lion and zebra

[peter delaney]

nikon D3 + 600mm lens, iso 1000, f8,1/2500

Sometimes the thrill of the chase is just as rewarding as a kill...

Decided on square crop and centre placement of subject and horizon.


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[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Peter - fantastic action, love the kicked up dust and the conversion works well as always. Interesting that the lioness is looking away from the closest zebras, presumably at another zebra or pride mates working with her? It's fortunate because it gave you the slight head turn. I think it needs a very slight amount of cw rotation. The square crop works but I think if the IQ would hold up it would also look great with a more traditional landscape format cropping some from the top and bottom.

TFS,
Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Peter, and just when I thought I would post too! :bg3: Certainly beats anything I was going to post.

Love the rich tones set against the almost pure whites of the dust which I feel is well balance and simply, it works, likewise the square crop & position of the horizon within the format.

Nice one Mr D! :cheers:

Now come one, lets have some of those critiques too.

All the best Peter.

Cheers
Steve

[Morkel Erasmus]

Lovely toning and action with the dust, Peter.
I'm not too fond of the crop here, though maybe it's just because of web presentation, on a blocked canvas in the right space this could rock :t3
I liked a screen crop with about a third to half of the sky removed...all taste I presume!

[Dave Mills]

Love the action and positioning of the subjects. I agree with Morkel regarding removing a third to half the sky. This will simply put more emphasis on the subjects and make the action stronger...

[Tom Graham]

Your crop puts horizon squarely in center of the frame. I measured it!!!:S3:
Thus breaking rule 8A for composition.
Tom

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Tom, can you post the Rules please, never seen any and be good to know, but then again, rules are there to be broken too. :bg3:

[peter delaney]

Thanks Lady and Gents! for your comments ...

Editing is very subjective as you know. On editing an image first I choose whether the image works best as "Colour or B&W" .Then I decide on the crop that best suits the image sometimes the IQ comes in to play but aesthetics is always the over riding factor in my editing.
I don't know of any rules within photography and I don't wish to know either. I am sure Tom's comment was a bit tongue and cheek:t3.

Thanks Dave and Morkel for your suggestions about cropping 1/3 of sky out but I like the symmetry within the image.
Thanks Rachel for your lovely critique on image agree about slight rotation .
Thanks Steve for lovely comments.. I will start critiquing more!

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Peter, I do think it's about time you considered producing a nice 'SA' book, comprising of both animals & landscapes, with a nice synthetic leather bound cover and 'fly' sheet (tissue paper) before the forward. :S3:

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Peter,

very nicely processed image with excellent tones and contrast throughout the image.

The kicked up dust makes a real difference to other stuff i have seen , so far. so very good view for that in processing.

The center of the image is nicely balanced with the animals placed in center and the sides.

now comes my point , as i am not a friend of square, i would personally go for a traditional crop or pano in the rule of thirds.

But it is yours and you have that vision , which is fair enough ok.!!!!

TFS Andreas

[Marina Scarr]

Killer action and love the dust and light. The crop isn't working for me.