Kudu

[Gabriela Plesea]

:wave:Hello everyone,

Hope you are having a pleasant Sunday, here's something I discovered in my folders from a Kalahari trip (October 2012).
Cropped a bit from the bottom as well as from the RHS, a tad from the left. LR basic adjustments and then CS6, nothing fancy and no sliding and tweaking really, not even cloning:tinysmile_shy_t:. Sharpened a tad before posting.

D3S
Nikon 500 F4
F6.3
ISO400
1/3200s

Kudu better, or rather "could do better":bg3:, and if you have any suggestions or critique I look forward to read them...

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Gabriela,
lovely Kudu shot, the lifted foot adds a bit interest, like the overall tonality , contrast and colors.

Not sure about the comp, for me there is too much dead space on RHS and not enough on LHS, plus i think the blacks in the eye and in the shadow on the ground are looking choked. Backing off a bit would help , i think .Just little stuff.

TFS Andreas

[Gabriela Plesea]

Thank you Andreas,

Your observations are interesting, since these are precisely the issues I had to worry about when I was processing. I cropped from the RHS and then immediately went back, and I shall try to explain why: I liked the environment and the rocks and as soon as I cropped that out it felt as if the image was losing context and became "just another kudu shot". I did lift the shadow on the ground a bit but stopped after a slight tweak (if I may call it that:bg3:), it seemed to me like the image was becoming a bit flat and there wasn't anything interesting to reveal other than some mud. And then the eye- I think it might become dull if I played around too much but I shall give it a try. I would have certainly tried to get more detail there if this was a portrait, not sure at this distance if it would make a difference?

Let us see what the others think, I will revisit this image in the meantime, keeping your observations in mind:w3

Enjoy the rest of the day!

[Andreas Liedmann]

hi Gabriela, understand now your point of cropping, your vision :t3, accepted :w3.No it is good .

Look at the RP and the eyes and ground , WDYT? remember is just from the small web size.I think it looks better with some more life in these eyes.

Regards Andreas

[Gabriela Plesea]

I see, Andreas!!! Ok, you win! I will go and redo the eye:5

[Gabriela Plesea]

Well, here's an RP, thank you Andreas for your help and for taking the time to crit, I appreciate it ,very much! Cropped a bit from the RHS and got a bit more detail in the eye.

Kind regards,

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Gabriella, certainly if you had the image content, moving the whole crop left would be better.

I like the posture of the subject and with the high SS you managed to capture the front leg trailing with mud. I might be tempted to look at the whites in Levels and just bring it in somewhere around 236, but you might need to mask the existing whites to ensure you don't loose any detail. Also maybe some Vibrance say +15 & sat +5, but this is personal taste and you were there so you have a better eye for colour. Opening up the eye is better and I'm glad you lost the Blue cast in the water. I also like the way the light has helped in capturing the form & structure of the kudu.

TFS
Steve

[edwardselfe]

This is an interesting one as lots of people have different takes on it. I preferred the crop in the op, although with a bit added to the lhs and perhaps a little chopped off the rhs. I think Gabriela's rp has become 'just another kudu shot' which the op wasn't! I would add a cm back on the lhs and take off up to the middle of the right hand rock on the rhs. Like this - but obviously with original image on the lhs. Alternatively, leave it as it is on rhs and just add the cm on lhs....

The rework on the eye is great and really brings it to life but I still see a little blue cast in the water below the legs.....or perhaps that's how it was.

Ed135022

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Gabriela - what a lovely image of a kudu. The nice light and raised muddy foot elevate it. I am fine with original comp or with Ed's suggestion. The rework of the eye is excellent and it will be interesting to see Steve's suggestions implemented. I also see a blue cast still in the water in front of the nose.

TFS,
Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Gabriella, Ed's RP is where it needs to go re comp, but I still think it can do with a slight tweak in Levels just to lift it, as it looks still a little flat.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Thank you so much Edward and Steve, for RP and suggestions. Played and tweaked, but ever so slightly:w3, is it still flat or about to run off the screen?

I take this opportunity to thank you all again for making learning so much fun, I have been glued to the computer for the last few months since I joined BPN and enjoyed every moment:w3 Come December, myself and Andre might fade a bit from the website-this is only temporary, and the reason is, there are two very special little people coming to spend the holidays with us-Andre's children Danielle and Renier. They are only 10 and 12 years old respectively, very kin on photography as well as the culinary arts:bg3:. We owe them the time and attention they deserve and we shall try spend precious moments with them. We work throughout December with small exceptions (Xmas Day) and although we'll keep an eye on your posts whenever we can, we might not be able to participate as we do now.

Warmest regards and wishing you a good evening,

[Carl Walker]

I like your last repost Gabriela. Great to see you enjoying yourself here and enjoy quality time with the kids.

[Rachel Hollander]

Gabriela - Your last rp works for me :5. Enjoy your time with the kids. Maybe Danielle and Renier should post some images on ETL!

Rachel

[Gabriela Plesea]

Thank you Carl and Rachel!

Rachel, the kids cannot wait to get their hands on our computers...Renier will probably post in ETL, Dani is the arty one, she'll end up in "out-of-the-box" ! This will be fun, since we have a nice outing one week-end in December, staying overnight at one of the local Game Reserves (Mkuze). They will take their own pics and on return process them, then we'll see what happens!

Kind regards

[Andreas Liedmann]

Yep would leave it as per last RP,comp is good , yet not another Kudu shot.
If i am picky, and i am :e3,as you know , i would address the blues in the water and the shadow on the ground, plus take the eye from my RP. If not ok, too.
Enjoy your time with the kids, even if you have less time for us here.

Cheers Andreas

[Gabriela Plesea]

Oh Andreas, we might not post, but we'll be watching:t3. You know, every morning we get to work at 7:30 and the first thing we do is switch on our laptops…When there are patients at the counter or customers at the gift shop we are there for them, but if there's a gap…Andre sometimes comments but I do not trust my laptop, I have a Packard Bell bought two years ago and the colours aren't the same like on the Apple at home. Also, I cannot concentrate to write a few lines, the staff interrupts constantly and then the phone calls…I so wish for an iPad, but I am saving for a new camera now so it'll have to wait...

Good nite ye all, thank you for a lovely week-end:wave:

[Anette Mossbacher]

Hi Gabriela,

I am late here. Lots said and your last RP does it for me :bg3:

Have a great eve

Ciao
Anette

[Diane Miller]

Your kudu is fantastic! Such beautiful light and color, and the tweaks took it over the top.

We will LOVE to see Dani and Renier posting!! Have a wonderful time with them!

[Gabriela Plesea]

Thanks everyone, you are all amazing and fun and I am learning so much from you!
Diane, Dani and Renier are going to take over our computers:bg3:! We are very kin to teach them, just fear we'll end up with another desk, another two computers, more PP work, no sleep, no food, and yes, more BPN:bg3:

Warmest regards,

[Steve Kaluski]

Gabriella, the tables are now turned, you two are now 'The Teachers', have fun. :5

[Gabriela Plesea]

…don't know how I am going to explain the term "tweak", when I get stuck I'll refer them to you:bg3::w3:t3

[Rachel Hollander]

"small or minor change" :wave:

[Gabriela Plesea]

Ha ha, found this in an online dictionary "... rather than figure out the precise problem you might just keep <KW>tweaking</KW> it until it works..." Seems more like it:bg3:

[Steve Kaluski]

Depends on your POV, :S3: I much prefer, 'improve by making fine adjustments to it', - but now we are going 'Off topic'. :w3