Elephant seals in big numbers

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi folks
now i am going wide.
Shot taken on a really foggy day, on a beach in South Georgia.
Original was so flat i really pushed the contrast to get this image.
It is kind of rough looking, but i like it , even i lost the original mood of the scene.On that day we hardly saw details in a distance , due to the fog that was all over.

Would like to know your thoughts on this one.

Canon EOS 1D Mk III

EF24-105 IS L at 105 mm ; HH

F8 ; ISO 1000 ; 1/500sec

Processed in Canon DPP and PS ; cropped a bit off from Top and Bottom


Thanks for watching

Andreas


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[Steve Canuel]

Never been there myself but the contrast and subtle, subdued colors look just about right to my eye. I like what the just barely visible penguins lining the shore in the BG add to the image. Looks like you got a lot of nice shots from this trip Andreas.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Andreas, you have conveyed the setting well, it has captured the raw, cold, murky weather nicely. The crop works, although in situations like this, cutting through bodies is never easy and unavoidable. I agree with steve, the inclusion of the Penguins is a nice addition to the image. I think the MKIV would have been better, as personally the IQ I feel is a little let down. :w3

TFS
Steve

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Andreas - I find these types of images very difficult because it is often hard to convey the sheer number of seals yet still maintain some kind of point of interest. This certainly conveys the cold feel but I find my eyes drawn to the bg slope rather than to the mass of seals.

TFS,
Rachel

[Morkel Erasmus]

I know what you were going for, Andreas, but it didn't "come off" for me, for most of the reasons already mentioned. I can certainly feel the cold here! Was it possible to get closer and perhaps use a wider lens?

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks folks for your comments ,
i knew before hand that this would be a difficult one in all terms !

My thinking is that i could not get a higher IQ , under these conditions. (weather , pushing the contrast and my own editing knowledge).

Morkel - going closer would have been kind of risky , i was surrounded by ellies and these bulls full of testosterone , i was not sure about going closer.My tripod got one time almost ran over by a big guy, all happened just in my back, i did not even recognized it.


Thanks Andreas

[Sid Garige]

Andreas,

Very nice image considering the hard shooting conditions.

-Sid

[peter delaney]

Andreas

love the composition ,subtle tones thru out image , everything is spot on... but have to agree the IQ is just not there...

TFS
Peter