Needing feedback, please

[Katie Rupp]

Hi all,
I'm wanting to enter this image in the photo contest sponsored by the tour company that took me on safari in Southern Africa and it would be really helpful to have your critiques. It was quite early in the morning and we were leaving our camp in the Okavanga Delta in Botswana for the last time when we excitedly discovered a pride of lions who had shared a zebra kill during the night. While we were busy taking pictures of a much older and scarred male (resting after the evening's gorge) I turned around and saw this beauty in the early morning light. Everytime I look at it, I am there, in that morning.

It's cropped from the original horizontal, levels, curves and sharpened. Thank you for looking and for C&C.

Canon xti; Av f5.6, 1/80; ISO 200 and 1-400 @400

[Bill Randall]

Love this guy. Subject and background-right on. The out of focus foreground is a little troublesome to me. Is there a way to remove it and just catch that in focus grass in from of the lion? I know this is a tough job. Just a thought

[Alfred Forns]

Katie early morning light usually overexposes the red channel Would back off a bit.

I like the light effect and general feel. Got a good one !!!

[denise ippolito]

Katie, really nice I agree w/ Alfred about the red- but this is a sweet shot!! Good Luck ,Let us know how you do w/ this

[Jerry van Dijk]

Hi Katie, I love your capture and the story! Although I like the composition with the lion in the UL corner, I find myself a bit too distracted by the OOF foreground. I would suggest to crop some of the bottom of the image to make the FG somewhat less conspicuous. Reg. the colors, you caught nice colors on the lion, but you might want to experiment a little with alternative WB settings to get more out of it. With this kind of images, it can really surprise you what it does to the overall colors. Only possible if you shot in RAW of course.
Good luck in the competition! Let us know if you won.
- Jerry -

[Katie Rupp]

Thank you very much for your comments; I backed off the reds; cropped a bit from the bottom and warmed up the background---better?

[Harold Davis]

katie, i think the repost is wonderful!! big congrats and best of luck in the contest!!!!!

[Alfred Forns]

Really nice all around !!! Does have a nice warmth without going over !! ... crop looks very nice !!!

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Katie,
The repost is a winner...see if you like the outcome of boosting the contrast and saturation just a tad...:cool:

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Hi Katie,
I think this is beautiful and the crop makes it a stronger comp. Like the early morn light catching on the eyes and top part of the face. Can't comment on the desaturating the reds because Al would know more about that kind of stuff. I think you have a pretty good eye for colour and will figure it out. Show us what you come up with!

[Richard Waas]

Hi Katie, I love the repost. Great early morning light. Congrats!!!

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Katie,
I tried upping the contrast on curves via black, and desaturated the reds. Also, I thought sharpening the eyes would be a good idea. Just want you to win:). Not to say this is the way to go, but just to give you ideas!!!

[Gus Cobos]

I like the repost with the increased saturation and contrast...:cool:

[Jeni Williams]

Hi Katie, I like your 2nd post the most with a bit of sharpening on the eyes. The foreground doesn't bother me as it is totally in it's environment, but you could crop off slightly more to just where his neck is starting making more a pano. pic
He really pops and I think it's a great lion portrait.
(This is only the peanut gallery's ideas!!):o

Good luck with the competition!!

[Desmond Chan]

I think Katie's second attempt is good in terms of cutting down the red, but I Iike the overall brightness of the original better. When you change the color, you may be changing the lightness at the same time even though you don't intend to. That's why some prefer to adjust the lightness and the colors separately.

The oof grass in the foreground adds the 3-dimensional feel to the pic IMO.

Good luck !

[Katie Rupp]

Thanks, everyone!! If I win, you'll be first to know....