The laughing assassins.

[Marc Mol]

These two are part of a large hyena clan closing in on this pregnant Zebra mare in her last few moments.
I don't do a lot of B&W, but every now and then certain images lend themselves to this format, I quite like the almost 3D effect this Zebra gives with the hyena pair BG slowly closing in. Hilary & Ken, you'll be pleased there is no colour of blood obviously with this conversion.
Converted via NIK silver- soft skin with enhanced blue filter, then increased the blacks selectively just on the zebra.
Will be interested to get your thoughts on this.
If you ask me nicely Harshad, I might show you the colour version.

D3s 500VR 1/640s ISO800@f/4 Masai Mara, Kenya Oct 2010.

C & C most welcome

Cheers
Marc

[Harshad Barve]

Marc , Any image of hunt scenes ( before or after ) screams for colors , specially red

Like you mentioned lovely 3 D effect ,excellent work
TFS

PS , waiting for colors

[Ken Watkins]

Marc,

If this were just the Zebra it would be superb

I really do not think the Hyena add anything, in paricular the one behind the head, as it has some strange "artifacts" (no idea what else to call them).

I tried removing them but cannot really sort it out around the eyelashes. Would you like to see it?

[Steve Kaluski]

Sorry Marc, isn't really working for me, both in terms of content & processing.

The composition for someone who, without knowing the full story behind the scene, may feel the Hyenas are just passing by the Zebra. For me, your OP was the best in many respects and the colour illustrated 'in full technicolour' life & death on the plains, the more recent posting gave a wider POV, but this to me doesn't make the mark.

To me, the conversion almost appears to be in two halves, the Zebra is very contrasty, where the blacks, are 'chocking' some of the 'finer' detail in the top part of the mane, nose and around the eye. Where as the Hyena BG is almost bordering in parts, solarized or banding. Now I am no expect and probably barking up the wrong tree, but I wonder if the issue is down to noise, more visible in areas that are underexposed, mostly because in post-processing you brighten the image which also brightens the noise and perhaps this is what has happened, it's as if things have been pushed too far here Marc?

Just my take on things, be interested to see other POV.

Steve

[Todd Frost]

Marc, unfortunately I have to agree with Ken and Steve here. Just is not working for me either, for above mentioned reasons.
TFS
Todd

[peter delaney]

Marc

Sorry to say I totally disagree with Ken and Todd and Steve.. I love it... very unique perspective.. your choice of black and white and conversion on the zebra are spot on.. agree that something funny going on with hyenas PP ..

but there is a kind of juxtaposition going on in the image...

anyway I love it..

[Marc Mol]

Appreciate your honest critique everyone.

Here is the colour version:

[Marc Mol]

And here is a straight out B&W version, no strange artifacts/banding present.
Not as effective for mine.
I think that happened when converting with NIK silver soft skin filter.
Interested in your thoughts again.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Marc, certainly the 'straight' B/W is far better in all respects, but I still feel the composition/story content (image only) doesn't really work, well for me anyway.

IMHO, with regard to posting the colour version and this applies to Hilary too, I would suggest only post at the end, irrespective of wishes, as I think it dilutes what you originally posted and people get side tracked, looking at what perhaps they feel more 'comfortable' in seeing and it gets away from your original thought process of how you should present the image. You are the author and if you feel a posterized or 'pin hole' effect for example, best conveys the image then fine, especially if you qualify the rational behind your thinking. Although if it's too 'wacky' the Wildlife section might not be the best location.

Either way, I really appreciate seeing alternative thoughts and thinking here.

Steve

[Harshad Barve]

Marc

Sorry to say I totally disagree with Ken and Todd and Steve.. I love it... very unique perspective.. your choice of black and white and conversion on the zebra are spot on.. agree that something funny going on with hyenas PP ..

but there is a kind of juxtaposition going on in the image...

anyway I love it..

Same thoughts here , We are seeing these images as series of images , so works very well , just my 2 cents

[Ken Watkins]

Marc,

Thanks for posting the colour and a further B & W, I am feeling really "comfortable" now.

I still maintain that the hyenas do not for me at least, add a lot but as a Zebra portrait I like it a lot

[Hilary Hann]

Marc, I'm late to comment but here are my two bob's worth.

First, I really applaud you for trying something different here, you have obviously given some thought as to how you wanted the final image to appear.

Second, although I think Nik has an excellent product you have introduced some artifacts which your straight B&W doesn't have so I wouldn't give up on the Nik conversion, just play with it some more.

Third, the B&W gives the off the threatening feel of a horror movie which the colour just doesn't convey. Just think of all the film directors who prefer to have their horror movies (or spoofs of horror movies) made in B&W. You don't need the red of blood or raw flesh to give a sense of death or fear.

Fourth, to someone like me who has breed and kept horses their whole life, just one look at that mare's face conveys far more to me than any attendant predators can hope to do, whether they are ripping her apart or circling. So perhaps the reaction in the viewer will depend very much on their experience with animals.

Fifth, the hyaenas add to the image in my view, without them there would be little obvious reason for the distress evident in the mare's face (see point 4). Although having one staring at the mare would have strengthened it somewhat.

Sixth, Steve makes a great point that if you choose a certain way of processing it is probably better to collect opinions and then decide if posting the original adds to what you can learn from others or if in many cases it just confuses the issue.

Seventh, what I have found is that there is such a diverse range of opinions of what a good wildlife image should convey, and how it can best be achieved that sometimes I think that it is better to learn whatever techniques someone is prepared to share and then go with your heart for the final presentation.

Eighth, mmmm … run out of ideas!

Bottom line … image works for me but not as presented in the OP due to artifacts and posterisation of hyaenas. Colour is ok but I'd work some more on the b&w, in fact if it were mine I'd probably try b&w with a blend layer of colour just to introduce a hint of tone and up the contrast. But I haven't experimented with it to know if my visualisation would work!

Oh, and one last thing. One way to get new ideas and see wildlife in different ways surely is through the eyes of other photographers and if we all present our images in a traditional and safe way then surely we are the poorer for it. Whether we all like the images or not probably isn't as important as seeing something new so I would like to think we can celebrate our differences as much as possible even when we don't necessarily like them. I think this is done pretty well on this forum.

Sorry for the length of the reply!

[Marc Mol]

Bottom line … image works for me but not as presented in the OP due to artifacts and posterisation of hyaenas. Colour is ok but I'd work some more on the b&w, in fact if it were mine I'd probably try b&w with a blend layer of colour just to introduce a hint of tone and up the contrast. But I haven't experimented with it to know if my visualisation would work!

Oh, and one last thing. One way to get new ideas and see wildlife in different ways surely is through the eyes of other photographers and if we all present our images in a traditional and safe way then surely we are the poorer for it. Whether we all like the images or not probably isn't as important as seeing something new so I would like to think we can celebrate our differences as much as possible even when we don't necessarily like them. I think this is done pretty well on this forum.

Sorry for the length of the reply!

Appreciate the well thought out reply Hilary, a blended layer of colour was also something I was going to attempt.
..........I'll keep working on this with other B&W conversions.

Cheers
Marc

[Vivaldo Damilano]

Marc have been looking at this image for a while. I didn't like it so much at first but soon changed my mind. I like the B&W version very much and also feel that the hyena's add to the image. Superb capture TFS