Hi Key Leopard

[Steve Kaluski]

One of the many Leopard encounters we had, this was the same young male leopard I posted (The Gaze) where he was looking down from this termite mound. This frame was from a much earlier encounter where he had just climbed up and was surveying his patch, I think there were some impala, Rachel? The Leopard was backlit and IMHO leant itself to this style of medium. Also it's not about detail or seeing the visible eye, for me it's the look and feel, hopefully conveying the lurking, slightly hidden from view aspect and the grasses breaking up the contour/outline of the body, concealment.

Thanks for swinging by or commenting on the previous image.

Steve

Subject: Hi Key male Leopard on mound (Panthera pardus)
Location: SA
Camera: Canon 1DX
Lens: 200-400f/4
Exposure: 1/320s at f/5.6 ISO3200
Original format: Landscape, almost FF.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Steve - I don't recall there being impalas around if this was the first morning we spent with the Vomba Young Male. More that he was making sure his father wasn't still around before settling down. I like the bit of tail flicking through and the toning works for me. For truly high key, I might open up the shadows in the grasses a bit more. I do find the darker stalks in the llc slightly distracting but they were there and there was nothing we could do to avoid them. Btw I'm pretty sure you flipped the image. As you know, I would have left it.:tinysmile_shy_t:

TFS,
Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

Btw I'm pretty sure you flipped the image. As you know, I would have left it.

Rachel, would you like a screen grab, wasn't flipped.:w3 I couldn't remember as I said if he was looking out or not, sadly most of that content is binned from recollection these days. :S3:

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Steve, my memory must be going. I don't remember him looking in that direction. Must have been before he settled down and got comfortable.

[Steve Kaluski]

Not a problem, don't forget, we also change location to get a better view, but this was much earlier, before he settled down.

[Rachel Hollander]

Steve - I just looked back at a few of my images. I now think it was our last day at Londolozi. He up there from the other direction as the sun was just coming over the horizon. I think it was from there that he first spotted the impalas and wildebeest in the distance and then took off on the unfruitful stalking/hunt. Sorry.

Rachel

[Mark Needham]

Love, love, love this one, Steve. Awesome image and wonderful conversion. I agree with your comments about look and feel here; this image conveys a story of the leopard trying to conceal itself while also being alert - makes the viewer wonder what he is looking at. I agree with Rachel about the lower left corner - perhaps you could lighten those dark leaves a tad so they blend a bit more with the others?

[Andreas Liedmann]

Ouch Steve the sharpness is poking my eyes ................ back to the roots :eek3:. I know a different image , look & feel .

I like the image content, the Leopard being alert and partly hidden behind the grass .Nice conversion with loads of sharp details , maybe even a tad too strong in the grass .
Good overall tonality and range of tones . I would maybe think about (my eye is going there too much) giving the soil area a bit more tone on the foot of the image .I am actually fine with the darker leaves , no need to lighten them from my POV.

I like this frame all around .

TFS Andreas

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

I like this a lot. the sharpness & tonality is superb. I like the pose, the tall grasses and the left pose of the leopard. TFS.

[Steve Kaluski]

Thanks guys. This is what I mean sometimes when I refer to saying, 'we live with our images', but occasionally may not see what others see, i.e. the leaves LHS, never ever saw it. So if you lighten things how do you mask, if you push the contrast up between the two colours B & W it will emphasis them even more? Dilemma.

Interesting Andreas you suggest darkening, I was going the other way so then was even less mid tone areas and more, an etherial, light & airy POV. If anyone fancies a RP please feel free, I'm always open to new thoughts in moving the image on...

[Andreas Liedmann]

Steve here you go albeit subtle , and it looked better (OP) when checking within PS :w3.

Cheers Andreas

[Jamie Douglas]

I liked this when I saw it on FB this week. Great image Steve with the tonal range and light behind to pop those details.

[Steve Kaluski]

Yep, like it Andreas, just defines it a bit more with not much tone, cool. :cheers:

AHHA Mr D, welcome back, hope we can entice into posting soon too. Thanks 'Bud', but I did need pushing as you know to get out of my comfort zone, I really like those well worn slippers

[Morkel Erasmus]

Nicely done, Steve, with a good RP by Mr Liedmann...
I do think you can tweak a bit more tonal difference out of the leopard to make it a tad more visible between the grasses?

[Gabriela Plesea]

Good evening Steve,

Happy to discover your B/W Leopard, thank you - this comes at a great time for me tonight as I am reading about tonal range and busy tweaking away at some sliders:)

Although my first thoughts were of course, "what a beautiful male", I have been trying to "channel" my thoughts towards the way in which you have succeeded to get the most tonal range here. I like both the OP and Andreas's RP, indeed subtle changes but I am beginning to understand how it is possible to significantly enhance an image, especially when it comes to B/W conversions.

The comp is great and overall an unusual capture that plays so well into my aesthetic tastes. Love the tall thin grasses spread out like a fan, they almost create a canvas for the entire frame while still allowing the beautiful features of the subject to come through - another inspiring and thought-provoking image.

Warmest regards,

[Neil Burton]

Very arty farty Sir Kaluski ;) I like Andreas's edit and my only addition would be to clone those bit of grass which break out of the frame to give a more cresent form to the grasses.

[Steve Kaluski]

Thanks guys, Gabriela as I have always said, often it's those 'fine tunes' that takes things up a gear or two, no need for the lump hammer to crack the nut. :w3

OMG Neil,... had thought about it, but just left it in, on reflect yes the secateurs do need to be brought out. Are things OK, thought you had gone to ground, or were playing with than stinking lens, although you were mentioned in recent despatches. :wave:

[Neil Burton]

That **** lens. I wish. Winter is coming, might get out more. ;) Just being busy I am affraid. Need to get back into the swing :)

[Steve Kaluski]

Lets PM, but I know someone who will take that 'lens' off your hands for a very reasonable penny. :bg3: