The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
by Bensted

Comment by vawendy:
Lovely shot, interesting crop. -7-

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
by Bensted

Comment by RyanW:
very literal
i like s-curve and framing
a 7

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
by Bensted

Comment by blindjustice:
super strong negative space, and very nice eye...

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
by Bensted

Comment by Cory:
Pretty sure that's a goose.

Processing seems harsh, and we now have a grey goose. Now I need a drink. ;)

Seriously though, the book is about anything but a black goose. I'm sure you'll find an explanation for my outlier vote of 3. ;) (reference to novel... Hope you get it)

Bumping to 4. In context it is better than I first found it to be.

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
by Bensted

Comment by RKT:
4...nice detail in the feathers but the B&W conversion needs some help. It seems mostly middle zones, no real blacks and very few white whites to give the image a nice pop. Overall it seems flat. That could also be due to the light...probably a combo of the two. And one last thing, the inner curve of the neck is quite graceful, I just wish you hadn't chopped the bit off the top.It stops the movement of my eye through the image, it fights the curve.

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
by Bensted

Comment by eniko:
Similar image to one of the book covers. It meets the challenge well. I would have liked sharper focus on the beak and eye and perhaps sharper contrast in color, but I do like it. A 6 from me.

Beginning to End
by Bensted

Comment by Jules1x:
Stunning. I love the softness and red details.

Green Velvet
by Bensted

Comment by tvsometime:
Moody green and dark. Never thought velvet had texture. voted earlier

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
by Bensted

Comment by Abra:
This image really appeals to me. I love the curvature of the shot and the contrast with the background is great. Nice details of the eye too. 7

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
by Bensted

Comment by posthumous:
This book had quite an impact on me. It's not a novel, by the way, though I don't care much about such distinctions. I like the crop/framing. That saves it from being a mere shoehorn wildlife photo. You've created a rather menacing vice, like the trap that awaits you when you're not ready for the next black swan. 6