Deer in black & white. (colour version added)

Canon 20D, Canon 100-400mm L I.S., 1/60 sec @ f8.0, -1/3 exp. comp.,
Iso 400, Raw, Gitzo 1548/B1.

Full frame, levels, curves, channel mixer.


Hi,

Took this one at dawn back in the Summer.
I quite liked the light quality on this particular morning and thought the subtle back-lighting from the rising sun gave the deer an almost luminous quality,if that's the correct word to use.

Converted the raw file to a colour version a while back but decided to try a black and white conversion this afternoon.



I thought it looked a bit lost once re-sizing it down to 720 pixels so I've included a LARGER VERSION if anyone fancies a look.

All comments always welcome and appreciated.

Hi Justin

A 'stunner' great subject matter; setting and composition and the back/rim lighting works so well in this version. I'll bet the colour version is something special as well!

David

Wow! Very nice Justin. The large version is stunning and like you say, the subtle rim lighting is really nice and makes this for me

Superb image Justin - as has been said already the rim lighting makes it just that bit more special

I love it in B&W but would also like to see a colour version

Top shot

Hi Justin a nice image very suitable for converting to black and white, myself I would have preferred perhaps a little more red in the channel mixer giving it some true blacks, when I was a lot younger I use to do specialist black and white and chrome printing by hand using multiple masks and especially multi grade papers for the black and white, you were always stuck with three grades though with chrome papers.

Phillip.

A very well presented image Justin,works great in black & white but also would like to see colour version.......superb

Thanks Philip,
Black and white is a completely new ball game to me so your advice regarding increasing the red channel is very useful. I didn't actually alter any of the three colour channels in the colour mixer as to be honest I'm not completely comfortable yet with exactly what they're doing and how to adjust them optimally.I know they should all add up to roughly one hundred,or thereabouts,but that's pretty much it. Therefore I just tend to use curves for my contrast adjustments.

Am I losing out in any way by using curves as opposed to adjusting the various colour channels,or can the same result be achieved whichever method is used?
Also one further question if you don't mind.
Should I set the black and white points using levels before or after using the channel mixer to convert to black and white,or doesn't it make any difference?

Nicely done Justin - love the rim lighting. I love how the juvenile has one ear cocked back. Super.

Here's the colour version.


A LARGER COLOUR VERSION can be seen here.

Hi Justin,

Lovely image , not sure which I prefer , both are very nice.

Regards

Andy...

Hi justin I usually set everything to zero which gives you a completely black image then I adjust the individual colour channels + or - in monochrome mode to give me the desired level of tone/shade of grey I wish that channel to represent then when I have finished adjusting all the channels I then adjust the brightness contrast sometimes using a curve or sometimes just using the brightness contrast control, then sneakily which is a great boon to black and white I use the shadow highlights control in cs2 not necessarily all the time but occasionally as it gives you a finer control between the tones.

Phillip.

Ps copied your large file that you posted and did a very quick adjustment to black and white of course is nowhere near the quality that you could get with the original

Thanks Philip, that's very helpful. I shall look forward to trying that method next time I have a go at black and white.
I think your version looks very good indeed. I appreciate your help.

Beautiful shot and a very interesting and informative post

Hi Justin, I really don't see why you would put such a marvellous photo into B/W - the colours are just wonderful in the color version.

Love the colour version.... great image however it is treated though

Super shot Justin - I like the original post best. Usually I don't care for BW wildlife shots but this is an exception to the rule - I think the composition and the rim lighting produces some very strong and pleasing graphical elements which cry out for a BW treatment. The colour versions are very nice too but in a different way. Its funny but usually colour adds strongly to the shot but hear it tends to subtract/distract.

I must remember not to dismiss BW!