Coypu

[mike_j]

I quite like this for the reflections broken up by the animal but would be interested in your comments on this please.

As usual, please feel free to hack picture around as you wish.

[Ian]

Re: Coypu

Interesting - is this in the wild or at a zoological park?

My main observation is that there is too much grey and virtually no solid black in this shot, so it looks a bit lifeless. It's easily fixed.

Ian

PS I can post a corrected version if you would like to see what I mean?

[mike_j]

Re: Coypu

Good point. Yes please let's see your (and anyone else's) versions!

[Ian]

Re: Coypu

OK, here is my tweaked version:



What do you think?

Ian

[Caz]

Re: Coypu

I like both versions, although I prefer Ian's edit which gives a real sense of the forward motion of the animal as the ripples are now clearer. Scrolling down across the picture, I might be tempted to crop the top to the bottom of that stray out of focus leaf which would concentrate the attention even more on the animal, those ripples and reflections.

[Pops]

Re: Coypu

Nice treatment .. bought it out a treat

[Stephen]

Re: Coypu

Trying to retain the essential elements of the image, including the reflections, I decided to crop to a letterbox style and add some contrast. Suppose as always its all personal taste though

[mike_j]

Re: Coypu

Thank you for the input, it's always interesting to see different slants on a picture.
I agree entirely with the change in levels, my posted image was ex-camera but autolevels in P/S gave me a result much like Ian's. I also cloned out that odd leaf which improved things.

Stephen, I like your crop, it is the best option I think.


Ian, yes this was in the wild. It was in France at a nature reserve formed from old peat workings, very like our Fenland. Here is a straight shot.

[Ian]

Re: Coypu

Interesting - these are South American in origin are they not? Have they been introduced locally in France or are these escapees?

Ian

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: Coypu

Whenever I shoot water, I try to use a Polarizing filter. It's probably the hardest filter to replicate in editing software and sometimes near imposible to get anywhere as good a result as with the filter.

The problem then is getting the filter set right and get the composition, when the subject is moving and unpredictable (I've tried many times and failed)

There are so many "tweeks" that can be done to an image, but it always comes down to personal choice on how you want it to look.

[mike_j]

Re: Coypu

Interesting - these are South American in origin are they not? Have they been introduced locally in France or are these escapees?

Ian

Introduced at the end of 19th Century for fur trade. Fairly widespread and very destructive.