Hi Robert, I think that you that your processing carries perfectly the feeling of the hard light and high contrasts of high noon, with little shade available for the two opposites dozing in the sun. The deep depth of field gives a full view of their pasture. - If it were my image, I think that I might be temped to direct more attention to the horses themselves with, e.g., a depth-of-field blur, and probably clone off the pole, but I think that would take the edge off the message of the image.   Posted: 03/09/2025 00:53:33

Hi Kirsti,
Yes, I agree with the blur effect and had tried to do that but wasn't successful in isolating the area. I will try again. I hadn't thought about cloning the pole, I'll also give that a try.
Thanks for the helpful suggestions!   Posted: 03/09/2025 11:12:46

Hi Robert - I can see what attracted you to this scene with the contrasting horses standing eye to eye. I think the composition works and the conversion to B&W looks great. I agree with Kirsti's comment about removing the post. To my eye, the white stuff in the foreground, at the horses' feet, and in the background is distracting. You may want to consider cloning it out. You may also want to consider reducing the exposure on everything but the horses just a bit, to get a little more separation of the subject. Great job keeping details in both horses!   Posted: 03/10/2025 21:08:47

Hi Robert. What I appreciate about this image is the face-to-face stance of the horses and the contrast between their coats. Converting to black and white was beneficial due to the harsh lighting. For me, I agree with the distractions mentioned by both Jeff and Kirsti. These can be easily eliminated to allow the horses to become the central focus which I find enjoyable.   Posted: 03/11/2025 09:54:05