Gordian Kelp

Image Critiques Landscape Critiques
1

Gordian Kelp
Gordian Kelp1334×2000 452 KB

Gordian Kelp
Gordian Kelp1333×2000 411 KB

Looking for driftwood abstracts last week, and this knot of bull kelp caught my eye, and I finally decided to try an end-on image, focus stacking 6 exposures. The result looks quite vibrant and seems to convey the hopelessness of the knot, so it was pretty much what I wanted to end up with.
But I wondered if black/white would convey a different feeling from the same image. The second post is my current version. It seems to emphasize the finality of the knot and play down the vitality of the kelp, even with some warm toning.

Specific Feedback Requested

This is a learning experiment for me, so hearing how this exercise strikes you will be quite valuable.

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
5DIII Ef24-105 @105 1/60 F/10, iso 640
6 exposures (chosen looking through the viewfinder ) blended with Helicon Focus. Applied Topaz Sharpen AI, and LAB curve to add color range.
Monochrome conversion with Silver Efex Pro using manual settings, inclusing my first experiment with Paper effect (Agfa APX Pro 100)

2

Hey Dick, this is a cool image. I usually prefer B&W, but in this case my preference is for the color because it helps separate the individual (strands?)…

You did a great job with the focus stacking. I also like the overall composition. Well done.

3

Dick, I think the color version work okay, but IMO the B&W version has more impact because the absenceof color allow the shapes and textures to be the star. If your goal was to tell a story about the Gordian Knot, then B&W is the ticket for me. The shadows and contrast enhance the shapes in the B&W, whereas in the color image the shadows are somewhat secondary to the colors (for me anyways).

In the B&W version, I might tweak it to darken the highlights in the big strand along the left frame edge, which would place more attention on the center knots.