After 4 Months !!!

[haseeb badar]

Hello everyone !

Have been out on the field and practicing with the 500 f4 all this time hence was not able to post in the past 2 weeks .

This is the first tiger image from my new 500 f4 lens and it is the same tiger cub which i posted earlier ( http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...i-!?highlight= (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/130808-Chhota-Jai-!?highlight=) ) for the reference .

It has been 4 months since I saw this tiger cub ( Chota Jai ),meaning Jr.Jai named after his father JAI, he is now 14 months old ( apprx ) and is doing very well . He has grown very accustomed to the tourist vehicles and is always at ease in their presence , but a night mare to photograph since he loves to chase vehicles and get too close for big tele lenses .

Canon 5D MK III , Canon 500 mm F4 IS II , Bean Bag.

SS : 1/1000 , Av f /4.0, iso : 1250 .

DPP4 , CS 5 , levels , curves, selective color , Shadow Highlights,NR , very minor sharpening. Cloned out a twig from its lower LHS whiskers ( our RHS ).

All your C&C's are most welcome .

[Mike Poole]

Great stare from an awesome creature. The expression he has given you is stunning, and the framing of the grasses around the face works well. I might be tempted to sharpen around the eyes just a little more. Looking forward top seeing some more of him.

Mike

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Haseeb - It's great that you get the opportunity to photograph the same tigers and watch them grow up. For me this one cries out for a vertical portrait to eliminate all the distractions on the rhs and to really enjoy that head on stare. Watch the blacks, they are choked in a few places. Looking forward to seeing more.

TFS,
Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Haseeb, great too see a young Tiger and also to know you are getting the opportunities to get out and practice with both lens and camera.

Firstly I would like to have seen more SS to nail that image (1/2500), I think f/4 would have been OK, but a hint more may also have helped the lower chin? I would loose some off the RHS, theres just too much and would take the head off a central position. Nice stare to camera with the mouth open, but the finer detail is lost and agree that the blacks are a tad heavy and the tongue looks/shows as if there has been some Shad/Highlight applied? I think Haseeb, with some finer adjustments this will elevate the OP.

TFS
Steve

[haseeb badar]

Here is a RP based on the suggestions above .
WDYT ?

@ Steve : Shadow /highlights is not applied to the tongue , it appeared almost the same in the original file.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Awesome young tiger, Haseeb!

Great eye contact and the RP eliminates all distractions, I do agree with Steve regarding SS and Rachel regarding blacks. I used to have a bit of a heavy hand with the sliders and got "caught" by Steve every single time, do check your curves adjustment and Shadow/Highlights and see if you can go back on these a bit? Also look at your DPP4 adjustments, I am a Nikon user so not familiar with your Canon software, but check whether you have touched contrast, etc? Have you tried starting your PP work with "camera neutral" profile?

I am happy to give it a try if you wish to send me the RAW. Andre here says he'll do the same if you like. We both love tigers, this is probably the only chance to work on a RAW tiger image, LOL.

Thank you for sharing Haseeb, cannot tell you how much I enjoyed viewing this, I can just imagine the thrill of being so close - just too special:)

Kind regards,

[Steve Kaluski]

Haseeb, I'm away and using the laptop, but perhaps something along these lines for the Black & Contrast? I would have left the LHS as per the OP.

Steve

[haseeb badar]

Thank You everyone for the suggestions and comments !

@ Gabriela : Mailing you right away .

@ Steve : I too preferred the crop from the OP perhaps eliminating from the RHS does helps the image and Blacks appears much better in your RP . Thank you !

[Gabriela Plesea]

Thank you Haseeb, sent you a Wetransfer with a modest RP:) Also gave a copy to Andre - he will get back to you tomorrow:)

Have a wonderful evening,