Double-crested Cormorant
One more for this weeks theme... I had this image of the cormorant from few years back. Extracted along with the perch using Topaz remask. Used a stormy sky as the bg; converted to b&w with slight tint to match that of the bird/perch. Applied a round of Topaz simplify on a new layer. Changed opacity and used a layer mask to open up the eye and bill. Cropped, merged, applied usm and texturizer to get the final effect. Hope you like it...
~ Indranil
I love the post processing Indranil. The conversion and the extraction are nice. The soft texture to the BG is nice. The crop seems tight on the right. Maybe a horizontal crop . A bit more sharpening on the head. I like the interesting perch and the pose. :)
Indranil, I really like the b&w conversion and the texture - they go together really well with the cormorant.
Cormorant feathers remind me of otter fur and your treatment really brings that out (to me anyway).:)
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly" - The Little Prince
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Denise, Cheryl, thanks. Appreciate your feedback. I went for tighter crop more to resemble the Audubon style sketches with this unusual head angle and perch. Here is a horizontal version... there is a bit of negative space on the left; I guess the sky makes up for it. What you think between the two...
Indranil, I like this very much. I understand and appreciate your thoughts.:)
beautifully processed Indranil. I really like the overall tones and the mood you created with the sky. I like both versions, but I think I like the second best, as I like a bit more negative spaces in images than most. Really well done :)
Between the two I'd go for the second one....more room makes it for me...TFS
I agree - I think the first one would be great with just a touch more on the right side but the second one gives the bird a real feeling of solitude and the first one is more, as you said, in the genre of an audubon image.
I like the monochromatic feel that this has but I wouldn't mind seeing a touch more contrast - even in a few selected spots like the shadow areas of his feathers (deeper black) and a the whiter areas of his breast and below the bill (stronger whites.) Beautiful image overall, Indranil and lovely use of texture!
Thanks for all the kind words. Appreciate it a lot.
Hi Julie, I see your point on the contrast. I will work on it..
Indranil, another vote for the second, with the lovely fog or clouds in the FG. Pose is great. Would give the bird some more sharpening.
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