Winter isn't only about bright light and snow - at least not around here! It is also short days of low light and rain. So I shared some time with the Queen of this pond while we both waited for the rain to stop. Happily I was dry in the hide!
I had a version with a smoother background (2 rounds of NR) and then while playing with some other masks came up with this slightly "grungier" background - which seemed to suit the mood of the day. What do you think?
Canon EOS 1DX, EF 200-400 f/4L @ 560mm
1/125 sec, f/5.6 @ ISO 6400
Converted with DPP4, optimised with PS 5.1 - curves and luminosity masks, NR with Define2
Hi Gerald, I can sympathise with you about the rain and light, it really has been pretty poor start to the year and up with us everything is flooded, however as I type the rain has stopped and there is a spectacular sunset, perhaps it's the 'wind of change?' .
Good call on the techs and I like the composition & crop format, good to see you also pushing the ISO. I can understand your thinking about the grungy BKG, but it is beginning to look quite patchy in part and probably due through PP rather than noise etc. Good sharpness and detail in the subject, were you using a tripod? Personally I would suggest you remove the small branch clipping the body and relatively easy on the larger TIFF, plus I wonder if removing the colour cast in the branch helps (as per the attached, a little crudely done), but it all depends on your ethics.
Gerald think removing the blue cast on the branch improves the image but that apart I would be very happy with the OP,love the rainy atmosphere you have captured, very nice indeed.
Hi Guys,
Many thanks for taking a look and leaving your thoughts. Steve - I always appreciate that you are prepared to make corrections and post them. I changed my mind about a dozen times about taking out that background stick - now I can see that it has to go! And I will take some of that blue out of the stick. On the larger image, the background doesn't look so patchy, so I think I might stay with that as it is - for now.
Keith and Sidharth - thanks for your thoughts. I've been looking at a lot of images from Scandinavian photographers and really liking the low light and moody images - so was really quite pleased with this one.
Gerald if you want to do more KF then let me know, as I should put you in touch with a guy from the Netherlands who I think is one of best in capturing these guys.
Theme: Waiting in the rain
Reply With Quote
.
