Eye level Leopard

[edwardselfe]

Hi guys,

I'm new to this website and it's the first online forum I've joined. I've been reading lots of the other forums and threads on this site and learned plenty of stuff but thought I should join and try to contribute too - rather than just sponging off the rest of you! Hope to make some comments and be helpful to others too.

I'll start off with an image that I took during the last rainy season and I've never really been happy with. It should be a killer image as I managed to get eye level with this female leopard as she scoured the open grasslands watching for prey. She wasn't really interested in me but occasionally looked my way allowing me to get this shot.

I was using a 1D Mk3 and 500mm f4 lens, and rested on a monopod with ISO 400, SS 1/500 and f4.5. The lighting was overcast (better probably as it avoided deep shadows) but means that the image doesn't jump out of the screen. Tried to increase contrast but the blacks are dark enough already and I'm still not that savvy with more than the usual controls in LR.....

Any comments very welcome.

Right, I'm off to have a look at some of the excellent images showing up in the most recent posts and see if I can contribute and learn there.

Cheers,

Ed

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Ed, a big warm welcome to the wildlife Forum, cracking first image and I like your approach and thinking. It's not just about posting images, but participating in other threads within the Forum, as it 's a great place to learn and make some great friends too.

Firstly for all postings on the web you need to change your profile & settings to sRGB from ProPhoto, this ensures that you image is portrayed correctly and to it's best. If you are unsure there is a Stick call saving for Web, have a read as it's on the first page of wildlife, note the KB file size has changed.

I like the composition and overall the image shows how Leopards are incredibly relaxed although it doesn't look that comfortable, how did you get the POV? Nice placement within frame and very little you can do with the highlights poking through the canopy. Just be careful that you don't choke the blacks, especially when adding contrast. I would try to selectively reduce the exposure on the chin to reduce the whites. Sharpening looks OK on the subject, but would ease off a little on the tree as it's just starting to look a little crunchy to me, always good to do this as an adjustment layer.

LR works well coupled with PS as you can do things in PS you can't in LR. The best way to learn what the sliders do is to move then aggressively to see what effect it has, then you can pull back and be then more sensitive with your actions. In PS it's best to do things as an adjustment layer, you can the toggle on or off if you don't like it or go back to refine your adjustments.

Great to have you on here & posting, any question just shout or ask anyone, as we are all friendly and don't bite.

cheers
Steve

[Morkel Erasmus]

Hi Ed! Welcome here, and great first post :5
It certainly jumps out at me - great clarity on the leopard in a busy environment. I find I often prefer this kind of soft light for the detail you can extract afterwards.
I would perhaps consider shaving a tad off the bottom and RHS to place the leopard more off-centre?
I'm also curious how you got the POV? And wondering if you are a guide in South Luangwa? :e3

Steve's made some good suggestions already. Let's see what others have to say.

Looking forward to more of your work!

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Ed - Let me also add my welcome to BPN and the Wildlife Forum. Great first post and I am partial to leopard shots these days. I am also interested to hear how you got the straight on pov. As always, Steve and Morkel have given excellent suggestions. I look forward to more of your posts and your participation.

TFS,
Rachel

[hirandesilva]

Hi Ed, Lovely exposure and detail on the Leopard. Morkel has already mentioned a crop which would be in line with my thinking. Having the paws visible at this angle makes him look powerful. Fantastic shot !

Hiran

[Diane Miller]

Wonderful image, and welcome!!

With the light sky areas, a crop from the left would also work. The rather prominent branch there isn't contributing a lot, for me, and is pulling my eye away from the gorgeous animal! A little off the right could also work with that crop. A subject off-center is usually very nice, but sometimes isn't the only (or best) option.

[Don Railton]

Hi Ed.

Welcome and I too think this is a great first post, and could be a pretty tidy 100th also... I agree with both the cropping suggestions, both right and left as the light comming in from the left through the trees detracts, and cropping from the right just to tighten it up a bit... I just love the paws and the eyes and would want them bigger in the frame.. beautiful!

DON

[edwardselfe]

Thank you all for useful comments and nice compliments. I have been trying to avoid the temptation to crop too tight (creating just portraits which I have done for a long time) and I try to show animals in their environment more. Hence my reluctance to crop closer. Also, I feared cropping too much from a 10MP file (above is a 6.5MP crop which is acceptable I guess). However, I tried with all your suggestions and see that a slightly closer crop does improve things considerably.

Diane - thanks for your comment about the branch. I initially considered that it acted as a lead-in line that guided the viewer to the main subject, but I see that it might just appear as a huge expanse of bark!

The eye-level angle was a bit of ingenuity and a lot of luck! I found her in a low tree (this branch is only about 4m off the ground) but she was facing away from me. I waited for a long time for some antelope to appear behind me (I knew they would eventually as there was a waterhole there) and she turned to keep an eye on them. During the time she was facing away from me, I repositioned my vehicle onto a raised area of ground, quietly climbed into the back seats and stood up very slowly so as not to bother her. By the time I was standing, with the lens on a monopod, I was almost eye level with her. She's a leopard who I've watched many times and she has even gone right past my seat while I've been watching her hunt so I knew that a bit of movement wouldn't disturb her......see that notch in her left ear, that's how we know it's her.

Yes Morkel, I've been guiding in the Luangwa for 5 years, including many hours with a camera and photo guests, and many hours on foot leading walking safaris. I've been following your work and enjoy it immensely. I particularly admire how you maintain apparent contrast in your images without blocking up the blacks......any clues as to how you do it!?

Cheers for now.
Ed

[Steve Canuel]

A late welcome and a wonderful shot to start with. Nice detail, color, and clarity. I really like the leading line of the trunk and that hanging paw.

[Shreyas Mantri]

Hello Ed,
Welcome to the forum; and quite an opening here with this lovely shot!
The environment and the pose have made for a great composition here, and my personal choice would be to crop off a tad bit from the bottom.
You're lucky to live in SL - am wondering what more a resident of this place has in store for us :S3:

Shreyas