Opinions wanted - which one better

I shot this shark image in RAW and I've been playing with the WB during conversion.

1

2

Larry

#1 for me. I prefer the more silvery color in the shark. The reef colors also look warmer. Although #2 the water color is better.

Rand

1 is warmer and flash shadows don't look so harsh (no diffuser, right?). Second shot also has more blue-green ambient light halos.

Cheers

James

#1 for better shark colors....I also think the water is better in #2...

Karl

These are the same shot, right, just converted differently?

I like the 1st one much more. But I think it might be even better just a little less warm - it would look more underwater-ish. If your convesion software allows setting white balance, by clicking on points in the image, try clicking on parts of the shark, and see how it comes out...

Don

Thanks for the input. I took your advice and went back to the digital darkroom. Here's my final effort. Not a big difference from #1 but I think the blue is better while retaining the warm foreground. What do you think.

Larry

I wish it was mine

Karl

Larry, you are starting with such a nice shot that all the versions are perfectly acceptable. And I am sure all versions would be published and therefore none are really wrong.

I still find the reef a little bit too warm in the third version. Just because we can warm up colours underwater it doesn't mean we have to. Underwater colours are naturally cool and I don't have a problem with that. If you are still enjoying experimenting, try a slightly cooler look, but with a bit more saturation to keep that rope sponge looking great and a bit more contrast, which will help the shark.

Alex

This is so much fun. To think, only a year ago I was shooting film. I would get my boxes of 36 and quickly cull the crap. The keepers would be briefly admired ( didn't want to expose them to too much light or they begin to fade) and stored. Now with RAW image files I can create endless versions while retaining the original negative. Who knew! This is way more fun than spending Black Friday at the mall.

At Alex's suggestion I have given it one more try. This is closer to the WB of #2 but I have pumped up the red saturation a bit and tried to eliminate some of the shadows and halos that that James pointed out.

I really like the last version! I think it strikes a good balance. Where was it taken?

Sieg

The shot was taken somewhere on the Little Bahama Bank at a reef called Jack Jungle. I was diving from the Shearwater.

Well,

Sorry this took so long but the final version looks too fake, in the water colour. I wish I had ever seen water that blue. Sometimes less is more. I prefer the earlier adjustments, as they look believable.

Cheers,

Marli

Hi Larry,

If it were my shot, I'd do only minor tweak in raw, then pull it in to PS and do a magnetic lasso around the shark, select inverse and adjust the background. Then select inverse again and adjust the shark. Feather maybe 3 pixels worth and you might have a real keeper, not that it isn't already a keeper

I would do a shadow-highlight to the shark and attain more highlights in the shark, showing a tad more detail.

Joe

Great shot Larry!

I personally like the first version best. In the second version you lose something in the white areas on the bottom of the shark and the red sponge in the foreground is too... The final version keeps the detail in the shark but I have to agree with Marli, it's too contrasty, a bit fake looking.

You took an excellent image to begin with, I hope I can shoot one as good someday.

Kathy

Thanks for the interest and all the great suggestions.

When I originally posted this thread I was preparing the image to enter in a couple of photo contests. In addition to posting it here, I also ran the image by a number of non-divers. Kind of an impromptu focus group (I do that alot when selecting images for a contest.) The interesting thing about it was that most of the non-divers prefered image #2 while members here seemed to like that one the least. I'm not sure what that says about our perception as u/w photographers but those were the results.

I didn't end up using any of the versions exactly as presented here. The one I selected was something in between #2 and #4. I'd show it to you but my server space is full for the moment.

Happy New Years,

Larry