Bison at Kelly warm springs

[Jonathan Ashton]

Camera Model Canon EOS-1D X
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
Tv(Shutter Speed) 1/500
Av(Aperture Value) 8.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation +1/3
ISO Speed 1000
Auto ISO Speed ON
Lens EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Focal Length 400.0mm

Hope you like it - have to confess I have had some problems with colour balance, auto is no where near, daylight I think is close, I have also removed a slight blue cast. I have lifted the darkest areas a little too. Maybe you think this is a bit in between, I have taken some where the bison is more isolated and some as a bison landscape.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Jon, love the protruding tongue front the Bison in the FG, and I fel you have exposed him perfectly. I cant comment on the colour, as Ive never seen them in real life. :w3 Im also fine with the OOF Bison in the upper pert of the frame, but wish there was a touch more space on top.

Hope you had a great trip.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Jon - I like the stance on the river's edge. I also like the inclusion of the other bison in the bg and that none are cut by the image edges. I too would like a little more room above and to the right. You've got nice detail in the main bison but I think you have opened up the blacks and midtones a tad too much. Also there is some blue coming through in the back. Here's a rp giving the blacks and midtones a boost and reducing the blues in the blacks, all selectively applied to the main subject.

TFS,
Rachel

[Jonathan Ashton]

Stu - thanks glad you liked it.
Rachel thanks for the repost, your changes are subtle yet quite significant - particularly on the bison's woolly head.
I have attached the original full frame, You will see how I cropped, the reason being that the row of trees tends to draw attention from the subject, I think there is a little too much water at the base also. When cropped I also cloned the bison top left. On reflection maybe I should have just taken a sliver off the base. (I have reprocessed more along the lines you did, I think)

[haseeb badar]

Hi Jonathan -- Cropping the FG is fine , but i would prefer the top portion as it is , those trees in the BKG looks really nice and adds to the scene . Rachel RP has sorted the issue with the colour cast and added the much needed punch .
nice feel to the whole scene .

TFS !

[Dumay de Boulle]

I must say I actually prefer the last image, more scenery and the cap works better with all the other Bison in the image.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Jon - I too prefer the comp of the ff shot and don't see a reason to clone out that bison on the back left. It's nice that none intersect the edges or the main subject. I do think you've gone a little too heavy in the blacks now and backing of just a smidge (a very scientific measure) will give you more detail on the head of the main subject. Overall, it's a very nice scene and worth it to keep working it.

Rachel

[Mike Hitchen]

Another vote for keeping the trees at the top of the image and the bison back left asit adds a balance to the group.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks very much everyone for your comments.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi John, I think your framing was just a tad too tight, the inclusion of the tree line was the way to go, but I feel it needs a 'visual' CW rotation and so you will be constraining yourself in the final composition. The OP appears to some noise/colour noise in the darks & shadows, so agree, your lifting in these areas appears to aggressive, however that might also be down to your adjustment method. Personally I might have exposed for the Bison and let the habitat be resolved in PP. In that way you are darkening, not lightening which is the 'killer'. I think you got the right DoF, but why not go to ISO2500, almost zero noise and a better capture.

TFS
Steve

[Jonathan Ashton]

Steve, I exposed for the scene +1/3 which I reckoned would be close enough for the bison, for the very reason you indicated i.e. I would be lowering the lighter parts and have little to do to the darker parts (which in all honesty I did lift a little in CS6).
The ISO just happened to be 1000, I took numerous shots on differing settings, from what I recall I tended to go for f5.6 and varied the shutter speed - I will see if I have something around ISO 2500 and post later.
My biggest problem with all images was the colour temperature.