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Thread: Dragonfly in Black & White

  1. #1
    Julie Kenward
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    Default Dragonfly in Black & White

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    The color of the BG on this image was a horrible gray/concrete color so I went the other way and converted this one using Nik's Silver Efex (using their Classic portrait preset). I then tweaked the preset and liked the image enough to keep it out of the recycle bin!


    Canon 40D, EF 70-200mm f4L
    f4 @ 1/1600th, ISO 200 (was going in and out of shade/sun)
    Evaluative metering, Daylight WB, handheld, natural light
    Processed in CS5 & Silver Efex.

  2. #2
    BPN Viewer Dave Leroy's Avatar
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    Something really different Jules and very well done. Good for you. Very creative.
    Very sharp, nice dof and line of perch really adds a flow to photo. Shadow is a nice touch as well.
    A bit more separation on head from line of perch would have been very nice as well as a bit of the grey around the tips of right wings, but minor ideas.

    I like to see it posted here rather than OOTB as it gives a bit more license for the macro forum.

    Photo just needs your signature Jules.

    Dave

  3. #3
    Julie Kenward
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    Thanks Dave. I'm still debating whether to pull back on the white vignette that intersects with the right pair of wings...that's still 'bugging' me (excuse the pun!) I keep forgetting to add my signature to these photos...got to remember that! Thanks for the reminder...

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    Jules, this is a really interesting effect...it almost reminds me of a charcoal drawing where the details have been drawn back in with a pencil...personally, I like the vignette...I think there's enough gradation there to balance out the intersection of the wing and the "fade to white". Beautiful soft touch on the blade of grass...wonderful sense of detail and texture in the wings and body...you've come up with something I would never have thought of, and it's outstanding. Well done!

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    Forum Participant Joe Senzatimore's Avatar
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    Glad you didn't dump this. what a great save. Big Congrats.

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    BPN Member Steve Maxson's Avatar
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    Hi Jules. It looks like your dragonfly is a male Widow Skimmer. Nice way to make lemonade out of lemons. You have good sharpness, I like the diagonals of both the perch and the dragonfly, and the vignette adds an interesting touch. Very creative and well done!

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    Hello Jules,

    You did a great job here in order to save this picture! I really like the result you obtained :D

    Black and White works well for this dragongly with nice patterns enhancing the contrasts. The only thing maybe is that the tip of the right wing seems to disappears with the post-processing you did on the contour of the frame. So I would have put more space on the right of the wing or reduced the effect on the contour... (sorry for my bad english: I hope you understand what I means... ).

    Cheers,

    Michel

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    Nicely done! This worked well as a B&W . I would pull back on the right vignette. You are something of amn alchemist- turning base metals to gold!

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    Hey Jules, a great idea to take this one to B&W! Even if you weren't trying to salvage this shot, I think a Widow Skimmer would be the perfect choice for a B&W conversion. I would pull back the vignette so the tip of the right wing doesn't fade out so much but it sounds like you already know this.

    Now to go look at some of my old borderline dragon shots to see if a B&W conversion might 'fix' them.

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