Who's stalking who? Brown hare UK

[Stuart Philpott]

The same evening as my last few posts ,one of those incredible moments when curiosity get's the better of an animal it's just me and her .She just has to know a little more about the clicking thing. This was earlier than the other two pictures: original stalk had to be a little off straight into the sun,for the wind and my little dock plant of cover. so I started shooting sort of backlit,as she approached so the angle to the sun changed changed. Previously she was sat ,so i'm too high on my framing,i've cropped to 16:9(rare for me at this stage) because primarily there is too much oof grass low in the frame second to that I like it :bg3:it gives her a bit more to move into I feel without loosing to much of what i like. Anyway usual tools,processed in DPP still agonising a bit over WB think i'm happy,but something is nagging memaybe not that but exposure,i'm simply unsure.
Canon 1Div
300f/2.8is 1.4extiii
HH (lying down off elbows)

1/2000
f7.1
iso 1600

On all levels cheers for all the help pointers kind words and thought provoking comments on my previous posts.
My apologies for not being about much work has been grueling

take care

stu

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Stu - Nice low pov but it does put the grass between you and the bunny. Techs look good. Again I think the color is slightly off, too orange on the fur. If it were mine I would drop the reds and yellows. I would also apply another round of sharpening. Keep them coming.

TFS,
Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Stu, no one cannot deny you are moving on and in the right direction too.

I like the framing and good to see you pushing the techs. I think if you had waited a fraction more, the grass stem would have been less distracting. With limited kit your Fieldcraft is also playing a huge roll, getting close is not always easy, so well done. I'm OK to a degree on colour based on the time of day and light, if you did tweak it I feel it would be minimal, however I would look to perhaps darkening the FG and level the BKG horizon. Hard to do with limited Software, but something I think you need to be aware off, certainly your horizon. Applying some more sharpening to the subject helps too.

I hope with some additional help in the direction of PP you should start to move forward a lot more Stu, read and use what you have!!! :S3:

Keep them coming. :cheers:

Cheers
Steve

[haseeb badar]

Hi Stu -- A lovely little character . I like how you try to get to the level of your subject for more pleasing angles . Sharpening ( Lack of ) for sure looks an obvious issue here and the colours to look a bit off but Steve's RP has taken care of it . Nonetheless this is a very nice image .

TFS !

[keith mitchell]

Hi Stu,nits have been covered but well done getting this.I know you like to get down low but think I might try just a tad higher to get rid of those pesky bits of grass,just a thought but perhaps sticking your head up might scare them.

Keith.
PS have lost your telephone number.

[Stuart Philpott]

Guys thanks so much for the comments they are always thought provoking and always SO helpful to me.

I'm not going to be down on this ,but I was so looking forwards to trying to learn PS,so I think for the moment this is as good as I can get sharpening wise,but it's all good I have my RAW image and one day hopefully i'll be able to deliver. The pov is so governed by the circumstances of a newly sown field and getting into that with so little cover to where the hares are. So Rachel, yes exactly it does put the grasses in my way ,but I suppose it also conveys my an intimacy with my subject that maybe is what you have picked up on Hasseeb ?? Effort and field craft aside make no mistake this was an utterly enchanting experience for me magical on many levels. I suppose that evening will live with me for a long time,but fundamentally as a wanna be wild life photographer the light at many different angles is somewhat perplexing. Rachel i'm unsure on the WB/colours because i'm having to change it slightly for each image taken at a different angle to the sun,but over a short period of time.

Steve,first up a huge thank you: guys i'll stray off topic just for a second,they say " manners maketh the man" I need to say ta steve:

Steve has just bunged me a spare battery,I have some spares but not genuine canon,they came with my camera. I've read enough to be scared to use them. Because of Steve's kindness he wouldn't take anything for it just wanted me to keep trying (bless ya mate!!) I now have that little burden lifted. Steven, just for a moment I'm going to be utterly serious and thank you publicly,I hope you don't mind and i'm sure you wouldn't want this. But I think this type of level of commitment to help another is indicative of this forum and all of you guys in so many ways. THANKS Steve, I owe ya one, or many if you would like:bg3:,sorry buddy,but I do need to say this here, where you moderate Steve, it is very important to me !

Ok kiddo to the matter at hand, essentially to deal with your cracking repost. first up yes I am aware of the perceived horizon . I mused it's correction,but felt it gave the hare an unnatural tip forwards,but your image look the same from the hare's orientation . So could you please educate me have you just rotated the image or has more gone on please?. I feel the darkening of the foreground is genius mate,I'd never have thought of this and it's a complete eye opener for me.
I feel my processing is slightly off here Steve,I will do some reading and see if I can get to where I am a little more comfortable. Steve I altered the WB by colour temp I think it was at 5400K (daylight setting in camera)and pulled it to 4700 lower than my two previous images. Could you please give me just a few more details as to what you did in the repost Point taken on that slight timing issue it's a great point to make,i'm unsure whether at this time I am able to impliment,but I'm finding these little pointers are somehow finding there way into the field,beggars belief really ,but they do .

Cheers for the encouragement ,everything is really positive,jeepers how these tools come alive at close range Steve,WOW !!

thanks all:cheers:

Stu

[Stuart Philpott]

Hi Stu,nits have been covered but well done getting this.I know you like to get down low but think I might try just a tad higher to get rid of those pesky bits of grass,just a thought but perhaps sticking your head up might scare them.

Keith.
PS have lost your telephone number.

Hiya Keith,
it was a grass sown field as you so correctly mused a good while back ,at the time I was unsure. So this window was short lived the grass is too high now . You are right on both counts though I could do with being a bit higher,but by the same token the only way I can do that is to turn around and sit up,i'm full stretch upwards for the prone position.Simply yes I feel that would have been too much and they would have spooked.

Keith I did manage it once,honestly mate I was so battered after my day of graft that once I got to her(a leveret) I could no longer raise my head,so had no choice but to sit up. I did get away with it and frankly it was bliss,but there is a caviat,I was trying to build a bit of a relationship with her,I failed. Be that as it may, I had stopped my stalk much further away than this. I had actually gone out that night with the sole intention of being with her and not spooking her but firing shots to get her used to the shutter noise,but no threat. light was no fun and of course she gave me a show,but the images are not up to scratch,I might just show one though it will make you smile,even though we'll both know the IQ isn't there. So yup I honestly feel I was stuck POV wise.
Mate i'll shoot you my number,bare with me I must sleep please forgive( a complete 'mare of work tomorrow) but it will be with you soon
Buddy thanks for the thoughts, tricky one this, isn't it,as I mentioned to Hasseeb I do like this pov, I can't be the viewer on these as I took them,but they feel intimate to me. It's also sort of cool looking up to a hare which I did at times . I cannot emphasise just how lucky I was on this evening though Keith,I, like yourself have pottered around these incredible animals for a while,this was a red letter day
take care

Stu

[Steve Kaluski]

I'm not going to be down on this ,but I was so looking forwards to trying to learn PS

Stu, are you saying you now have PS, if so what version?

Steve

[Stuart Philpott]

Stu, are you saying you now have PS, if so what version?

Steve
No Steve not at all,my apologies for comunicating poorly. What I meant by the quoted phrase is: I was really looking forwards to trying to get to grips with PS and am very frustrated that it can't happen immediately,but i'm not going to let it get in my way. Steve I have to upgrade, at the very least, my graphics card first maybe more on my computer for PSCC to function correctly.With technology moving so fast I feel it's best for me to start with the latest version of PS. My son will help me through this Steve he is a bit gifted with computers,understands them and builds them. We might need some help with specific "parts" once I can fund it as I'd imagine there will be some photographers that will have a degree of expertise in this aspect. Ahh kiddo, I'm grafting myself into an early grave trying to get those spare funds!!! I'll get there I'll be slower than most ,but it WILL happen :w3.

take care

Stu

[Steve Kaluski]

Thanks Stu for the clarification, as I thought I had missed something and wanted to ensure if you had upgraded, I had not missed the opportunity to add to the pot. I/We hope it does not push you into an early grave, but I do feel that when you have upgraded and you start the assent into PS, (albeit that you will have opened Pandora's box), you will, start to move/develop quickly. :cheers:

Steve