One coiled spring (brown hare uk)

[Stuart Philpott]

This fella had approached the other hare whom has graced me with her prescence,as usual i'm face down in the mud flat on my tummy in the middle of a field. He's paused possibly because he's detected me and is about to go off like a rocket and chase the other all over the field. Sadly I didn't see much of the following breathtaking speedy chase as I simply fell short in my ability to track. I did manages one frame of two streaking bullets,but both were completely oof.
I believe he's a male ,we can id from a torn left ear. Processed in dpp4. This was taken a little while before my previous shot,many thanks for all the help with colour on this,I hope i've learnt from that and this is a bit nearer the mark WB wise. He's full frame,I wish i'd have given him slightly more canvas at the rear and a smidge below. This was all happening so fast and as I mentioned before I feel did well for me,but I think in the framing I should have been slightly more careful. Anyway over to you guys , I can only finish with what an incredible experience these hares are to share time with just a joy,i'm a bit besotted at this time. sorry for bombarding you with them :2eyes2:

Canon 1div 300f/2.8is 1.4extiii
1/1600
f7.1
iso 1600
slight drop in exposure, slight drop in colour temp,but not as much needed as last image, FF, tweaks in gamma: moved black points and raise to mid point,I have a slight reservation this is on the dark side.
As always a note on the incredible help you guys have been SO many thanks to all, have a fab weekend:cheers:

take care

Stu

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Stu - Yes, the color and wb look better. Nice low pov but here I find the grasses crossing the body a bit distracting. And I agree with your self-critique that you needed more room to the right and below. Also it needs a bit more sharpening on the head but I understand that you cannot selectively sharpen until you get PS. Each image seems to be an improvement so keep shooting and processing.

TFS,
Rachel

[Morkel Erasmus]

Stu this is a leap ahead, so crisp and clear! :5
I like the pose, low angle and exquisite light. Rachel made some good points, but you can also add selective sharpening in LR with the selective adjustment brush, so if you find PS daunting, take the first step/plunge into Lightroom?

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Stu,

I like to be "bombarded" with hare and rabbit images...mice too! So thank you for this post, it is lovely. Given that you processed the frame in DPP4 alone, I'd say you did a great job! Probably your best so far, in terms of colours and sharpness, as well as detail. I'd be pretty chuffed with this if I were you. You could perhaps take this up a notch by tweaking a few things in Lightroom and Photoshop, but I am very pleased to see such great techs from you: well done out there in the field:5, nice DOF and especially SS, IQ also looks good.

In terms of processing I guess I understand where you were going, probably seeking a more dramatic effect? The only problem being, having applied those changes to the entire image, at the very top things are now too dark IMO. So is the back side of this cute long-eared character. I do not mind the grasses that much, for now just happy to see you got the techs right and this fellow sharp. I agree with your self-critique in terms of framing, would like more on the RHS and below, but I really think you're on the right track and very pleased with this frame:w3

I cannot wait to see more...You have raised the bar now, no going back!!!

Kind regards, hope you have a lovely evening,

[haseeb badar]

Hi Stu -- Another much better image , you are improving tremendously well ! agree with your self critique and also the sharpness issue as pointed out by Rachel , but a lovely image nonetheless .

TFS !

[Andre Pretorius]

Nice one Stu!

You know one nice aspect about Photoshop..you can clone; if your ethics allow.
Gardening can be much fun..e.g. to remove those blades of grass on the coily, springy critter!
:2eyes2: where did they go..?

[Stuart Philpott]

Hi every one,thanks for the tremendously positive replies you are all so kind. It has to be said I got very very lucky on this one wonderful evening,these hares were very close and as much as i'd love to take credit for the improved IQ, I suspect much of it was down to the close range of my subjects. But hey i'm having a ball learning tonnes from you all and making little steps forwards,i'm very happy . Plus I get to spend a little time watching the animals I adore. There is no getting away from the fact though for some reason someone was smiling on me that evening.


Rachel thank you so much for all the help not just here but the private advice too, I completely understand the reservation over the grasses.
Morkel cheers so much, I am utterly daunted by PS,I know it will be hard going for me to learn, plain and simple I struggle with all this,but hey,but i'm stubborn enough:bg3: I will get there.Sadly I have to grab a new graphics card as after hours spent downloading a trial of PS(my web service is shocking) I found my graphics card to be unsupported,but thanks for the tip about LR. Once things settle here a bit ,i'm determined to amend this situation.
Andre , i'm not yet completely sure about where my ethics lie yet :re cloning (creative gardening:bg3:), I know I have to be honest beyond that I am unsure. I understand completely what Rachel mentioned about the longer grass stems . I do have the odd image where a lone stem is more crucially placed and it does seem a shame to bin those just for that. so maybe with time when I have the ability i will remove the odd bit here and there. I am an honest guy Andre as long as I can be true to the code I live by I'm cool.It's something for me to ponder for sure. Steve(et al) has utterly shown me why I need ps with all the reposts: it's all the details I can recover selectively and the ability to work selectively that has made me hungry! ha your post made me laugh cheers buddy:w3

Gabriela,mate, you are so kind, you delve into what i've tried so hard to get over and come back encouraging and with thought that always makes me want to try harder.!! Gabby,I suppose not really trying for a more dramatic effect,just trying to get the best out from what I had taken. I feel the shadows are too dark, Gabby and I didn't have the expertise to put that right in DPP I have tried. Gabby I guess as I learn all this i'll develop methods to deal with such things and also eventually have more tools (ie PS) available to help me,but having an awareness at this stage is great.

Hmm no looking back: I have something I might show you, can I shoot you a pm please? IQ isn't there ,deliberate policy on my part.but I think you will love my little friend well I do i'm sure you will smile.
Yes it is utterly a glorious English evening here, one of our really good ones I hope yours is too:S3:. I'm only here because I am trying to be very careful with my hares. i want to see them every night ,they are right here, I can!! But always they must come first . It is so important we photographers , as Andre so graphically illustrated, care for the beasties first then get our pictures. This applies to me here too,I might be effecting them I don't think so ,but I have to be cautious:S3:

Haseeb cheers buddy always encouraging ,the help given so genorously is a good part of all this thank you!!

take care everyone

Stu

[keith mitchell]

Stu those grass stems can be a bit pesky, wish the little devils would sit in the right place but that,s the joy of trying to photograph Hares .Composition as been covered ,do really like the pose of your Hare and that wild eye.Very well done mate I like what you are doing.

Keith.

[Stuart Philpott]

Stu those grass stems can be a bit pesky, wish the little devils would sit in the right place but that,s the joy of trying to photograph Hares .Composition as been covered ,do really like the pose of your Hare and that wild eye.Very well done mate I like what you are doing.

Keith.
howareya buddy?

Keith, thanks, so much. Magical,first the hares, naturally,I don't need to convey that to you. But what I got to learn in that hour. Tremendous luck here Keith , the grasses will be ever more pesky my friend ,this window will be short:w3. Yeah "wild eye" it is isn't it,that explosion that followed : one can almost read something is a foot in that eye.


Keith this will be a long time in repeating,this close and say a 180 degree in variation in light (nice light), to this subject, shooting angles, will be a rare thing,you know that well. Ahh the joy of it Keith, and a pic or two aswell . My little leveret is still here and still evades me .

cheers for the words Keith it's all learning, huge fun. Keith in a short space of time I amassed lots of images at varying angles to the sun ,as you have had a taste of. I'm finding them a real challenge and learning curve to go through ,it's really cool,but slow:bg3: .
take care

Stu

[Marc Mol]

Loving the light here on this one Stu,

and agree with some extra sharpness it would raise the bar further.

Yes the grass stalks are distracting, but when getting down this low, it's not easy to totally eliminate them, removing them just depends on your own PP ethics.

TFS

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Stu, would agree with Marc here, I just feel you need to 'bite' the bullet on the PP side of things if you want to progress further, as it's perhaps the element that is now holding you back. My only thought is whether you computer can run the new software!!!

BTW do you want another battery for your MKIV camera, if so let me know by PM and I will send it too you, as I have no use for it, FOC too. :S3:

TFS
Steve

[Stuart Philpott]

Marc many thanks for your kind reply

Steve, again the thanks and a note of your continuing overwhelming kindness,yes please to the battery i'll shoot you a note shortly. We've been looking at this anyway ,so I'd like to express my huge gratitude.
Buddy after your advice on PS I downloaded the trial version ,ha ha it took me hours because of my poor web,but I got there eventually. Sadly your concerns were right,it does sort of work,but after much head scratching I've worked out my graphics card is unsupported. From what I can gather this means some "areas" of PS wont work the rest slow. So I've got to find some form of upgrade which although frustrating and I can't make happen instantly will happen. Steve it's a set back,but you good folks have helped me so much brought me so far,I can't complain . Steve PS will be a fight for me to learn I feel it is sensible to start with a programe that is actually fully working,so will have to wait a little while to graft up the funds.
So yup i'm trying to get there mate ,just been hit by a curve ball,but hey what's new,it won't stop me:S3:
take care, again huge thanks

Stu

[Steve Kaluski]

So yup i'm trying to get there mate ,just been hit by a curve ball,but hey what's new,it won't stop me

Keep the 'positive' thinking going, you will win and once you get to grips you will chuckle as you will have made a huge step forward, trust me we have all been there.

Stu, once you have got things up and running then Santa needs to deliver a book which will make life far easier. It's pointless me sending an old version which is now gathering dust, as like your computer, sadly it will be out of date.

Yes, this whole process is one of constant additions, but once you get this hurdle out the way then seriously you will be all set, as many of the updates for PS are fairly small, but good.

[Stuart Philpott]

Keep the 'positive' thinking going, you will win and once you get to grips you will chuckle as you will have made a huge step forward, trust me we have all been there.

Stu, once you have got things up and running then Santa needs to deliver a book which will make life far easier. It's pointless me sending an old version which is now gathering dust, as like your computer, sadly it will be out of date.

Yes, this whole process is one of constant additions, but once you get this hurdle out the way then seriously you will be all set, as many of the updates for PS are fairly small, but good.

Steve I've kept the link to the book you recommended,we'll get there ,i'm just, sadly, going to be slower than a slow thing. But yes I'm extremely upbeat,just want to spend more time on it all really. Steve I still have so much to learn about the camera so although the post thing really is frustrating the learning curve is still ongoing ,
Tis all good buddy,
Cheers so much for everything

take care

Stu