Moose (Alces alces)

[Jonathan Ashton]

Hand held Canon 1DX Canon 100-400 L IS II @ 255mm Auto ISO 1000 (+1/3) 1/640, f5.6 (portrait from pano)
ACR + PSCC, as you see it was very contrasted (if there is such a word), keen to find out what you think of the processing - if anyone wants the file I'll send it with pleasure.

As you will see the techs are not exactly ideal but this big boy came from nowhere, I had just been photographing his (static) lady friend against the pale foliage and he came in my direction PDQ. After getting the shot I reckon I would have given Ussain Bolt a pretty good run for his money! I always ensured there was a tree I could nip behind should it become necessary.. and it was!

[keith mitchell]

Jon the antlers on this beast is magnificent,it's a pity the strong light casts such a shadow on the other side of the head,if you so desired would it be possible to lighten that side?so perhaps see more of the eye to lift that side.Well done getting this and don't forget Ussain Bolt is lot younger than you.

Keith.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Jon, the light has I think created some strong colours and shadows. I like the 'autumnal' colours, but something does look odd in the lower half, almost that NIK detail extractor!!!! Please pop the file over, will take a look as I can multi task in starting to get kit & clothes together and settle down for F1. :S3:

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Jon - He does look like a big bull and not one to mess iwth or get too close. I do think the strong mixed light has given you some issues here, including the deep shadow and the contrast. I'd be happy to take a look at the RAW too. We have a very wet, rainy day here.

TFS,
Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

Jon, based on Rachels request for the RAW, I will hold off providing both feedback & the RP and from our conversation I think you should too, as it may 'colour' Rachels thoughts & direction. Plus, I think it would be helpful to have more feedback.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Rachel Steve thank you for taking the time to process the moose file, I see you both left it full frame, I think that was a good idea because the various branches form a natural frame for the moose.
Not giving too much away now but I think my version sits between Rachel's and Steve's. If you would like to post your versions, explaining what you did I will make another full frame version.

[Rachel Hollander]

Ok Jon, here's my version. I converted the image in ACR trying to even out the exposure a little bit and reducing the contrast. I then took it into PS and applied TK luminosity masks at varying opacities to open up the shadows and tame the hls. I applied some additional curves layer adjustments and finally took out some blue and magenta in the body of the moose.

Rachel

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Smashing charging capture, Jonathan. I like how you explain that you always make sure there is a tree you can get behind. Good to know it worked. I like your exposure, and think you might bring the highlights up a tad in the shaded areas.

Geoffrey




http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu (http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu)

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Jon, the file looked well exposed apart from the small areas that are 'blown' on the tips of the rack, nothing you could have done as it would have been to the detriment to the overall image. I think being slightly lower rather than standing would have been better, two fold; one a better perspective and more FG, but mainly that you were not higher/bigger than the Moose which could have been interpreted as sense of threatening/aggressive behaviour????
regarding the process:

In LR addressed the WB then went a tad warmer, exposure module tweaked, mainly exp, shadows, HL's and colour balanced to my own interpretation, but based on your OP. Exported to PS, colour balance and an Alpha Curve/saturation adjustment. Saved back to LR, cropped and exported from LR as an sRGB web image.

[John Mack]

Nice to see a moose on here. Love that rack. Looks like you were quite close. Good thing you had that tree nearby.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks everyone maybe this image has proven useful, here is my full frame version, having seen Rachels and Steve's repost, starting with Camera Neutral adjusted WB highlights whites Saturation and shadows in ACR, In PS adjusted with TK luminosity masks. I then did a little dodging and burning, resized to 1600px Horizontal and sharpened.
From a personal POV, I think Rachels is a little bright, mine looks close but Steve's looks better, the colours are richer denser yet not oversaturated.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Jon, it looks pretty close, so great.

At the end of the day we will all see things differently and this comes up time & time again and sometimes the nuances can be lost through a raft of issue - ambient light, monitors not calibrated, wrongly set up etc. From my perspective all I want is - what I see and what prints out matches, plus any stuff that goes to Libraries passes all the QC's. Yes it is lovely to have these 4-5k monitors with their depth, vivid/saturated colours etc, but you will never be able to match those colours if you print. Greens for example are notorious for going dull, flat & muddy and extremely hard at times to achieve, but for me this has worked well because you have been able to progress your OP into a better rendition, so it's not a negative, in fact it's very positive.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Jon - Rp looks better. It's definitely hard not having been there and not having a finished product in mind. Our own experiences can influence the pp. In my head I was thinking that early morning, sort of brighter, light breaking through in places and a cooler WB on an early dewy morning. I guess I was processing to my memory of early morning in the Grand Tetons and YNP. I do like Steve's richer, warmer rendition. His slight crop has also placed the moose just a little bigger in frame which I think also helps. I largely left it ff so you could choose whatever comp worked for you. As Steve said at the end of the day, it has to be your vision for the photograph. My guess is also that if you put the file down for 6 months or a year and then returned to it, you might process it differently yet again.

:cheers:,
Rachel

[Jonathan Ashton]

I agree entirely with your comments Rachel, in fact most of my moose shots have been processed differently at various times.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

I really like Steve's version and that's pretty much how I would have cropped it had I have taken the image.
You took a good opportunity and it would have been so much more satisfying, I bet, if he had turned slightly towards his left to have his right side lit.
For me personally, the light is the most important bit and since the side we see is dark and the entire frame is bathed in gorgeous light, taking all these extra steps to try and extract more detail from the shadow areas is not something I would even have contemplated.
But that is purely my take on the matter.
Thanks for sharing Jon and thanks Rachel and Steve for your contributions to a great discussion.