Three Striped Mouse

[Gabriela Plesea]

Something to make you smile, hope you all have a great week-end!

Nikon D3S
Nikon 300mm/F2.8
ISO 1250
F6.3
1/2500s

This image was taken at Gharaghab in the Kalahari. The sand is really this red, and I was quite lucky to capture this little mouse, for they never sit in one spot for long. He was running around mostly in the shade, save for this moment when he spotted some seeds I "accidentally" dropped here and there:bg3:

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Gabriela , what a cute one …….:cheers:.
So Kalahari is now filled with your droppings ? What will grow there in the future ? I hope you never get caught.

Great low POV ,like the framing and the overall colors and tonality , really a fresh looking image.For my liking it is a bit on the yellow side , i treated WB sightly and i feel it is looking a bit cleaner in colors.Worked on the yellows in SC.Reduced the blues and cyans in the shadows .
Would back off on sharpening a fraction specially on the bridge of the nose it looks a bit overdone, not much though.

WDYT ? TFS Andreas

[Gabriela Plesea]

Master touch, Andreas! Thank You! I already dropped some of the yellows but your final touch works for me, nice and subtle...
I am battling with sharpening lately. I will make an appointment with the optometrist asap, I need new reading glasses:2eyes2:.

And nope, no alien seeds, and if you spend some time with these guys you learn about their eating habits, and by the way they eat flowers too!

...when are you planning to revisit the Kalahari?

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Gabriela - he is cutie with a great pose and low pov. I really like the framing of the image too. Andreas has done a great job in taking this up a notch. Looks like you had success with finding lots of diverse wildlife on this trip. Keep 'em coming.

TFS,
Rachel

[Don Railton]

How careless of you Gabriela, dropping those seeds... It is a cute image though, nice and sharp. I am impressed how one wildlife regular can ever so subtle tweek another wildlife regular's shot to lift it...I wonder if I will ever become this tuned to the subtle colour changes others in this forum see, apparently with ease. Is it just practice?? or do I need to follow Gabriela to the optometrist.

thanks for showing anyway

DON

[Gabriela Plesea]

Thank you Rachel and Don:bg3:

As to "tweaking" another fellow photographer's image, I think it's one the best things on BPN, and it helps one learn. No matter how many hours I put into processing, the advice and help I got here is priceless. I look at my previous work before joining BPN and I am tempted to delete my old images, I only keep them because it's great to see that I have made good progress.

Regarding optometrist-my eyes have given in about a year ago and I went and got myself a pair of glasses, they are great for reading but when I look at the computer all my images look a little unsharp and therefore I tend to over sharpen. It is quite frustrating, when I take them off I feel I cannot see detail very well...well, will see what the good doctor can do for me. Right now I am typing with my glasses on but I will try to do the PP work without them from now on.

And Don, the seeds come from pods of trees indigenous to the Kalahari, no harm whatsoever in tempting the little mouse:w3, the tree rats they use them for their nests too (will post an image of these cuties, soon)

[Andreas Liedmann]

Gabriela thanks for the compliment in bringing this up a tad.
Re sharpening - i really like the sharpness in the whiskers and all the fine hairs outside the body ??!!!, but the fur looks over sharpened :eek3:. How does this come ? extra sharpening ? selective ?
just asking curious , how did you sharpen ? and how many sharpening steps ? sharpening settings.

I personally have usually based on a normal sharp image , two sharpening steps , capture sharpening in the RAW converter at very low settings . depending on the image i either use a sharpening script ( written by somebody else ) where the image is down sampled in three steps , and gets sharpened each time .
The method is with USM , i tend to use 300/0.3/2 settings. this is all happening in LAB mode , i am ending up with a file with two sharpened layers , on set to darker color other one set to lighter color (blend mode ) . i normally set the opacity to a 2:1 ratio. i prefer normally 66 to 33.
after the sharpening i convert to sRGB.
Other thing is using File - Automate - fit Image - choose dimensions - duplicate BG - smart sharpen - 300/ 0.2 / 5% / - duplicate layer - blend modes ( darker color /lighter color) - opacity 2:1 ratio - 66 /33 - make group from layers set opacity to taste for the group . all in PS CC.

hope this helps , cheers Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Gabriela, the low POV works well for this and it's the way to go IMHO.

I might suggest looking at perhaps a format close to, or a 16x9, as I personally find the space above a little too much. Is the BKG as shot, or have you cloned any areas? I wish the soil to be more uniform, so you don't have the darker OOF area at the foot, and so you have more 'texture', I find it jars a little, WDYT? If you have added any Contrast I would set it back to zero and see how it looks, I find it a fraction crunchy. I would also look at the eye, as it's quite choked/solid.

Great to see a different African animal, looks like you had a great trip with good diversity of animals. :cheers:

TFS
Steve

[Gabriela Plesea]

Good evening Steve and Andreas,

And thank you both for taking an interest in this post,

I managed a number of images of this mouse as I was lying on the sand, he was quite skittish at first but soon got used to our presence and the voices - this was taken while Andre was chatting with the man looking after the tented camp at Gharagab, they were standing about 1 m behind me but surprisingly the mouse became so accustomed to us that he kept running between my feet as I sat on the bean bag. All I got was a couple of blurry images, he was getting too close! I then lied down hoping he would stop at some distance, which he eventually did...but only for a fraction of a second...The ground was wet in places due to recent rain, I stuck a camel thorn seed quite deep in the sand and hoped its pungent smell would interrupt the mouse from running for a second or two. Well it did, and the little investigator managed to get the seed out and even cleaned the sand off it...

Here's the original, as you can see I cloned that clump of wet sand on the RHS and then cropped a bit tighter. Thought you might find the sand blob distracting, although I personally do not mind it, to be honest. The sharpening...I sharpen in LR and then again after processing in CS, only before posting. I am also using a sharpening script written by someone else, only sharpen once and if it seems too sharp then I go back and reduce the percentage. I could use some help here, busy reading your replies carefully...

These are the original colours, Gharaghab tented camp is all red dunes with little vegetation in the winter, this summer it was so green and lush and quite breathtaking. The ranger informed us on arrival that a lioness comes to the water hole every night, accompanied by her young. The cubs belong to Maximus- the longest, biggest lion we have ever seen in the Kalahari (I think I have posted one image of him some time ago). That night I set my alarm on my mobile phone and was up at 3 am, I saw Maximus by the water hole and heard him roaring-it was amazing, the way his roar resonated in the quiet valley. Then I went back to sleep, only to wake up at 4:30 am to the sound of footsteps...it was the female with her cubs, walking past the tented house. I went outside on the little wooden deck and sat quietly as the youngsters walked past, Mom ahead of them. Poured myself a glass from the leftovers of red wine I found on the table and sipped it slowly as I watched them walk towards the water hole, grateful there was not enough light to take photographs-I would have missed out on the silence and the magic of the Moon shining softly over the golden shapes of the lioness and her young.

The photographs I bring back do not always give justice to this magic place, and I cannot help it but tell you about it because I want you to understand what I am trying to convey with my images. It is frustrating at times when I have to "reduce the reds and the yellows and the greens" because I have those sightings on my mind and those amazing colours.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Here's another image of the little guy, cropped and sharpened just a tad, just to give you a better idea of what he looks like, stripes and long tail and everything:bg3:. Hope the Mods permit this extra bit, not planning to submit for comments as no proper processing was involved here...Please delete if not allowed:w3, otherwise let us call it a "weekend bonus" image:bg3:

[Andreas Liedmann]

Dear Gabriela,
do not get frustrated about "our" comments on color , contrast , sharpening and all the other fancy stuff. We all have our preferences and likings, they all differ.I can`t count how many times i got and still get replies by Rachel and Steve about my contrast being too stark for their liking.
Sometimes they are right , other times not for my liking, it is all sooooo subjective.On the other hand i would like to see more contrast and punch in Rachel`s images , but it is her style and way to treat her images as she likes. I or we give suggestions to others , to improve stuff , at least from pour POV.
So do all what you like to do with your images, at least they have to please you and not others, as long as you need no money.
In the beginning when i started to post here, i all the time got comments about the grittiness and too sharp images , i left that behind , more or less, i do have a analog background using only Velvia 50 / 100 or Provia 400, so i am used to high contrast images , not like something that is posted here from time to time , flat and nasty. I had so many plugged shadows and burnt highlights when used this films………………….
And in the end you have been there saw the action, the light , and the colors…….. think about it and find your way and pick suggestions you like .

Lovely story you have written, i like your way of describing your experience in the Kalahari……………… sounds very emotional.I am not able to right this stuff down, but i have it in my mind when i am somewhere in the world to enjoy nature and life, and do not have to think about work , family etc , just me and the nature.

Actually the sharpening looks quite good in the last post, a fraction more would be enough i think.
Ps : the script for sharpening you use is it from an SA guy ? forgot the names , i think there are two that i know of…….

Cheers Andreas

[Loi Nguyen]

Hi Gabriela, sorry being late to the party. Was away the entire week working.

Very cute image, love the contrasting color of the Red Kalahari sand and the Green BG. I find the OOF sand at the bottom a wee bit distracting, so I'd suggest taking a sliver off. Personally I find the image just a little bit over-sharpened, but again that is personal choice, especially on this reduced resolution format. TFS. Loi

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Gabriela, I think we can allow a weekend 'bonus' image this time. :bg3:

I think Andreas makes some good points in his reply, but it's your narrative that for me, really is outstanding and allows the reader to be part of your vision and experiences. IMHO you should really build and expand on this as I have said many times, it's a great skill and could be a new avenue of income too.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Morning Andreas, Loi, and Steve,

I am delighted with your replies and really grateful for the interest you have shown in this little critter.
Andreas, you understand perfectly how I feel when it comes to my posts; and yes, on the one hand I need the feedback and crave it, on the other hand I get upset with myself for not seeing things like everyone else in the first place. I just cannot do that, I have those vivid memories of how things looked like and tend to recreate what I saw. Or what I think I saw:bg3: I do not dare argue with the Masters, their images are something I aspire to achieve, but I will keep in mind what you said and will try to "stick to my guns" when I feel that a suggested change might take away the essence of the image I had in mind. Allan- a dear photographer friend- once told me he was comparing some of his wildlife images to photographs in good quality books, to get the colours right (especially when taken in bad light).

The shots I have of this mouse vary a lot in terms of light and he moved so quickly from shade to shade barely touching the sand when it came to crossing sunny patches. It was 41 'C, his little feet were too delicate for the burning sand. In some shots the light is red, in some it is yellow, in full shade they turn kind of bluish but there I managed to capture the little guy standing up and reaching a flower, some tender moments I would love to share but I am afraid to even start working on those...

And thank you so much Steve, just saw your reply coming in on my laptop as I was busy replying- I have been in touch with the editor of a birding magazine here in SA, they have published one of my images in their first edition few months ago and are kin to publish more. I was told to write a few words about myself, but when I described the circumstances in which the image was taken they must have enjoyed reading so they published the whole article and paid me for it as well. It was not one of my best images but they thought it had "punch" and needed something special for their very first edition. I am busy working on an image for them right now, it is that Pale Chanting Goshawk I emailed you when we got back from the Kalahari. And I will certainly add a story to go with it:w3. Hope you wouldn't mind to take a look at the image before I send it to them, pretty please?:tinysmile_shy_t:

Wishing you all a great Sunday,

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Gabriela - the one thing to remember with most points made in a critique is that they are just suggestions, especially when you have reached the technical proficiency that you have in both the field and in pp. Some suggestions may enhance the photographer's vision of a scene, some may not. Some suggestions may exceed a photographer's ethics of manipulation. Some suggestions may just be completely off-base. It's up to each photographer to distill the suggestions and decide which ones to implement. Some decisions are easy such as an alternate crop or a color cast where one doesn't belong. Others aren't so easy. Most importantly the photographer was usually the only one there (though in your case this isn't always true:w3). That means that they are the only one who knows what the light and color were actually like. All suggestions made on BPN are generally about making the image more pleasing or realistic to the viewer, they may or may not represent the reality of the situation. Each photographer has to develop their own style and vision. If we all pp and presented our images exactly the same way, it would make for a pretty boring forum.

As for sharpening for the web, I do use the Phillip Perrold resizing and sharpening actions that Morkel posted about in the sticky at the top of the forum. I then adjust the amount of sharpening within the mask as necessary.

I also like your story of the mouse. Btw congrats on the publication of the birding image too.

Rachel

[Gabriela Plesea]

You are absolutely right, Rachel. Even when it comes to Andre's images-taken at the same time and in the same lighting conditions, using more or less the same equipment as myself -they are not identical to mine. Which is a good thing, otherwise we'd be arguing who posts what:bg3: I use different settings and often prefer to use the 500mm lens, Andre tends to use his 600mm and alternate with the 300mm. The bigger the lens, the more thirsty for light. I go for close-ups, Andre for context. We want our images to be different, luckily he is more technical and precise and I am more playful and adventurous. Yes we do help each other a lot when it comes to processing and we share everything we learn individually, and I have to tell you that the first time he took me to the Kalahari I shot all images with the same camera settings and only by chance I got some I did not have to delete:bg3: The second time around I asked him every minute of the day " what F-stop? what Iso are you using now?"- he never got tired of sharing with me but when I got home I decided that was that and started to learn. If those little revelations amuse you, I will continue to say that my first PP work consisted of pushing up every slider in Elements and then added a colourful frame that killed the image altogether:bg3:. That was around 2010, and what an amazing learning curve, but the more I learn the more humble I become, and yes I get frustrated with myself and my mistakes but I am enjoying every minute of it and absorbing every word of advice I get from my BPN friends:cheers:, so thank you all once again for your constructive criticism and contribution in general:5

[Steve Canuel]

Nice low angle on this little guy. I actually prefer the wider, slightly less saturated look of the original. And nice of you to feed him some native, natural food choices. Too many people take the easy way and throw out whatever they can buy at the store.

[Nancy Bell]

Interesting reading the thoughts of all above. Everyone's contributions are what makes this a very informative forum. Comments are thoughtful and varied, not just simple repeats of each other.

I like the original image in pane #9 and the side view image in pane #10. And I like that little clump of wet sand on the right. For me the red/oranges and greens of the processed images nearly overwhelm the delicately colored mouse.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Gabriela - just trying to catch up while my head is still in the vast clouds above the Chobe river.
I love your OP of this little mouse! I find Andreas' image too cyan for some reason, your OP captures what I know the area looks like (Gharagab is a special part of KTP!).
Good discussion and points to remember - Rachel said it well that it's all suggestions, most often based on a mix of the personal preference of the commenter as well as generally accepted best-practices (which doesn't make them rules). You have grown tremendously since starting to post here, keep doing what you are doing...

[Gabriela Plesea]

So glad to hear from you, Morkel! It almost feels as if you are coming to my rescue, I could not really convey the message properly here and only few can understand what the light does to the red sands of the Kalahari...When I bring my images in LR and then PP I often feel that the colours are too dull and my characters kind of lifeless, they are not as bright and vivid as I saw them. I am planning to shoot some landscapes in October, just to show everyone what it's like:w3

Thanks again Morkel, have a lovely evening!

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Gabriela ,
by knowing i am going overboard, and never been to this special lit place , i just post a Velvia ++++ effect , just for the fun of it.
Remember the effect can be knocked back , done in LAB color space.

Regards Andreas

[Gabriela Plesea]

Thank you Andreas! I'm going to change his name to "Velvet Mouse"!