Still Prancing

[gmom]

Don't know if this subject is appropriate to this thread, but couldn't figure out where else to post it. and everyone on this forum was extremely helpful with my first post.
Shot through a chain link fence at only available angle and distance, this is one of my few serious attempts at a b/w conversion. PP in Elements, with dodge and burn done through a 50% grey soft-light fill layer, per suggestions I read in a camera mag.
Two questions: was the subject too complex for an effective b/w; and was the post work successful or off?
Also, had to crop quite a bit due to distance from subject -- too tight?



EXIF:
f/5.6 @ 1/500
EV: -1.33
ISO 400
Nikkor 18-200 mm lens
focal length: 200

Your critique and comments appreciated.

[Krusty79]

No replies yet? Okay, I'll take a shot at this. I have only experimented with B&W a little, so I am far from an expert, but it looks okay to me. The only thing that bugs me about the image is that the horse kind of gets lost in the business of the photo. I know you were shooting through a fence, so it doesn't sound like you could have done much about it. Too bad you couldn't manipulate your DOF to make it stand out. Since you were stuck behind the fence, I'm afraid I'm out of suggestions. I think you did as well as you could there.

[jdepould]

I think this may just be one of those images where you have to let it go. If you can't get closer or get a different angle, there's only so much you can do. Right now I just see the horse's rear end, shot from eye level at a distance.

The BW conversion itself looks pretty good though.