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Thread: 50 Shades of White

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Default 50 Shades of White

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    Well not quite 50 but a lot. Another high key experiment from Svalbard. I wanted to retain the detail in the ice flow and in the polar bear while having the water high key so I upped the exp of the water further than the ice and PB in pp. I'm not sure I'm completely happy with this one. I've struggled a bit with the ice because against the stark high key fg and bg the ice looks a little gray to me. So I thought I'd see what you all think.

    Canon 5D3
    300 II plus 2x III
    1/2000
    f5.6
    ISO 800
    Monopod from moving boat, cloned some stray ice and water around the edges, cropped slightly for comp, exp, levels, curves and selective color adjustments, selective burning and dodging, sharpened in CS6.

    C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

    Rachel

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel,
    great image overall, works well for me .Just the ice looks a bit grey as you say , think it is walking on a thin line losing detail and get enough highkey onto the ice.

    Just tried something ,WDYT ? It is not perfectly masked so at bit sloppy on the edges and around the bear.But you get the idea.

    TFS Andreas

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel, I can't make much on the colour as I'm away, but the colour info looks well balanced in the RGB channels. If it was me, I would make the water above & below just white and loose the minimal bits. I like the position in frame & on the ice, but try the 16 x 9 format working from the bottom right up to the left, it means you loose some image off the top which I think makes for a better comp, WDYT?

    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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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Andreas and Steve. Andreas, I had done some adjustments similar to yours but wasn't really happy with the trade off of detail for color. I still don't know. Let's see what others say. It may just be that I've been working on the image for too long. I processed it over a week ago, put it down and then picked up again.

    Steve - thanks, I can clean up the bits and the 16x9 suggestion is a good one. Why didn't I think of that?

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel, love the various tones of white, and Im fine with colour of the ice as presented. Im seeing a hint of ripples in the water in the upper water BG which I like a lot. Do you have any more ripples in both the FG and BG water that you may have lost in processing to high key. I would like to see more. The polar bear looks relaxed, and giving you good eye contact. The placement works well too.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Stu but I'm not sure I'm seeing what you are re: ripples. Where are you referring to?

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    There are two darker lines - about halfway between the left hand edge and the polar bear just above the line of the ice. I took them as ripples.

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    Hi Rachel, I'm on my iPad, so can't comment on the 50 shades of white :), but regardless it is a lovely image. It's definitely worth spending time on. Andreas cited the grey of the ice, and I think this is the area that needs more work. Loi

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    I love this Rachel, the PB looks very relaxed and good eye engagement. I agree with a little off the top to make it 16 x 9 format. I also think its a pity the edge of the ice crust is broken but know you wont touch that... My current screen is not good enough to comment on the colour..

    thanks for showing

    DON

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    Lovely image Rachel, its working for me, lovely detail, i only see a slight halo around the bear as if it was backlit? The snow does look a little grey but that is easily fixed, i would possibly look a cropping some off the top to create equal sized layers of water, snow and water.

  11. #11
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks all for the comments and suggestions. Stu, I'm not sure but think that's actually remnants of ice rather than ripples.

    Brendon, the bear was backlit and that's the halo.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    really like the comp & colors as presented in the OP. Exp & IQ looks very good.

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rachel Hollander View Post
    Stu, I'm not sure but think that's actually remnants of ice rather than ripples.
    Hi Rachel, thanks for clearing that up.

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel,

    you got lots of suggestions already. Very nice image. Agree with Pano. Those ripples/ grey lines in the BG Stuart is referring to, are for me like this "human Head/shoulder shape" from the other image! If you remember. I personally would get rid of them, but this is just me. If I can make a image minimal and have the chance I grab it Less in the image lets your PB jump out with it's great details

    Have a nice eve

    Ciao
    Anette

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    I like this Rachel! I agree you could perhaps go even whiter/cleaner top and bottom, but works for me as is too. Even the crop is 50/50 to me (this one vs 16x9).
    Gotta love that arctic light!
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Beautiful pose and sense of solitude here Rachel, nicely captured.
    Now that Svalbard is only a few hours away for us, it is being given even more serious thought as a soon to be visited location, it's just that Africa keeps getting in the way!!


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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks everybody. Here's a rp cleaning up the ice edges, removing the stray bits, removing some of the gray from the ice and with the suggested crop.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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  19. #18
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marc Mol View Post
    Beautiful pose and sense of solitude here Rachel, nicely captured.
    Now that Svalbard is only a few hours away for us, it is being given even more serious thought as a soon to be visited location, it's just that Africa keeps getting in the way!!
    Marc - sometimes you just have to force yourself to go elsewhere. That's what I do.

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    RP is beautiful!
    Ed

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    Landscapes Moderator Andrew McLachlan's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel, I like the OP best and think this would make a wonderfully large print. Great Polar Bear-scape

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Ed and Andrew, much appreciated.

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    hi Rachel,
    RP for me.Like this a lot.

    TFS Andreas

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Late here, RP does it for me too

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    Rachel, RP for me too. Loi

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    BPN Member Steve Uffman's Avatar
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    Figured you were up there....love the shot...did you try brushing a little Nik Tonal Contrast on the snow in front of the bear just to add some texture? Something I learned from a master photographer who really, really likes bears ;-) We have been in Churchill and I found it brought the texture up and added interest on both the PB and Arctic Fox images that we had

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Steve. I'm not a big Nik user but I'll keep it in mind and maybe try it on another image. This one has already been printed on metal.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    BPN Member Steve Uffman's Avatar
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    Rachel, its wonderful just as it is and no doubt incredible on metal...

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