Pennsylvania Elk Sketch
Hi All,
I took this image several years ago near Benezette, Pa. of a bull elk. The heard has spread out to many new regions since then.
I used several filters in Topaz and Photoshop to get the feel I wanted.
But I'm not sure about the busy background. I tried blurring it out a bit to draw you eye back to the elk.
Comments Always Welcome
Janet
I don't find the background all that distracting. The blurring no doubt helps. As does the desaturation. The detail in the foreground is a very effective element. I'm wondering how cropping a bit from the left and having a little more canvas at the top would work.
the background doesn't bother me either. What's all that stuff on his antlers? Did he get into a fight and gore another elk? The color effect is nice.
The shedding velvet on the antlers is cool, background not a problem, nice effects...I might have tried to remove the blade of grass on right side of face and the collar but thats just how I like my images...well done
oh, that's shedding on the antlers. shows how little I know about such things. I was guessing the fight because some of the tips have a redding hue.
Janet, I agree with Paul about the grass and collar (why does it have a collar). I was wondering what the reddish area under the collar is. It might look better with a little desaturation.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly" - The Little Prince
http://tuscawillaphotographycherylslechta.zenfolio.com/
Cheryl,
The collar is a radio tracking collar used by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The elk that roam around now are actually descendants of Rocky Mountain elk that the PA Game Commission brought in between 1913 - 1926. Some even coming from Yellowstone National Park.
Janet
This is a magnificent elk! It is a good photo of the shedding of the velvet on the antlers. I think it would be easy to clone out the grasses and flowers that come up across his body. The only part of the BG I find distracting are the dark areas to the right--you could clone those also to look like the rest. Did you try increasing the contrast a bit to make the elk stand out more? Nice job.
