Results 1 to 19 of 19

Thread: High Key Polarscape

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default High Key Polarscape

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    I went back to my Svalbard images to find a high key image for this month's theme. Taken a little after 6 am in the waters north of Svalbard in August 2013.

    Canon 5D3
    300 II plus 2x III
    1/3200
    f5.6
    ISO 800
    Monopod from moving boat, slight crop for comp and to straighten, levels, selective burning of ice on which the pb is standing to bring out a little detail, sharpened in CCPS.

    C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

    Rachel

  2. #2
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    7,738
    Threads
    455
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hello Rachel!

    I want to go to Svalbard

    I have not one image of a polar bear...

    This is lovely, so many nuances of white in this landscape, love the slight blueish tinge of the ice, image well composed, I like the almost "defiant" look you captured there from the subject, very nice detail on the bear - I did say this before to you but I would to say it again, I really like the "effortless" look of your images, your subtle and careful processing; enjoyed viewing, would not change anything - thank you dearest Rachel for sharing

    A lovely evening to you...
    Gabriela Plesea

  3. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post
  4. #3
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Rachel first of all a Happy New Year !!
    A very fine image to jump into new year and theme .
    I would like to echo Gabriela .......... she has such a nice ability to use that special wording to describe stuff , i wish her images would be as good as her wording ....... LOL !! Was a joke !!

    Rachel this is a very fine image , no negative crit from my side .

    Keep up the nice work for this year , TFS Andreas

  5. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post
  6. #4
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hey Rachel.
    This really works well and looks very natural, likely close to what it was like on the day?
    I gotta get up there someday!
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  7. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post
  8. #5
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks Gabriela, Andreas and Morkel for the kind comments. Morkel, yes, this is almost straight out of camera with only very slight adjustments made.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

  9. #6
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Rachel, a very well balance image and I like the ratio between subject & environment, I also like the % split of land & sky. Together the soft tones & ideal location work and I think it fits the bill nicely - a bright, soft, low-contrast image.

    TFS
    Steve

  10. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post
  11. #7
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Russellville, Arkansas
    Posts
    5,189
    Threads
    674
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Polar bears and snow make for a natural high key image and this one is excellent! I really like the composition of all the whitish horizontal layers of snow and water and then the beautiful solitary polar bear staring right at you. This animal looks magnificent & strong against this bkgd.

  12. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post
  13. #8
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks Steve and Nancy. I'm glad you like this one. And yes, Steve, people often seem to forget the low contrast aspect of a true high key image.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

  14. #9
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Just thought I would throw that in... also the image needs to, IMHO be high key and shot that way rather than taking an image and trying to convert it, same issues as converting a colour to B/W, it doesn't always work.

  15. #10
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Rachel and Steve i have to disagree regarding your low contrast aspect of a "true" HK image .
    To me your statements sounds like a rule , but for me there is no such rule , it is just a matter of taste ........ as always . In some image it works for the artist/viewer in some donīt .

    Just my POV on that .

    Cheers Andreas

  16. #11
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in Africa
    Posts
    3,723
    Threads
    251
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Lovely...I love your Polar Bear images. The scenery is fantastic.

  17. #12
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks Dumay, much appreciated.

    Andreas - the traditional definition of high key does include an element of low contrast because it stems from high key lighting or using fill lighting to eliminate shadows and create a bright image with the vast majority of tones above mid-grey.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

  18. #13
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Rachel i agree if you say "traditional " HK image, that sounds better than true . Because with the term true you state ,from my POV, that there is just one "real" way of producing a i.e. HK image .
    With todays technical options and with todays peoples ability (digicam/computers) we have endless opportunities to produce whatever we like and call it whatever we want . Not meaning we are having a higher degree in quality , but we have a wider range of options in the field and in our darkroom.
    So we have a wider range of images with all kind of influences .
    And still we do not loose the old stuff .
    I do not know when you got into photography ......... i know the times when the darkroom was still a dark and wet one and have worked in there myself for my own pleasure . Never produced great stuff though .

    Cheers Andreas

  19. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post
  20. #14
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Hyderabad, India
    Posts
    5,088
    Threads
    1,356
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    A fabulous image Rachel, I like the way you have handled exposure, the whites are very nice and the detail in the bear is nice. TFS.

  21. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post
  22. #15
    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Hluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
    Posts
    1,237
    Threads
    135
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Stunning image, Rachel!

    Simplicity in white..

    The comp works well with the bear as the anchor, the pieces of drift ice in the BG tells about the vastness of the bear's environment.

    The bear's pure white against the blue-tinged ice takes the eye immediately to the subject.
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

  23. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post
  24. #16
    Lifetime Member Mike Poole's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Manchester, England
    Posts
    3,251
    Threads
    314
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great animals cape, and I'm particularly impressed with the perfect details throughout the image - no mean feat in a shot with all these whites

  25. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post
  26. #17
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks Sanjeev, Andre and Mike, glad everyone seems to like this one.

    Andreas - I'm fine with calling it "traditional" rather than "true" but I don't think we can change the definition of a high key image or high key lighting. Advances in technology and software may add to the ways we can achieve a high key image but that doesn't alter the definition. And my dad had a b&w darkroom in the house while I was growing up. So I have fond memories of watching the image emerge in the chemicals but I put down the cameras for a long while before getting back into photography.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

  27. #18
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Rachel all i wanted to achieve with my comment was to state that there are numerous ways of calling an image a HK image .Like we would call people who mainly photograph i.e. landscapes a landscape photographer, but for me there is not īthe true or traditionalī landscape photographer .Because the variation of people and there ways of photographing are so different as we humans can be . Some people are placed in a box (by others ) because they photograph or process todays images like one of the old masters i.e. Ansel Adams, maybe they copy things from the past but they can never be like them even if wished by themselves .

    To keep it short ,difficult for me to discuss this seriously due to my missing vocabulary, i just think the variations of i.e. HK are just so wide today that we should accept all kind of it , and yes there is the "old or true" HK effect where all the different variations came from .

    Thanks a bunch for your replies and this nice discussion about this ....... i loved it .

    Cheers Andreas

  28. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post
  29. #19
    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    5,444
    Threads
    444
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Love the light and soft, subtle color of this one. Has a nice hint of warmth while still capturing the cold and I like how the BG fades away into white.

  30. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics