Theme: The Snow Swan

[Nancy Bell]

I photographed this Whooper Swan during a Winter Japan trip. These large swans winter in Japan, in spite of the snow, and summer much further north. I really found the swans very photogenic. In this image I added 2 textures and a gradient from above plus a gradient from the bottom, to give some definition to a foreground and a background.

[Dennis Bishop]

You're really doing a fine job with these snow images. With the graceful curves and the contrast between the black and white, this one certainly is photogenic. Your gradient idea and execution are both great. The cool blue of the background is appropriate.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hi, Nancy - this is so "cool". I love the subtlety and almost abstract look to this. I also like the hint of his/her back foot.

[gary ellwein]

I particularly like the application of the two gradients. They give an element of depth and orientation. Did you experiment with removing the texture from the swan and letting some of it detail emerge?

[Nancy Bell]

Thank you Dennis, Cheryl & Gary! Gary, I did remove some of the texture from the swan but cannot remember the % I used. I didn't want a sharp line between the swan and the bkgd, but it is always a balance that can be played with.

[Anita Bower]

The gradients work beautifully and subtly. Graceful and simple. Love the shapes and subtle colors. The placement of the swan in the frame is just right. I tried a levels adjustment to brighten it up a bit and liked the result. Excellent! Calming. Peaceful.

[Diane Miller]

Lovely idea, but I'm just rarely taken with very low contrast images. The realist in me wonders about pulling out more detail in the whites, other than that from the texture.

[Nancy Bell]

Thank you everyone for compliments, comments and suggestions! I'll pull up the image and replay with it.