Spider Monkey Juvenile (C)

[Ian Cassell]

World Wildlife Zoo
Litchfield Park, AZ

Canon 7D
Canon 70-200/2.8L II + 1.4X @ 280mm
1/250 sec f/4 ISO 400

Crop for comp and Levels in CS6
145428

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Ian - Looks like the monkey was mostly in shade and as a result the image is a little flat. You can make the monkey pop a bit more with a levels layer applied just to the monkey bringing in the right slider until just before the whites are blown. I would also do a curves adjustment masking out everything except the monkey. I also reduced the blues that were creeping in particularly in the blacks. Finally, a little NR on the bg behind the monkey. I did this very quickly just to give you an idea so please excuse any sloppy masking. Do you have more space to the rhs? If so, I might shift the whole comp to the right a little just so the tree on the left is not so dominant. I do like it as the left edge though. You needed a bit more ss to freeze the hand too.

TFS,
Rachel

[Sandy Witvoet]

Hi Ian, I'm not great on techs.... but looks like this little guy is just ready to climb up the tree, or really focused on something. The tree seems a bit overwhelming since it takes up about a third of the image. Would love to have an inkling of what he's looking at! Love the pose and those HUGE hands/feet! I've never seen a Spider Monkey, (much less a juve!) Is his head quite pink, as in the OP? agree on a bit of the "blues" as Rachel mentioned, and a bit of NR on the BG. Just a nit, but there is an odd "blob" just under his tail and another one just to the upper right of that. Fun image! TFS!

[Ian Cassell]

Thanks Rachel and Sandy! I appreciate the re-work and see what you mean about the blues. I always miss that. I agree, a bit more NR is also in order. I like the dominant tree because it makes me feel the little guy is overwhelmed by the big-bad-world, but maybe a bit less would be in order. Yes, Sandy, his face is very pink. As for the blobs, Sandy, I'll get rid of the dark blob. I don't think HE would appreciate it if I got rid of the "blob" above and to the right :w3 .

[Sandy Witvoet]

Thanks, Ian! (oops, surely don't want him to lose his 'manhood')! Agree with Rachel on the blues. Totally sweet image!

[Diane Miller]

Cute! And sharp. I'd like more room on the right if you have it, and would have a look at cropping some from the left, or at least doing a soft gradient darkening there. Rachel brought up the light tones nicely.