Aesthetic: Feedback on the overall visual appeal of the image, including its color, lighting, cropping, and composition.
Conceptual: Feedback on the message and story conveyed by the image.
Technical: Feedback on the technical aspects of the image, such as exposure, color, focus and reproduction of colors and details, post-processing, and print quality.
Great photo image and well framed. Even though I am more of a color person, I also feel the BW does equally as well with contrast and sharpness. The details come out very easily and are well defined. I feel this did very well as BW.
A truly stunning image, J. The larger version provides outstanding detail too. I actually think the B&W provides more of the finer detail or more likely we see it when not distracted by colorful items…
Hi Rajput
The overall detail of this b&w photograph is outstanding, but it’s’ the head turning eye contact that make keeps me looking at this Darter photograph. Good call.
Peter
Wow. I’m such a fan of B&W that of course it works for me.
What a fantastic pose and composition that you have here. I think the B&W actually brings more to the image, allowing us to really appreciate the shapes and textures. Well done.
Yes, this works as a monochrome image. Definitely. Great portrait, beautiful B&W conversion.
It is so smooth, that I might be tempted to add a little grain, e.g. with an application like DxO Filmpack.
After all, I am someone that grew up with B&W film images
I think this works really well in monochrome because you have such a nice combination of tones and textures. The pose speaks for itself, of course, but I think the texture is really enhanced in black and white.
I understand the thinking behind the crop here, because those cascading “shoulder” feathers are so attractive, but I’m tempted to suggest a crop from the right. The curved wing and neck—and the subsequent shape they form—is the strongest element in the frame, but I feel there’s just a bit too much empty space on the right side that keeps drawing the eye away from that dominating oval shape. Nothing too drastic, but even coming in just to the base of the right shoulder feathers at the bottom (literally only 3-5% of the frame?) might help keep the viewer’s attention on the head and wing even more.
This image is so dramatic! I do like it in B&W. The details in the wings and eye are excellent!
The only thing that I would change is to darken the bright spot above the head. My eye is drawn there so it is a little distracting. Other than that I say “hang it!”
