Elephants crossing rivers is one of my favourite photo opportunities. But it's hard to turn a beautiful scene in a beautiful photograph and I have tried many times! But I like this black and white conversion and would love some advice from the B&W fundis on here about how to improve my technique and PP for future.
Canon 1D4, 70-200mm + 1.4x @ 200mm (didn't have time to remove converter after shooting another scene!)
1/1250s, f8, ISO 800
Cropped to straighten and for 16x9 pano.
Hi Ed - I very much like this as a b&w conversion. There seems to be a drop off in clarity and contrast in the bg on the lhs that I'm not in love with. I'm not sure if it is caused by heat haze, dust or something you did in pp. I also think you can widen the tonal range with a levels adjustment bringing in the rhs to about 245 and the left to 4. I sort of like all the scraggly dead trees in the river but some may find them distracting (it might make an interesting landscape shot to photograph them and the river when the eles aren't present as well). I like the comp as is but an alternate comp that seems to work would be to crop from the top to the river bank's top edge for a more pano effect.
Hopefully others with more B&W experience will jump in and offer advice.
To see this picture is a delight. It is so beautiful. I think we should make more pictures with habitat. It is so easy to go for the close up shots, and here on the forum we can see that they dominate.
I have no comments on techs, but it will be interesting to hear what the experts say.
Hi Edward - The B&W conversion works very well. I like the wider angle to show the context and IMO the dead trees add plenty to the mood and quality of this great image. I have the same problem you stated to transfer this scene into and capture that does the actual moment justice; I have learned a lot from your image. I also look forward to the B&W fundi's comments as like I said, this type of result has eluded me. Well done.
Cheers
Hennie
Hi Ed, we can all learn more how to shoot B&W and habitat. I don't have much experience here, but as a viewer, the below caught my eye:
1. Lovely, peaceful scene. Computationally, it works for me. The water in the FG draws my view towards the ele, and the river bank and trees and sky make up a nice BG.
2. I wish the ele are coming towards you, not away, but I know, it was a matter of luck.
3. Tonal rnage is a bit flat, Rachel already gave you advice here.
Do you use one of the preset for B&W conversion or do you optimize it?
Hi Edward, beautiful scene. The conversion I like as well. Just have a little prob that my eyes are drawn to the LHS to the bright sky and dust/mist in the back. If your color version the sky is blue, pull the orange slider a bit in Siver Efex, if you have it. The red grabs to much detail down the drain!. As well would pull over a graduate just for the BG, selective as it looks to me. The trees on the RHS are already quite dark. Include the water and river bank and see how you would like it a bit darker.
Lots talk, here just a RP. I took it into Silver Efex and tried to darken the sky and trees, river bank in the BG. Not quite as I would like, a RAW file would be better in that case. In LR I usually set everything as it should be, like a color image! Open it in Silver Efex in LR and do my settings, when done than I go to Tonal. After that off to PS for fine tuning and more adjustments when needed. Try to keep the eles in the light.
Please note, the RP was done in not even 5min, as said a RAW would be better for me.
Oh, at the end I added another round Levels.
Have a great start into the new week
Ciao
Anette
Last edited by Anette Mossbacher; 09-08-2013 at 03:05 PM.
True words - not all beautiful scenes make beautiful photographs.
I like the scene here. Your OP lacked some tonal range and contrast which I feel Anette has addressed. I would be careful of getting too much crispness and clarity in the leaves of the treeline as it competes for visual attention in the monochrome presentation. I typically pull down the clarity slider in LR use the brush to paint clarity back where I want it (the ele's in this case).
Thanks everyone for all useful comments. I liked the soft almost dreamy tones of the OP but I see how it can be improved. I think Annette's looks a little 'processed' but I will try to find a balance between the two. I'm grateful for all ideas.
Cheers.
Ed
Crossing
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