One more image for critique from today (kendo)

[Michael]

I stumbled across the toowoomba kendo club on my travels today, it turns out the japanese teacher from my old school runs the club as he's japanese, anyhow I liked the colour pic but I thought I could add to it.

I vignetted the lighting to minimise distractions, burned in a few features on the main subject and dodged a few things as well.




larger version
http://static.flickr.com/49/142321982_5606f6350b_o.jpg


comments and critique appreciated as always

EDIT: The edited photo is now in this post FYI

[PiroStitch]

Nice one Michael Can you post one w/out the vignetting? The vignetting feels a bit fake

[Michael]

I can post the unedited version.....

[Manta]

Cool costumes - maybe Kendo can be my next Hobby of the Month. (Have to figure out a way to play sax through the mask)

I like the shot Michael but, like Piro, would perfer to see it sans vignette.

[PiroStitch]

I like the composition Michael. My only other suggestion would be to reduce the brightness or if you shot with Raw, reduce the exp comp. The uniform in the background is a tad distracting

[Michael]

I'll have a go at that piro, I wasn't happy with the colour version mainly because its a dodgy PCYC at least with the BW version you can imagin it's a dojo.

[Slider]

Very nice Michael. I think the b&w version has been done well and enhances the original.

[Willy wombat]

If the move from light to dark in the B&W was a little more graduated then this might help but I quite like it how it is. Nice costume BTW - was he just tightening his face guard? Shame you dont have the staff in the shot

[xerubus]

i really like the black and white michael.. nicely done and interesting subject.

perhaps add some more burning so that it leads up to the front of the mask (and darkening the far left a tad more) and some slight burning above the mask?

cheers

[Michael]

If the move from light to dark in the B&W was a little more graduated then this might help but I quite like it how it is. Nice costume BTW - was he just tightening his face guard? Shame you dont have the staff in the shot

They were removing thier masks for the end of the class. thier staffs were next to them.

Is this any better?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v730/ ... endoBW.jpg

[ABG]

Is this any better?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v730/ ... endoBW.jpg

Yep. I really like what you've done with this photo in PP. Your skills are really shining through here.

[xerubus]

much better Michael...

cheers

[Oneputt]

Without a doubt, for me the B&W version is best. It is a very strong image.

[Michael]

Thanks everyone I used a 50% neutral grey overlay layer, with a soft edged brush set white and 15% opacity to dodge the vignette to make it blend in with everything a little more plus I dodged the metal bits on the helmet.

Once again thanks for the tips it's helped me refine the image to how I feel to be its full or near ful potential.

Michael

EDIT: I just put the image that was in the photobucket link into my original post just so people know.

[Sheila Smart]

For someone like me who loves mono, I prefer the coloured version. Great DOF and interesting subject matter. Well done.

Cheeres
Sheila

[Alpha_7]

Michael I really like the revised B&W version you've done well to refine the shot into something powerful, that for me has a real dramatic impact.

[Michael]

Thanks alpha