Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This is a shot taken from my house when I lived in Colorado Springs. We lived on Cheyenne Mountain, where the houses were spread out on relatively big lots that were mostly left in a natural state. There was plenty of wildlife, you would wake up to a herd of deer outside your bedroom window, bobcat, coyotes, foxes, and plenty of bears. This one had climbed up a tree to get at some of the berries (seen behind him). He has a tag in his ear, which means he has been captured once in a residential area and was deemed a “nuisance bear”. He was then released in a remote area, but has found its way back to an area that could find him on thin ice. If he becomes a “nuisance” again he could be euthanized. Hopefully he stuck to berries and the like, and most of the homeowners are responsible enough to keep track cans secure and not leave bird feeders out at night, so he has a chance.
Specific Feedback
Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Technical Details
Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200L @ 130mm, f2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO 1600
Excellent detail in the bear with great catchlight in the eyes, Scott. The scene is very interesting as well as is the backstory. Any particular reason for going black and white? I would think the berries would show up better in color and help tell the story, though the tag is probably some ugly color.
Thank you for your comments Dennis. The berries are black, so they don’t really pop at all in color. It was overcast and I think late in the afternoon so this part of the mountain would have been in shadow of the mountain anyway, The image seemed a little flat to me so I tried it in B&W using Silver Efex Pro and its seemed to pop more, especially the eyes of the bear, so I went that direction. I attached the color version here.
I see where you were coming from on the B&W, Scott, though I do like the color of the bear’s coat and I’ve always been very fond of Ponderosa Pine bark.
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Hi Scott, love the staring bear looking right at us. The color version has some intriguing elements but I too can see why you did a black and white version. The darkness of the bear contrasts rather well with the surroundings and holds my attention. Fine work.
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This is one of those images where your intended use of it might dictate color v. black and white. For me, with this bear’s story, the color says it all: I’m tagged, I’m where I shouldn’t be; Get this thing off my ear so I can get away with this for once. As a photo for a magazine, color would nail it!
I hope he moves on and lives to eat and scratch another day.
ML
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I agree with everything you said Marylynne. It would depend on the application whether you go one way or the other. As I said in the original description, the eyes had it for me with the B&W, to me they are significantly more impactful and that is where your eye goes when you look at the image. You are correct in that the tag is also very important to the story and it does get a little lost next to the branch in the B&W version.
