In the Field

Grooming - Black & White. Cape Churchill, MB, Canada. October 23, 2004.

This is a black & white (B&W) conversion of a digital image originally captured in colour (for more details about the shooting situation, just go here). Elsewhere on this website I discuss the types of images that I normally use in B&W conversions (see info under the "In the Field" tab for this Spirit Bear image) - but, in brief, the images normally contain true whites, true blacks, and a lot of mid-range tones in-between. This image is a bit of an exception - while it does have true blacks and whites in it, there aren't a whole lot of mid-tones. Yet for me this B&W conversion works well, though I honestly can't say why. I suspect it's the strong contrast between the black eyes and nose and the light tones of the fur that I like. And, I'm thinking the beautiful texture of the fur also helps make up for the lack of midtones. But, regardless of the reason, it works for me - hope it does for you too...

Behind the Camera

Grooming - Black & White. Cape Churchill, MB, Canada. October 23, 2004.

Digital Capture; Compressed RAW (NEF) 12-bit format; ISO 200.

Nikon D2H with Nikkor 200-400 mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR lens @ 400mm (600 mm EFL) - handheld. VR on and set to "Normal" mode.

1/80s @ f8; +0.67 stop compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting of camera.

At the Computer

Grooming - Black & White. Cape Churchill, MB, Canada. October 23, 2004.

RAW Conversion to 16-bit TIFF using Phase One's Capture One Pro 5. Three RAW conversions at different exposure settings. Exposure settings of -0.55 stops through to +0.75 stops.

Further digital corrections on 16-bit TIFF file using Adobe's Photoshop CS4 and Light Craft's LightZone. Photoshop adjustments included compositing and masking of 3 exposure versions, selective de-saturation of colours, and selective sharpening for web output. Final tonemapping, balancing and tweaking performed using the Tonemapper/Re-light tool in LightZone.

Initial B&W conversion performed using LightZone's Black & White Red Filter "style". Final brightness and tonal adjustment using Photoshop CS4.

Conservation

Grooming - Black & White. Cape Churchill, MB, Canada. October 23, 2004.

Ten percent of the revenue generated by this image will be donated to the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative.

Species Status in Canada*: Special Concern (November 2002).

Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) are the largest terrestrial carnivores on the planet and the most carnivorous of all bears. They are highly specialized and feed almost exclusively on Ringed Seals. Polar Bears hunt their prey from ice sheets and are dependent upon these ice sheets for their survival.

Like any highly-specialized organism, Polar Bears are highly susceptible to habitat alteration. Climate change - natural or human-induced - is probably the greatest long-term threat to Polar Bear survival. The longer ice-free seasons experienced in the southern reaches of their distribution is already making it difficult for them to hunt.

The Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Conservation Initiative seeks to ensure that the world-renowned wilderness, wildlife, native plants, and natural processes of the Yellowstone to Yukon region continue to function as an interconnected web of life, capable of supporting all of its natural and human communities, for current and future generations.

For more information on the status of Polar Bears in Canada, go to: http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca and search under "Polar Bears".

*as determined by COSEWIC: The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada