjustment in CS3. Kinda reminds me of some of Nicki's fine high key work (but not so fine!:))

[Paul Lagasi]

Hey Dan nice work, I really like the tern at the top and reflection, the colors and high key look... not sure about the second reflection, but thats just my eye's doing the looking :2eyes2: ..TFS

I played with this a bit..what do you think?

[Kerry Perkins]

Dan, what Paul did is exactly what I thought when I saw this one. The image is lovely and I can appreciate the symmetry but I feel that the center reflection is a bit too divisive. The image seems stronger without it, IMO. :cool: I really like the tern and the brushed look you gave it. Looking forward to the Asian theme!

[denise ippolito]

Dan, I like the way you designed this. If the second one is a reflection shouldn't it be upside down? The dark streak in the center I might tone down a bit if it were mine. I like the artistic feel to this and it does remind me of a "Nicki" image!!:)

[Dan Brown]

Thanks for the great comments guy! I think that Paul's repost really cleans the piece up. I might have to work on this a bit. Denise, my post is a high key rendition of the original capture with all of the elements intact. As for the second reflection, it was there? I guess the ocean swells are reflecting this somehow?

[Dan Brown]

Here's another try. I removed the upper and lower tern reflections, removed the color, toned the "swipe" in the middle down by graduating it from black to gray and finally, adding contrast and reducing brightness overall. I think I like it?:confused:

[denise ippolito]

Dan, Talk about a brain freeze. I totally didn't even notice the reflection on the top bird in your first post -My bad. Please disregard my comment. Yikes!:o
Any way I do like the repost and the B&W makes this even better!

[Myer Bornstein]

I like the third picture the best. It is much cleaner with less intrusive elements.

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Dan,

Greetings. I liked the first one at first glance, but like Denise I had a problem with the bottom part (seemingly upside down).

Here is an idea... more headed toward a calligraphy look to go along with the style of your initials...

79215

flipped bottom part, removed kelp from bottom part, used distort on bottom for calligraphy look to taste & zoomed out for final placement (just looking at form of black on white).

Or perhaps streaking out the very bottom head altogether.

Just some ideas...

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Dan Brown]

Nice rendition Michael! I like the sweep of the bottom reflection! With the small amount of elements here, it's fun to rearrange and play with them for different looks!

[Indranil Sircar]

Beautiful composition, Dan. Love the minimalist approach and painting effect. Very nicely done.