Roaring in the Forest

[Morkel Erasmus]

Hi folks. I am home this week adjusting to the fact that after this weekend we have 2 kids in the house after the birth of my son Daniël on Friday.
I should get back into the swing of things soon, and will try to catch up on the great posts I see lurking here waiting for me to click on them. :t3

Here's another shot of the lion we followed one morning in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe.
This one just didn't cut it in colour, with the lion in strong shade, but I did like the scene and dabbled with it in monochrome, trying to bring out the lion and also the forest in the background.
Curious to have your thoughts on this - I personally love it...:S3:

Techs:
Nikon D3s with Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II + 1.4xTC @ 700mm
f7.1 @ 1/800 SS @ ISO-360
Pretty much full frame, slight crop from the LHS.
Grain added in conversion

[Gregor Bergquist]

I really like this too. Great posé and habitat. I think the lion turns the head just enough to the right, so we get the eye. Personally I like deep shadows/blacks, and think this maybe could do with little more. I also would like to see this without added grain.

TFS, Gregor

And, big congratulation to you and your family.

[Hilary Hann]

B&W works for me Morkel.

[Riaan Marais]

Hi Morkel,

Congrats with the birth of Daniel!!

Nice image, it works well in B&W!!

Riaan

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Morkel, based on the previous images, I'm interested to know why you thought this didn't 'cut the mustard' in colour, & went for a straight B/W? Certainly a step change.

Does it work, well there is enough contrast running through, but have you added any 'grain' to the image, as I surprised about the IQ at ISO360? I do like the setting and the trees give a nice feel to it all, the termite mound is also a nice touch, just adding something more to the 'visual' feast. Going for the side profile helps extenuate the motion of the lions roar, although I might be tempted to look at reducing the highlight areas along the head outline and part of the back, but this is just my take. Also try flipping it L to R (sorry left to right) it might sit better?

Good to hear all is well. :5

TFS
Steve

[Markus Jais]

Great composition, I like the B&W and the grain. First I thought your D3s is broken :-)

The roaring pose is great!

Markus

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks for your thoughts, folks...:bg3:


Hi Morkel, based on the previous images, I'm interested to know why you thought this didn't 'cut the mustard' in colour, & went for a straight B/W? Certainly a step change.

Does it work, well there is enough contrast running through, but have you added any 'grain' to the image, as I surprised about the IQ at ISO360? I do like the setting and the trees give a nice feel to it all, the termite mound is also a nice touch, just adding something more to the 'visual' feast. Going for the side profile helps extenuate the motion of the lions roar, although I might be tempted to look at reducing the highlight areas along the head outline and part of the back, but this is just my take. Also try flipping it L to R (sorry left to right) it might sit better?

Good to hear all is well.

TFS
Steve

Like I said in the intro, Steve, grain added in conversion - quite clean at ISO360 if viewed 'au naturale' :S3:
Here's the colour version FWIW...just didn't speak to me, though the scene and the memory of the scene did...
Interesting thought on flipping it - will have to try that! Next you will tell me to get out the grey card :w3 (LOL)

[Steve Kaluski]

Sorry missed the note about 'grain', got too engrossed in the image.


Next you will tell me to get out the grey card (LOL) No, but it might be fun to see you trying to place it by the lion, but I might say try the 1Dx :bg3:, some neat functions need to exchange with you, compared to Nikon. Andreas seems impressed at 6400 and have got Austin to buy one last week, bring it on. :t3

Will look tomorrow at the colour version and pass my thoughts on.

[Miguel Palaviccini]

Really like it in B&W, although not sold on the grain. Either way, stunning image!

[Steve Canuel]

Congrats on the new family addition Morkel :cheers:. Not a big fan of the grain in your B/W version and I personally think the dappled colors of light in the tree tops is kind of nice. Some playing with curves brought it out even more for my taste. The lion is a little more difficult as he appears to be right in the shadow cast by a large tree, maybe a little selective contrast work? Also think the color version better portrays a morning walk through what you describe to be a pretty special place. Would tone down the bright spot above the nose/head in either version.

[Ken Watkins]

Morkel,

For me the conversion to B & W is a bit too stark especially given the additional grain.

I am surprised that you did not try a colour conversion, because the colours in particular the BG are great.

I have fiddled with the small JPEG as best as I could given the small size,including Steve Canuel's suggestion regarding the light spot.

You will obviously be able to do much better from the RAW.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks Ken - it looks better. I should add the colour version I posted was the unprocessed straight-from-RAW jpg.
I will play around a bit more - but still prefer the B&W (and I don't expect everyone to do so!) :tinysmile_shy_t:

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Morkel, I can see why you chose going B/W, the colour version does look a tad flat sadly and compared to previous postings, it doesn't had that impact/warmth of the scene/location.

Looking at the colour image I think a quick adjustment of Levels, selectively reducing the Blue, Cyan in the Yellow, then adding two versions of the RGB layer, one being a B/W of the Green channel and using two different blend modes with various opacities/masks I think gets close to where your previous images were in terms of the light, look and feel? I see Steve picked up my point about the highlights too. Just my take. :S3:


I should add the colour version I posted was the unprocessed straight-from-RAW jpg. AH!

[Robert Amoruso]

Ken,

I think you did a nice job with the color version - see you do have some chops for post-processing.

Morkel,

I like the B&W version - like me you seem to like high-contrast B&W scenes. I agree with Ken on the apparent graininess of the background. Looks like my images on Kodak Tri-X film.

[Ken Watkins]

Ken,

I think you did a nice job with the color version - see you do have some chops for post-processing.


Thank you Robert, I used my normal process.

[Anette Mossbacher]

Hi Morkel,

made my way into this Forum, try to figure out my way in here :S3:
I personally like the B&W image better, but have not seen a "processed" color image yet, that might can look much better after you have done your magic on it :w3

Ciao
Anette

[Grady Weed]

Roberts comments echo my thoughts. So thats what that noise is in my head! B&W with less grain is my vote.