Swan

[graeme]

Took this on the canal at Alrewas, Staffordshire, UK a few days ago. The beak is a bit blurry - does it bother anyone. ( Have PShopped it but might do some more work ).

All comments appreciated.

Graeme

[Rob C]

Took this on the canal at Alrewas, Staffordshire, UK a few days ago. The beak is a bit blurry - does it bother anyone. ( Have PShopped it but might do some more work ).

All comments appreciated.

Graeme

Great balance achieved there - not always possible with those kinds of shapes in a vertical. Another reason to love the Hasselblad 500 Series!

Had you not mentioned the bill, I wouldn't have noticed anything - still don't at that scale, so why worry about it? Can't have everything all the time, and maybe just as well. Very pleasing exactly as it is.

Rob C

[RSL]

Wonderful, Graeme. When I look at it Saint Saens's "Le cygne" starts playing in my head.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Very elegant.

[louoates]

Nicely done.

[wolfnowl]

Nicely done!

Mike.

[Jeremy Roussak]

Took this on the canal at Alrewas, Staffordshire, UK a few days ago. The beak is a bit blurry - does it bother anyone. ( Have PShopped it but might do some more work ).

I don't think the slight blur is noticeable enough to matter at all. I like the shot, and I even quite like the feeling of vertigo it inspires. The only alteration I might make is to clone out the reeds at the top: they don't seem necessary.

Jeremy

[Peter Stacey]

Gorgeous. Wonderfully balanced and very elegant.

[francois]

…The only alteration I might make is to clone out the reeds at the top: they don't seem necessary.

Jeremy

I agree, it would make it cleaner. It's a superb image.

Bravo

[walter.sk]

I don't think the slight blur is noticeable enough to matter at all. I like the shot, and I even quite like the feeling of vertigo it inspires. The only alteration I might make is to clone out the reeds at the top: they don't seem necessary.

Jeremy

+1.

Did you try it in B&W?

[graeme]

Thanks for all the kind words & suggestions guys.

The reeds at the top are actually quite important to me. I like them because they're part of a chain of visual elements which fall in from the edge of the image ( and from the world outside the photo ) and culminate at the beak of the swan.

Yes Walter, I've had a quick play at a B&W version. It could probably do with a little adjustment brush work & curve tweaking but I'm pleased with it so far.

Regards

Graeme

[louoates]

I love to clone out extraneous bits from my images but I think you are correct in leaving them in with this one. Cloned out details or not it's a great image. Both color and b/w work here.

[AFairley]

Nicely elegant composition.  I think the color dynamic between the reeds and the beak is an important contract to the dynamic line mirroring of those two elements, so I think the color version is much stronger.

[RSL]

The picture needs to be in color and the reeds are essential; without them there's really no picture: just a snap of a bird from up on the bridge.

[Rob C]

The picture needs to be in color and the reeds are essential; without them there's really no picture: just a snap of a bird from up on the bridge.

Once again, I find I have to agree with you. It's a fine image as first presented to us. Does zich in black/white as per the latest version. Very often one should stick with first impressions. I regret having seen the black/white.

Rob C

[Tonysx]

The picture needs to be in color and the reeds are essential; without them there's really no picture: just a snap of a bird from up on the bridge.

Me too. The reeds make it and the colour adds dynamism.

[Jeremy Roussak]

The picture needs to be in color and the reeds are essential; without them there's really no picture: just a snap of a bird from up on the bridge.

I agree with you about the colour, Russ, but which reeds? The main clump is vital, obviously; I'm not convinced by the few extraneous stalks, though.

Jeremy

[RSL]

I think you're right, Jeremy. The stalks in the upper right probably can go.

[AFairley]

I like the extraneous stalks, they make the thing look more "real," a little more lively, a little less black velvet background.  If they were really obtrusive, I might feel differently.  For that reason I also like the dark reflections at the bottom of the frame.

[Ed Blagden]

Hi Jeremy

Lovely shot - forget about B&W, the colour makes the image.

Is that you in the reflections in the middle of the bottom bit of the photo?  That is the only bit that bothers me.

Ed