Home From the Southern Oceans Expedition #3

[Arthur Morris]

This two-frame stitched composite of an Elephant Seal pup and its mom was created at Fortuna Bay, South Georgia with the tripod mounted Canon 500mm f/4L EF IS II lens and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800: 1/320 sec. at f/8 confirmed by histogram check.


Central sensor/Surround/AI Servo Rear Focus AF and recompose.


I had been concentrating on the face of the pup and missed a chance when it brought its left front flipper forward so I pointed the lens to my right and created an image that included the young seal’s flipper. Then it was a simple matter of converting both images in DPP and merging them in Photoshop: File/Automate/Photoshop. As described in detail in Digital Basics (https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=252) along with my complete digital workflow, all of my keyboard shortcuts, and dozens of great Photoshop tips.

To view at a larger size and to learn what happened to my 500 II and my 1D X check out the "Wrecked. And Loving It" blog post here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2012/11/13/wrecked-and-loving-it/).

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.


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[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Artie - welcome back! Sorry to hear about your 500 and 1DX. Sweet look to the pup and I like the pano crop. The mom as a bg works well too. Of course your usual excellent techs and IQ.

TFS,
Rachel

[Morkel Erasmus]

Sorry to hear about your gear, Artie, and a big-up for your attitude about it! I think I would have handled it with much more agression and self-brow-beating...:Whoa!:

A nice moment here with a cute expression. Good details brought out in the soft light. I would presume it's pretty much permanently overcast on these trips?
Good job on the stitching. I know how to, but often forget to "shoot for it" in the field in a focal-length-limited situation. :e3

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Artie, certainly, a 'cute' moment and a good call in shooting another frame, although I can help but feel the pose/angle of the body/flipper does look a little awkward for the pup, not the most comfortable I guess. With an eye for stitching, perhaps your vocation may have been a surgeon? :S3: Those inky black eyes really do pull you in. The very pano crop works and the colour of Mom really throws the pup out nicely and separates things.

Look forward to more, especially the penguins and one or two of the detail elements.

Might have to obtain the PDF to expand my knowledge here Artie, the only issue I have, is I tend now to export as Smart objects from LR/ACR to work on certain elements which I'm not sure you can from DPP? Interesting, Andy Rouse is also back to working with DPP.

I think I might have been unconsolable if that happened to me on a trip like this, but hey, that's what insurance is for.

TFS
Steve

TFS
Steve

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hello Artie,
nice meeting you on that trip.

Nice work on stitching for pano, works good. would go with Steve for strange looking flipper.Those eyes are just great.
Like the IQ as well processing, maybe i would reduce the blues on the pup and punch the mid tones a tad.

TFS Andreas

[Arthur Morris]

Hye Mork-man,

re:

Sorry to hear about your gear, Artie, and a big-up for your attitude about it! I think I would have handled it with much more agression and self-brow-beating...:Whoa!:

And how would you have felt while you were doing that?

A nice moment here with a cute expression. Good details brought out in the soft light. I would presume it's pretty much permanently overcast on these trips?

We did have some sun. See today's blog post, "A Rare Side-lit Image" here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2012/11/15/a-rare-side-lit-image/).

Good job on the stitching.

Not me; CS-5/!

I know how to, but often forget to "shoot for it" in the field in a focal-length-limited situation.

That used to be a habit for me but now it is practically instinctual.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Steve,

re:

Hi Artie, certainly, a 'cute' moment and a good call in shooting another frame, although I can help but feel the pose/angle of the body/flipper does look a little awkward for the pup, not the most comfortable I guess.

It is what is was and I am loving it.

With an eye for stitching, perhaps your vocation may have been a surgeon?

I cannot stand blood or incisions so no on that suggestion!

Those inky black eyes really do pull you in. The very pano crop works and the colour of Mom really throws the pup out nicely and separates things.

Thanks and agree.

Look forward to more, especially the penguins and one or two of the detail elements.

See the recent blog posts here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/) and Bulletin 422 (http://www.birdsasart.com/2012/11/15/birds-as-art-bulletin-422/), just out.

Might have to obtain the PDF to expand my knowledge here Artie, the only issue I have, is I tend now to export as Smart objects from LR/ACR to work on certain elements which I'm not sure you can from DPP?

It's a good thing that I am not smart enough to know what a Smart Object is!

Interesting, Andy Rouse is also back to working with DPP.

Shoot, I did not know that he was back to Canon.

I think I might have been unconsolable if that happened to me on a trip like this, but hey, that's what insurance is for.

Visit Byron Katie as consolable and inconsolable are choices: www.THEWORK.com (http://www.thework.com/index.php). Peace is a wonderful thing to know.

[Arthur Morris]

Hello Artie,
nice meeting you on that trip.

Nice work on stitching for pano, works good. would go with Steve for strange looking flipper.Those eyes are just great.
Like the IQ as well processing, maybe i would reduce the blues on the pup and punch the mid tones a tad.

TFS Andreas

Ditto Andreas and thanks. THe pup looks pretty neutral from here :). The dark tan shows as 36, 36, 36 RGB and the light tans of the mom as a neutral 221, 221, 219 so I can live with the slight BLUE cast to the pup that averages 10-20 points RGB.

I had no clue that you were a member here so thanks a ton for your support. Again, it was great meeting you.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Artie, no problemo with the blues your image, just had different measurements going more to blue, maybe because i stick to LAB for color measurement. The B channel showed -9 on the pup, which means slight on the blue side.

But hey ,it is yours .

Kind regards Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Artie, I know I'm going off topic, but just looked at the link to the bulletin, interesting to see the comparison between the two images of the Penguins on the beach. I was in two mind about the BKG, lightening & removing the slight blue cast because it gave depth/detail & form IMHO, but on reflection the reworked version doesn't compete with the FG subjects as there is less detail in the BKG and I guess, lifts the subjects being lighter. I like the vibrant throat/bill markings, just makes it eye catching. Personally I think the beach looks to manicured without the stones/rocks, but again, all personal tastes, perhaps leaving a few? Lovely habitat shot, nice to have the inclusion of the sea coming in on the LHS.

Yep, Andy's had it for many months now, tested it, then took it to Kenya & Madagascar, seems to be nailing the images it appears with the 1DX. :S3:

All the best.

Steve