Re: [Leica] Dive! Dive! Dive!

[Adam Bridge <abridge@mac.com>]

> Here's my latest.  This little guy was *fast*!
> 
> http://www2.2alpha.com/~pklein/StLouis/3-21PenguinDive16-3.htm
> 
> M6TTL, 35mm Summicron-M, probably 1/30 at f/2. Tri-X in Xtol.
> 
> With this image, I went a bit further in editing than I normally do.  I 
> used a fairly extreme curve, probably the equivalent of #6 paper with a bit 
> of burning-in. I also cloned out some reflections and junk suspended in the 
> water that I found distracting.  The question is, did I go too far?  I 
> could have done most of this in a wet darkroom, albeit with much greater 
> effort.

I know exactly where you're coming from. I think you have made the right
judgements. I like the  photo very much as you have presented it. The sense of
speed matches my experience watching them. (There is a great penguin exhibit at
the aquarium in Mystic, CT that is worth the entire price admission -  you can
get REALLY close - enough to be wary of those beaks!)

> Also, should I crop a bit off the left side, or leave the shot full frame 
> as it is now?

I'd leave it full frame.

> Here it is with the more drastic curve, and dust spots cloned out, but the 
> reflections and junk still in the picture:
> http://www2.2alpha.com/~pklein/StLouis/3-21PenguinDive16-1.jpg
> 
> Here's the original image, with only my first curve adjustment.  This looks 
> pretty much like the machine print I got back from the lab:
> http://www2.2alpha.com/~pklein/StLouis/3-21PenguinDive16-0.jpg

I think the alterations you have done to the image are just fine (whatever that
means). They are honest and enhance the subject. This is NOT photojournalism. If
you were shooting a shot for news then I'd say that removing parts of the image
is wrong. For artistic purposes it's just fine and makes sense.

Heck the movie guys remove contrails from the sky all the time.

Adam
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