threatening clouds

[John Chardine]

I liked the patterns in these clouds over northern New Brunswick today. I converted to B/W using the blue channel from RGB. I ran noise reduction over the whole image (Topaz), then sharpened a little.

Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Lens: EF70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM, @ 70 mm
Program: Aperture Priority
ISO 200, 1/2000s, f/7.1
Exp. comp.: -0.3
Flash: no flash

[Steve Uffman]

Powerful....did you run for cover? :t3 really amazing clouds...like the whole b&w treatment

[Ed Cordes]

Dramatic and powerful scene. The B&W conversion was a good choice. Just enough FG trees to give an anchor for my eyes.

[dankearl]

Nice B&W, I would crop about 20% of the top.
The clouds lose their intensity at that point.
The FG trees look great.

[Arthur Morris]

Super. I'd go for just 10% or less of the top. The bit of tree on the horizon line left needs to go. A small crop from the left through the middle of the next tree on the right might be an even better solution... Let me know if you do not understand me :e3

[Robert Amoruso]

Well visualized scene and composition. I was going to suggest a crop until I read Artie's, just beat me by a few minutes, recommendation - which is what I was going to recommend. I think B&W was the way to go here.

[John Chardine]

Thank you all. I'm going to rework the image based on the comments, and repost. At Bonaventure right now, up to my neck in gannets, but will get to it shortly.

I will make a comment which has been on my mind for a while. I often don't seen things in my images, but others do. It happens in reverse too- I see things in images that the creator has missed. I will call this the "junk drawer syndrome". OK men stay with me here (women will know what I'm talking about). I have a problem seeing small things in a jumble of other things. Case in point, you go to the junk drawer to find that phillips screwdriver you left there. You open the drawer and survey the mess. It's not there. But you know it is, so you call your female partner over to find it and within a split second you hear "it's right there in front of you". An accusing index finger points to said screwdriver and you wonder how you could have possibly missed it. I am sure this is analogous or even homologous to the situation of not seeing little details in your image that, if you had, you would have dealt with. This is where other critical (BPN) eyes become so important!

In case you were wondering if this is a real phenomenon, there is a whole science surrounding the issue of seeing things in a mass of other things. The retail industry is very interested in you finding what you want on a shelf in a shop and so arrange things so that it is as easy as possible. Also, I am convinced that men are not as good as women at "finding Waldo". Good photographers, regardless of their sex, are good at finding Waldo, and I think you can learn how to do it. I'm working on it.

[Rachel Hollander]

John - I'm not going to really comment on your last post as it can only get me in trouble. :bg3: But I agree that it is often better to have an (or a few) extra eyes on an image. Sometimes we've just been looking at something so long that we don't see the little things. Yes, this happens to women too!

As for the image, I too like the b&w treatment here and the texture of the clouds. Good suggestions by Artie and Robert for a crop.

TFS,
Rachel

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi John, great clouds and B&W works well too. Agree with the previously suggested crop and cloning. Nicely seeen!

[Roger Clark]

Hi John,

Wow, those are some clouds! I've never seen anything like it. I agree that the tree on the left edge has to go.
Nicely done.

Roger

[Michael Lloyd]

Awesome clouds and the conversion to B&W works very well. In addition to the aforementioned crop it looks like it needs a slight bit of clockwise rotation.