The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I took this in Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains NP . This cooperative bear was getting photos taken by about 20 tourists so he/she was likely very used to people. This pose seemed like he was giving me what he thought was his best side for a portrait.
Specific Feedback
Do you see any moire in the darkest fur under the head - seems like the raw file was showing some but the Jpeg looks OK. The 8x10 crop seems to be OK, I tried a 1x1 but it didn’t seem right. Should the image be a bit brighter - the scene was in the shade and the bear is, naturally, very dark.
Technical Details
It was very dark so this was at ISO12800 but LRC denoise seems to have done a good job. I darkened the background, did some sharpening and brightened the fur a bit. Taken with a Z8 & 180-600. Also removed some 2-3 bright green leaves that were distracting.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Nice opportunity! The bear looks sharp with good detail. I would crop from the top enough to remove the triangle in the UL corner and maybe more and quite a bit from the right. The blue cast on the bear is from the shade and could be good to correct. That will make the BG pretty strong. That could be fixed by pulling down the highlights in the raw converter.
Agreed - the re-work looks excellent; much more natural and nuanced. What a terrific encounter. I only get bear poop on my walks, never a bear. This time of year they’re so preoccupied with stuffing their faces, I think they’re pretty blasé about humans.
Showing your edited image side by side with the original image is a good idea. Viewers won’t have to scroll up and down to search for the edited image. While doing this, it is also helpful to edit the post’s title to indicate a revised image. Here’s what I suggest:
At the bottom of your post, click the pencil to edit the post. You are then taken to the edit mode of your entry. If you want the edited image to appear first, I suggest placing the cursor at the top before the original image. Otherwise, go to the line after the original image and upload the new image. Since you are in edit mode, you can add new text before/after the images to ensure viewers know the original and edited versions. You can also edit the post’s title and add something to indicate a reworked or newly edited image. For example, some people add (+ rework) after the post title. I hope this helps.
Larry - this is a really nice portrait of this fellow. His pose is cool-definitely posing for the camera! Your re-work is excellent, with just enough detil in the dark fur.
Nice catch!
