Dust Canon !

[haseeb badar]

Hello Everyone !

Thank you for all you C&C's on my previous post .

I like to join in this month's theme with an Elephant image dusting it self at Amboseli . This huge Bull was a treat to watch as he nonchalantly walked pass us . Elephants may cover themselves with dust, possibly to increase shedding of skin flakes.( this is what i read somewhere ) and hence i thought this could be their grooming technique.

Canon 5D MK III , Canon 500mm f4 IS II lens, bean bag.
Time : almost late evening light was still their but it was cloudy .

ss 1/6400 , f/5.6 , iso 1000

DPP 4 CS6 , WB , levels , curves , selective colour , vibrance and saturation , brightness and contrast,straightened and cropped from top, sharpening ,

All your C&C's are most welcome .

[Stuart Philpott]

Haseeb ,what a fantastic moment captured of such an incredible male.A behaviour I know little about so a bit of extra learning for me personally I had no idea ele's did this,my immediate thanks for sharing just for that alone. Lovely moment captured I'm unsure on the buff (rocks, are they?) up front maybe you could have got a tad higher??. I love his half dark half lighter legs,I presume he had recently left the water and that slight raised front foot. Just add to the impact of the "dust canon". The light looks really soft and adds a sublety to your image I really love. I wish I could have seen him ,let lone capture this like you have.
I really can't go much further as I don't have the expertise,but I do know how much I like this Haseeb,

take care

Stu

[Nancy Bell]

You captured the moment of dust blasting just right! And I like that there is a bit of separation between the dust and the back line of the front leg, really adding definition to that dust blast. I also like how the dust surrounds the back leg both in front and underneath. That front foreground edge is distracting. I would consider reducing the saturation and make it less strong appearing.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Haseeb - Good timing on the dust bath and you brought out the dust nicely. I agree with getting a little higher to avoid the rocks at the bottom if possible and perhaps get a bit more space at the bottom too. If it were mine I would open up the midtones on the ele slightly. It just brings out a bit more detail. Just be careful not to introduce halos. I did this rp in about a minute just to give you an idea.

TFS,
Rachel

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Haseeb,

Lovely capture and perfect timing indeed:)

I like the colours overall and placement of the subject in the frame. The "dust blast" is great and adds more interest to an already wonderful frame.

I like what Rachel did in her RP. Decided to borrow her version to try something with the FG, see if you like it, Haseeb?

Enjoyed this, very much. Inclined to suggest that you try a B/W, or a toned version as well:w3

Kind regards,

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Haseeb, I really like the image with the powerful dust being blown and the soft colours of the BKG, but for me, the OOF elephant dung just 'kills' the image sadly. For me it's just too distracting. I commend you in pushing the ISO and although away, the image does look good on the laptop.

TFS
Steve

[Morkel Erasmus]

I like the low angle and don't really mind the OOF FG but would have liked a sliver more FG.
Nice light, mood and action here. There is some critical sharpness lacking in the ele - not sure if it's a workflow issue?

[haseeb badar]

Thank you everyone !

@Rachel -- I too am inclined with what you did , infact i did the same while processing and then backed off for some reason .

@ Gabriela -- Yes absolutely it makes less of a distraction .

@ Steve -- This is what i should be aware of while going low , but sometimes it comes to the notice after clicking the pictures .

@ Morkel : Yes i am too feeling the same , specially on its face , absolutely it must be a workflow issue , the raw is very sharp.

Thank you Nancy and Stu .

[Arthur Morris]

A wonderful moment but you can get burned at times by getting too low... All are invited to learn more in the "A Common Weakness in Perceptual Vision Skills and Understanding Perspective Choices as They Relate to Photography. And Suggestions On How to Improve" blog post here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2016/05/06/a-common-weakness-in-perceptual-vision-skills-and-understanding-perspective-choices-as-they-relate-to-photography-and-suggestions-on-how-to-improve/). a

[Anette Mossbacher]

Hi Hasseb,

nice dusting moment you have captured. Most is said already above. I have to agree with the low angle, the rocks/dung are just in the way. A tad more FG would be nice as well, as Morkel already mentioned.

Have a great day

Ciao Anette