Waiting

Gallery: WildlifePosted April 1, 2011143 views3 comments

Here is a B&W photo of a snapping turtle laying in wait for his next meal. I decided to do this shot in B&W in an attempt to show more detail, plus I think it may add a little more of an intimidation factor to the turtle.

Weather: Sunny with a few clouds Temp 65 - 70 F
Location: Atlanta, Ga
Camera: Canon 7D
Mount: BushHwak
Cropped from 5184 x 3456 to 3760 x 2879
Exposure: 1/320 sec at F 5.6
Focus Length: 285 mm with a Canon EF 100-400 mm - 5.6L IS USM
ISO 500

Comments

3 comments

Comment posted by Rick Cloran on April 1, 2011 at 3:09 PM

Interesting shot and treatment. The BW works here and you have a dark feel to it for your intimidation factor, but I think it may be a little too dark to appreciate the snapper. I like the rings and bubble right above the head. They add to the "lurking" sense here. I would be inclined to trim down from the top to pull it up more in the frame. My preferance for the top is based on the fact that his body will be below head level and even though we can't see much, we know that having the space there leaves room for the body. I might also run the sharpening tool over the eye and nose one more time to give it a little stronger definition.

Registered on April 6, 2004, 119 Posts, 1989 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Powers on April 1, 2011 at 4:05 PM

Rick,

Thank you for your suggestions I gave them a try and the snapper turned out a lot better.

Thanks again,

Paul

Registered on July 25, 2010, 30 Posts, 72 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on April 2, 2011 at 8:52 AM

Hi Paul,

Definitely an interesting shot! I agree with Rick's comments and think he's given you some good suggestions. In terms of whether the B&W "works" - I always find this tough to assess without seeing the original as well, but normally I like B&Ws that show a broader tonal range, including some true blacks as whites (as opposed to to being dominated by a fairly narrow range of midtones). I do, however, think the B&W does create a bit of an "ominous" (or "intimidating") mood here...

Cheers...thanks for sharing this...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments