This Coastal Brown Bear was photographed in Katmia National Park with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/8.
This is the first version that I created after coverting the image in ACR. You might call it the Velvia version. Please see the next pane for the Kodachorme 64 version.
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,
This is the same image with the YELLOWs desaturated.
Which do you prefer, the Velvia version above, or the Kodachrome version here?
Do feel free to comment on the image itslelf as well as the color.
Don't be shy; all comments welcome.
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,
The triangular shape of the bear is interesting. I like the rim light and the shadow details. I would prefer a little bit more saturation than the 2nd version.
I would say the first one. I prefer the warmer color of that one.
I do think that a different lens perspective might have helped. Did you ever think of using a 135mm and moving in a little ... to get a more up close and personal feeling! ;) :eek: :eek: :D
I would crop most of the right border and move the bear over and have him looking a little more to the left, as indicated by his snout.
My preference is for the first image - brighter colours of the grasses, warmer tones overall. However, the bright backlight between the legs is very distracting, so I would be tempted to try and reduce the brightness locally.
I find the bright background in #1 a little distracting. But the grass in #2 seems a bit too cool and toned down to me. How about a compromise -- #2 with
a warming filter applied to the grass and the bear, but not the cool background? I made a couple of other adjustments (maybe more evident in the animated gif).
I really like the rim lighting you got on these bear shots, Artie. (Don't miss #3 at the bottom.)
Also, at the risk of committing a felony and being incarcerated, I would crop this one square
and put the bear's nose smack in the middle of the frame. Now, haul me off to the jug. I'll
go along peacefully. :cool:
Last edited by David Thomasson; 06-16-2009 at 08:46 AM.
I prefer the first one due to the warmer colours. The second just seems a bit flat. Great headon shot, and I like the rim light surrounding the bear. Well captured Artie.
As a old kodachrome man I prefer the second. I like Davids blend, best of both worlds. I like Marks lens idea, as I recall Dale Franz used a wide angle w/the wild horses lying on the ground. It would be one of a kind!:D
Todd
I think I like the first, but both are nice. If I may comment further, one issue is the blown out backlit fur outlining the animal. I know how difficult a backlit furry creature is to expose properly, but that's an important part. Better to underexpose and bring the shadows up, or process the RAW twice and blend, if there's any detail to be had. If he was not moving much, you could have bracketed the exposure and blend.
Art, I like the first. I generaly go more for a warmer image. I like your original crop rather than bringing the subject to the center. Both are strong!
Another vote for the first one. I'll use colder tones where wanted, particularly if I wanted to portray something moody and foreboding. Here, warm is cool, excuse the pun!
For me it's definitely the first image. I find that choosing the correct wb in ACR to be very difficult as the image sometimes just doesn't look right. I also tend to err towards warmer images most of the time. Perhaps that's just because I prefer more vibrant and colourful images.
Thanks all for posting, to Peter for his Blacklit version (which shows very clearly that I could have used a bit more room at the bottom), and to David for his neat repost and flashing image.... I gotta learn that one of these years
Of the two I posted, I do prefer the first one, but then again, I always was a Velvia guy.
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,
I'm a bit late on the discussion but I also prefer the first one Artie.
I'm one for warmer tones. Although I have to admit the tone of the grass in the second one is more pleasing - but I have to judge on how the bear looks :)
Which Do You Prefer?
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
