Morning Elk Bull

[Rachel Hollander]

I thought I'd mix it up a little and instead of posting another arctic image that I'd post one from my fall trip to the Rockies. Taken in Estes Park, Colorado shortly after sunrise.

Canon 5D3
70-200 II @ 200mm
1/640
f5.6
ISO 800
HH, ff, levels, curves, luminosity mask, selective color, dodging and burning adjustments, sharpened in CS6.

C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

Rachel

[Marc Mol]

I like the subject and side lighting here Rachel, but find the framing/crop is neither here nor there, with not enough BG habitat and a little too much lower space?
Perhaps a case where widening out to <100 might have provided more scope?
TFS

[Martin Dunn]

I'm a bit in shock Rachel. It's not a ploar bear :bg3:
Composition wise I think there is a bit too much foreground and not enough space above the elk.
Overall the light looks lovely but there seems to be a bit of an imbalance between the light on the elk's rump which (to me) needs to be darkened and the light on his head and neck which needs to be lightened a bit.

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Marc and Martin. I agree with you on the comp but I should have said in the intro that this was shot in a small park in the middle of the town of Estes Park with lots of hand of man elements all around. It was difficult to avoid wires and buildings in the bg so that's why the comp is what it is. I'd rather shoot clean than clone later. Additionally, you have to stay on the path so no finding a different angle for light or for bg. Not the best shooting conditions but the National Park was closed due to the US government shutdown.

Thanks again,
Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Rachel, I agree there is just a tad too much FG, I think working down from the top LH corner with the same ratio crop dragging it to the RHS will offer a better solution? I also wonder if the image looks a little flat and that some more Luminosity may help, likewise some midtone, but again it could just be the screen on the laptop? I like the habitat, but the little glimpse of sky I think has to go. :w3

TFS
Steve

[Carl Walker]

Hi Rachel. I agree on losing some of the FG to perhaps just above the rock or stump on the bottom LHS. Other than that it looks great and I like the habitat shown here.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Much has been said already re crop/framing. I like the moment and mood, Rachel. Some of the whites (bum, in particular) look hot to me but I'm not viewing on my ideal monitor now.
I like that the rack is "in the clear" with a nice smooth BG behind it. Might open up facial shadow detail a hint?

[Anette Mossbacher]

Hi Rachel,

lots has been said already. Am late sorry :w3 I like the elk and do understand your comp decision you have done. Just wonder as well a bit of the highlights at the "rear end" of the elk :bg3: Might can be tamed.

Have a great day

Ciao
Anette

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Rachel,
little stag in nice lighting you captured .Comp not ideal , but you had your reasons for choosing the comp.
For a lightning situation like this i think the shadows are looking too flat, like the overall image looks a bit thin in mid tone and shadows, but i think you did well controlling the whole light.I would just process it with a bit deeper shadows and losing some definition in the darker areas.

TFS Andreas

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks all for the comments and suggestions. I'll have to play around with it a bit more but admittedly this is not one of my best.

Thanks again,
Rachel

[edwardselfe]

I think it's the backlit grasses in the FG which are distracting from the main subject. If you smoothed them slightly I think it would improve it a lot.
Ed

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Ed, good suggestion.