Pensive Gelada

[Shreyas Mantri]

I've recently developed a strong liking to photograph these amazing apes. Apart from their physical appearance, jaw design and color scheme, their eyes are quite expressive, I think.
This is a captive Gelada who was enjoying his lazy sunday afternoon.

Canon 7D, 300mm 2.8 II, Manual, f/2.8, ISO 400, 1/500 w/ eval metering. Processed in CS5 w/ Nik Software.

Comments welcome!

[Hilary Hann]

You have selected a very suitable processing treatment for this gelada, it works beautifully to give a soft pensive feel to the image. I like the slightly odd look the gelada is giving you and I think the negative space works here very well. A really nice piece of photographic art to my eye.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Shreyas, great choice with the Nik medium, it works really well, but the original has great detail and depth, love the structure in the face detail and the wispy 'fur' vignettes off nicely into the BKG. I get the impression the face conveys a rather sad look? Well photographed and the 'effect' dove tails nicely, creating an unusual and different image.

Unlike Hilary I'm not sure all the space works and might have gone slightly tighter, but just my take.

Well done.

TFS
Steve :cheers:

[Marina Scarr]

I absolutely love what you have done with this capture!! I have no experience with filters and/or this type of processing, but I find this extremely effective and life like. The comp works well and I love how much space you have given him. The details in his face and fur is simply amazing. This image ROCKS!!!

[christopher galeski]

This is magic,it looks like a fine graphite drawing.well done.

[Morkel Erasmus]

I like this very much as posted Shreyas! Great expression, great detail, great tones and the conversion works a treat.
:cheers:

[Shreyas Mantri]

Thank you all for your comments!
I did not crop this image as I personally enjoyed the feel of the Gelada's face in the space....and mostly due to his expression. I have a couple of more shots that have almost full length poses of his and see how those work out.