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Thread: B/W Gemsbok

  1. #1
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Default B/W Gemsbok

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    I have no experience with B/W images and taking a big chance posting this-processed some time ago and forgotten in a folder on my hard drive. Kindly asking the moderators to take it off if it's too bad...

    Nikon D3S
    Nikon 500 F4
    F6.3
    1/2000s
    ISO400

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Gabriela, this is a fine image
    The popping eye contact, the galloping pose gives a sense of panic, and couldn't be better as it's heading towards you! My only wish that it was a little away from you (or if you had a shorter focal length), such that you had more control over the framing/cropping as the subject seems central. Would suggest to crop a little from the right and add canvas to the left, if you like!

    I have a strong love towards monochromes, and I believe you've done a great job in the conversion. The balance between the harsh light and the shadows is nice and smooth, with excellent sharpness. If I had to nit-pick, I'd burn the highlights on the nose and the knee of the Oryx.

    Many thanks for sharing!
    Shreyas

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela - your patience and observation of the various antelopes really pay off because you always seem to capture good action shots which means you anticipate their behavior well. This is no exception. The conversion works and your techs look spot on. Good suggestion by Shreyas to tame some of the highlights. I would also look at a portrait crop maybe along these lines.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Hi Gabriella

    You have an excellent image but I would recommend redoing the conversion. Overall the image is a tad flat , the whites especially need attention. Some areas a little hot other whites need brightening just to give image contrast. I would not tone the highlights just the shadows .

    I prefer the OP crop rather than Rachels. Look forward to more b&w from you….

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    I love the action in this image, really suits the b&w conversion. Some good tips to improve it from people more expert than I.

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    Nice action shot of a beautiful antelope Gabriela,

    I think the conversion works well and I too prefer your original post to Rachel's vertical crop.
    Peter's suggestions make good sense. For me the foreground has much more contrast than the subject and the upper part of the BG is very bright and although the gemsbok stands out well against the background it is lacking a bit of contrast itself.

  7. #7
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Whew, hello Shreyas, Rachel, Peter, Hilary and Martin, thank you all so much-I was reading your comments and suggestions today while at work and was burning to get home and redo this image!

    I am about to grab the original from its folder and try again, but first things first: Shreyas and Rachel-I will look into the cropping, I guess this is full frame, perhaps the IQ wasn't that great and I was afraid to do a heavy crop. And Rachel-thank you for taking the time to help, I love your crop suggestion, I wanted that whole lot of dust in the image but yours has much more emphasis on the subject! Peter, your B/W images are amazing, you have lots of experience and I really appreciate any advice from you, whenever you can and have the time.

    Let us see what I can do, will be back soon...

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    HI Gabriela,

    very nice image. I also prefer the OP. Peter gave you good suggestions for this image. Do it again and RP. Wanna see

    Just follow your feeling what you wanna accomplish/imagine, you got great suggestions of the how to. Set everything else in the fridge, I am sure it is hot down there right now

    Looking forward to the RP

    Ciao
    Anette

  9. #9
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    I'm doing it right now Anette! And yep, it has been rather hot around here and quite humid, some rain over the past weeks has turned everything green and lush around us-typical African summer, thankfully no drought so far!
    Everything in the fridge as per your instructions, save for some nice South African red wine to help with some inspiration And the air-conditioning running at full power to avoid brain overheating

    Chat soon
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    For someone dipping their toes into the monocrome world, you can be commended Gab. Not as keen on the RP due to the lack of running space and dust, so let's see what you RP brings.
    TFS


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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela,
    vote for OP as a starting point, think it is worth it to redo, at least give it a try.

    I am waiting……………….

  13. #12
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Default Gemsbok RP

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    Well I tried! It is getting late and I cannot keep my eyes open, so…here it goes. Started from zero and got some help on the way from Scott Kelby, both CS5 and LR5 books on my lap.
    When I posted this image I had no idea what the original looked like, got a fright when I saw what a mammoth job was in front of me…Had to clone out a tree behind the gemsbok and another gemsbok on his left (this is the stuff I used to do all the time now I just hit "delete" if I see an image needs all that. On top of it, it wasn't sharp at all, highlights blown, etc. Did my best because I said I would give it a try, anyway WDYT? Any difference? Would another round of sharpening help?

    Have a great day tomorrow, thank you for your help!
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Nice job on the rp Gabriela . I do like the vertical presentation. Highlights look more controlled and there's a 3-D effect to this.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Very nice Gabriela, you did well with the whites. I actually was expecting something like this. WDYT?
    Just to give you a thought on it, when you want to do a mammoth job with a nearly 3-D image. Details can be retrieved.
    Also, I do not mind at all that there is no way to run, since it jumps in your face. This based on my 62% right side brain with lots of imagination involved

    Scott Kelby book did not give me anything, only the how to push the sliders and functions, but not real good pp like we learn in here. Just IMHO, others might get something out of it, I don't!

    I like to "fiddle" ( sorry Mr Detail )

    Have a great eve

    Ciao
    Anette

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Gabriela, love the pose and sharpness here! Peter covered much of what I was thinking looking at the OP.
    I prefer the OP crop/comp too - not too keen on the vertical personally.
    RP is better but I would still add some local contrast to the darks and lights to add more pop.
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    Doh - just lost all my comment for some reason! Start again, perhaps a little briefer than last time!

    Like the OP best of all, but the tones of Annette's in #14 is great. I think the OP crop shows better the skill you had as a photographer to predict the movement and keep the focus. The vertical crop takes away the story a bit and makes it look a little more like a luck shot - not meant in any derogatory way as it's clear it wasn't a lucky one!

    Really enjoying all your antelope series.

    Ed

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    Gabriela, I still prefer the OP. Both your and Anette's reposts made significant improvements to the contrast and detail but the OP has the best composition.

  19. #18
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Default B/W Gemsbok 3

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    You are all amazing and I thank you for so much input and suggestions and RP's!!!

    Tried to give it a bit more punch and did not worry too much about details in the blacks, changes done without selecting certain areas, just wanted to see if the Gemsbok "pops" a little. Well, not sure, trying to compare this last image with my previous RP on the laptop but the screens are so different.

    I have more B/W "trials" in store for you, lots to learn and I really appreciate you taking the time to help

    Have a great evening, here in Hluhluwe we are experiencing a thunderstorm and maybe no electricity soon
    Gabriela Plesea

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  21. #19
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela , what a progress with a little help from your `friends`, specially the "fiddling" one. Just wondered why some of the images looking fiddled, now got a explanation for it………….

    I like your RP in tones etc, but prefer the OP as comp.

    Cheers Andreas

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  23. #20
    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela,

    your RP looks very good, like it very much. Very well done.
    Andreas, this f***** we should not use. We pull sliders and paint with the paint brush the light. In this case a simple graduate in curve did the job and a bit "take off" on the animal.


    PS - Gabriela
    You must have power. My husband supplied whole SA with new power thingies and whatever. Flew every month down there to give all SA citizen access to power!! Made the deal of the year with SA for about 100Mill, nop, not Rand was CHF or Euro. All should work. I hear no power fails anymore from friends, Before it was just sooo annoying on Skype with friends down there!!! Power on…power off… etc. Guess your wonder ANC needs to learn to maintain all things as well not just…. feel free to think what you like they do, lolol!!!!!
    Sorry could not hold back

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    LOOOOOOL

    just joking with the fiddling and the fiddled images.

  25. #22
    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Andreas,

    you and your German humor… hey that is mine too

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Going to much off topic now, so have a "lekker slaap".
    I am off work from tomorrow on , so `plenty`of time for talking b…………t!!!!!!! PEEEEEP!

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  28. #24
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Aaaaah, but I am a bit of a fiddler too! Talking about trying this and that and tweaking here and there
    Love your sense of humour, Andreas!
    Anette, in Hluhluwe we have power cuts with just about every thunderstorm! Eskom had no technicians here up until recently, so if something went wrong we had to wait till the next day, sometimes we waited two, three days! The funny thing is, when power outage is longer than a day, then we have no water too...The reason for "no power" is often a blown transformer, technicians come to check and then they have no spares, so we have to wait until spares come from Durban (300km). This is very rural area, Anette, no one really cares. We made a plan to have some lights here and there and water when that happens, but not taking a chance with the computers, we switch them off!

    ...really enjoyed your conversation above, te-hee! I am at work now, I'd better go do something

    Enjoy your day!!!
    Gabriela Plesea

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  30. #25
    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Nice to hear that you push pull sliders too

    power prob, well some of my friends have a Generator tucked away in the garden somewhere. That jumps in when Power fails. The water prob, lolol in their garages are many 5l bottles filled with drink water, they also take use the pool water for the loo's if water fails as well. No spare parts, yep I do know, that what was my husband saying. Buying all new stuff, but not many spare parts will bring in a few years probs. Viola For me, I would see it as an adventure & much fun. Better than Swissyland!!!

  31. #26
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Dear Anette, we have a water tank for "plan B" and battery powered lights. Gas and electric stove, so that we can still entertain in style! A small and very quiet generator but I personally do not trust my computers with it, so if the power goes, out come the wine and the candles! Worst thing is when I am busy processing an image and so close to the sharpen and save stage, the power goes off and all is gone!!! Oh well, it's Africa Tonight it is cool for a change and a fine drizzle, garden green and plants happy. And the week-end is near, more rain predicted-it looks like PP work right through

    Have a great day tomorrow!
    Gabriela Plesea

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  33. #27
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriella, nice to see you exploring and looking at different mediums to portray your work.

    I agree the OP is the better option, however having options on cropping is also worth exploring too. Personally i would like a little more FG, but no deal breaker. I think you were almost there in the OP, just some subtle tweaks for the Blacks 7 whites with in parts some mid tone.At this stage you do need to look for 'blown' whites, albeit it small. At this stage it's not too bad, but at a larger size it will show. If the original is OK then easily resolved. Good techs to freeze the action with just the right amount of DOF.

    Nice work.

    TFS
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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