Wood Stork Portrait

[Matthew Studebaker]

When I took this 7 years ago I didn't know if it was salvageable because the blacks were so far gone. Now with shadow recovery in photoshop I was able to recover the shadows and save a very dramatic image.

photographed out car window on Black Point Drive
Merritt Island NWR, Fl | December 21, 9:32am | 100% of Capture | Canon Rebel XT | Canon EF 500mm f4 IS | 1/1600 f4 | ISO 200

[Diane Miller]

Dramatic light it is! I love what the new sliders in ACR/LR Process 2012 can do for shadow and highlight detail.

I like how the light goes soft on the shoulder area, but wonder if the area to the right of it is contributing. Cutting into that light could be like cutting into a nice reflection, but what would you think about taking some off the right?

[Melissa Groo]

I love this, Matthew. I remember you shared it somewhere else, maybe FB, and it struck me, what a beautiful and dramatic--and different!--portrait. It really works for me in every respect. Reminds me of some of the work Joel Sartore's been doing (The Ark), yet with your own unique artistry.

[Loi Nguyen]

very creative and dramatic image. Love it. The lighting makes it special and it was amazing the details you can see. well done. Loi.

[Diane Miller]

Another interpretation is to pull out a little more detail in the darks in the body. It seems flat there compared to the head.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Matthew, I like the mood here, and what hits me right away would be to have created a portrait in vertical of just the head and neck.

[gail bisson]

I really liked this on your website (or was it on FB?) and still like it now.
The " stage show" lighting is very dramatic and moody and very "filme noir".
Love the black and white as well.
I would take some off the right but otherwise think this a wonderful artistic image,
Gail

[jack williamson]

Great recovery, the light and the mood are awesome, fine detail.

Jack

[Alan Murphy]

Very nice Matthew. Inspiring.

[Bill Dix]

What great fun to go back and revisit an old image with new techniques. Dramatic indeed. I like the OP but agree that some off the right might be helpful.

[dankearl]

Awesome moody photo...
I have looked at it on my desktop and now on my IPad.
The IPad crops some photo's for some reason and the photo has a square crop which looks great.
The crop is just head and shoulder and is very nice.

[Grace Scalzo]

Different, moody, artistic, lovely.