Monochrome animal scenes

[ionian]

Both taken on a family day trip to a farm, for c&c.

1. I chose mono here to emphasise the light; the yellows, pinks and browns were not a great natural palette.




2. Colour was lacking in this image anyway, and I preferred working on the contrast to show off my subject. Having said that, the light is a little flat. I used the digital teleconverter on this one, with a 2x crop (on top of my already 2x crop m43 set-up). Although the micro contrast is therefore reduced, the detail is still more than sufficient for digital display.

[RandyRFJP]

Very well done, Simon. I particularly like the photo of the meerkats.

[Shadowman]

Nice conversions.

[FootLoose]

The first works really well in b&w, Simon. I would tone down the bright highlights on the left frame in the second.

[Wavelength]

Excellent shots.... colour palette likes is personal though

[bje07]

Very nice results, B&W is not dead!!

[ionian]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions, very helpful. B&W is certainly not dead!

[kalyt]

Hi Simon

Superb shoots. The first is IMO the best. It's soooooo harmonious. Rural idyll!

[Manfred M]

I like both of these shots, Simon. I also prefer the meerkat image (I guess they seem more interesting than pigs to me).

The shallow DoF is just a touch too shallow as the face of the animal on the bottom is just a touch too soft.

[bnnrcn]

Both nice shots Simon I find the tones and the composition better in #2 .

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Simon,

Perhaps it is a bit mean to be too critical, after all; it wasn't as if you'd gone there on a photo shoot, it was a family day out.

But you did ask for C&C

In an ideal world, we'd have the pigs ears uncropped on left in #1.
I'd also try to do something with that blown area of straw behind her leg on the right of frame; cloning probably being more successful* than trying to tone it down.

With #2, the parent's face being less sharp doesn't worry me as much as those bright areas on the left, again I'd suggest cloning rather than exposure adjustment - unless you combine both methods on separate layers in PS*.

* the issue being any area that is devoid of all detail is immediately obvious when a uniform grey (instead of 'peak' white)

Hope those thoughts help, Dave