Perspective + giveaway winner

Sometimes when I'm editing, I try a couple different versions of a photo; different color tones, brighter, darker, grain or no grain, split tones, color, or black and white. Sometimes the decision is easy to see, other times it's not. Not everyone will agree on which one is best. Art is so subjective.

In the case of the above photo of the goose, I love both versions. While it is the same photo in two different styles, I feel that each version has a different message. The B&W version, to me, focuses more on the details- the water drops beaded on the goose's bill, the texture of the feathers, the shadows on the water from the reflection of trees overhead. The color is more about the overall photo with the blues of the water reflecting the sky, the subtle differences of the shades of brown in the feathers, the dappled sunlight.

I like the black and white version better, because of the "different-ness" of it (if that isn't a word, I'm making it one) and the shift of the focus to the details. I asked my dad which one he preferred, and he said he liked the color version best. He added that he usually prefers color photos because when he was growing up, all the photographs were in black and white. "It's about perspective", he said, after I told him my choice.

Alot of things are about perspective, and that's one thing I (and many other people) like about photography. How I choose to photograph something won't be the same as another person. How I feel about something won't be the same as another person.

So anyway, that's what happens when I don't listen to music while I edit. I apparently like to pretend to be philosophical. Which photo do you like best, and why?


In other news, I have the winner to the mini session giveaway. Drumroll please......

.... Robin G! I've sent you an email, dear. :) Thanks to everyone who entered! If you didn't win but still want to have a session, you can contact me here.