To answer the critique in the first comment, the added grain adds to the texture of the wool, the detail of the rock and the graininess of the background vegetation. The sum total increases the appearance of depth in the scene.
[Nov. 15th, 2011 10:18:23 AM]
Second comment suggested there was "very little grain". Now that's quite an observation.... which differs dramatically from the truth. I see a lot of grain added for effect. What kind of monitor would not see the detail? Anyway, I've marked the comment as "helpful" because if the person does not see grain, then it's a valid comment.
[Nov. 17th, 2011 04:47:06 PM]
My philosophy on "grain" is to add to the point of improving the effectiveness and impact of the image. However, grain for the sake of grain is not a good thing. As a matter of fact, if the grain is so obvious as to be noticed, it will possibly be a distraction to some. I've added a lot of grain to the image of the 3 rams. But, I think it's subtle enough to not distract from the subjects.
Statistics
Place: 95 out of 179 Avg (all users): 5.4609 Avg (commenters): 6.3333 Avg (participants): 5.3973 Avg (non-participants): 5.5714 Views since voting: 893 Views during voting: 221 Votes: 115 Comments: 4 Favorites: 0
Richard? Wonderful nature shot. I'm curious how close you really were to nail this and how much stalking and patience something like this takes. The grain is subtle, but it's definitely there. Just enough to not kill the nice details.