Spotted Hyena in Magical Stream

[Loi Nguyen]

Another frame from Mala Mala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Found this spotted hyena soaking luxuriously in a magical stream after sunset. I took this image by leaning way out of the safari vehicle while trying to keep a low POV. The 500f4II delivered once again.

1DX
500f4 II
1/250
f8
ISO-1600

The reason for the F8 is because I would like to include more of the habitat.

Hope you like it.

Thank you

Loi

[haseeb badar]

Hi Loi -- nice settings provided by the nature but these settings are really too busy for my liking especially the LHS FG , the long grasses are causing distraction .
Colors look fine to me with a hint of bluish cast under its neck,nose and eyes . I also feel a slight cw rotation towards the right side is needed .
TFS !

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Unusual setting for a Hyena Loi. Nice curious pose and the water droplets at the mouth. Surroundings are a bit busy & wish that log on top was not there. Yes the 500 II did a good job here Loi and so was your quick response in getting this.

[Giovanni Frescura]

Hello
I like it.
Offcourse the grass and the branch up is no the best but the photo , for me, works very well becouse the situation is very particular

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Loi!

Hyenas stop to cool down in a pool of water - if available - on any given day. This is a very special sighting that reminds me of a Spotty I once saw bathing and splashing at a waterhole in the Kalahari:)

Wonderful pose from this character, neck outstretched as if looking around for potential intruders, inquisitive eyes, water droplets falling off its chin - very well seen and taken, my friend:)

I am enchanted with this capture, wonderful behavioural frame and I really appreciate the inclusion the environment. A tad of magenta and cyan creeping in I think, do run a check on the muzzle of the hyena, log behind her, and water. I took this frame in PSCC and just tamed the greens a bit in the brighter places as well as took away some of the magenta and cyan. Cropped from the top but left some of the log in, at the bottom I stopped just above that bright spot on the water. Do try those steps if it makes sense to you, otherwise let us see what the others think, I am sure you will get more feedback soon. I really think you can bring this up a notch with a few gentle tweaks.

I do not mind the vegetation as it does not interfere with the subject. On the contrary - I feel it frames the hyena so well. And I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this - I always look for that "something special", or unusual, in an image - this frame has it all.

Have a wonderful week-end, Loi!

[Loi Nguyen]

Thank you everyone for your comments,

I don't mind the FG grass. I think the grass adds nice touch and frame the hyena well. The log behind is definitely a distraction. So, here is an alternate crop to get rid of the log, but retains much of the environment. I also attempted to reduce the magnenta and cyan via Hue/Sat.

Please let me know what you think.

Loi

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Loi - First, are the op and the rp the same frame? If so, please don't forget to include info about cropping in intro. I think I actually prefer the vertical comp of the op and feel that the adjustments in the rp have gone a bit too far. Yes, I would reduce the magentas in the op but the bright greens of the river environment look natural. The rp looks a bit too warm and yellow to me. I very much like the inquisitive pose and the behavioral/environmental aspects of the image.

TFS,
Rachel

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hi Loi!

I like your RP too but just like Rachel, I wondered for a moment there whether it was the same frame, LOL. My suggestion was to crop just a tad from the bottom and top as I quite liked the vertical comp. At the same time I also like the RP , only wondering whether you should perhaps remember the "virtual legs" and allow a bit more on the bottom? Nice work there on reducing the colour casts:5

Interesting what composition does for an image:w3

Hope you have a great week ahead and that you find the time to share more images, I really enjoyed this:)

Kind regards,

[Andre Pretorius]

Hi Loi

Very special and magical moment captured here!
Your S/S with HH is sending shivers down my spine...
Casts taken care of in RP, would just like a bit more of space on bottom.
TFS!

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi loi , whatever the " real" frame is , i prefer the RP from the aesthetic POV as i do see less distracting elements in the frame .
I agree though the colors do look a bit too much on the yellow side .
I like the look of the hyena to the right .
Certainly a lovely sighting ..

TFS Andreas