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View Full Version : Stumped by the beauty of the Kalahari (part 2)



Morkel Erasmus
10-01-2009, 03:27 AM
Here is another composition from the morning in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, taken right before the sun peeked over the horizon.

This is a prequel to Part 1 (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=46225).
This time, I processed the 3 exposures in Photomatix to get a different feel. This composition also places the stump a little below the horizon so as not to compete with it. I might have placed it lower but the thought didn't cross my mind on the day as I scrambled to get a few different shots while the sun was rising.


Techs:
Canon 1000D with 18-55mm @ 18mm
f22 @ AEB [-2,0,2] @ ISO-100

Robert Amoruso
10-01-2009, 01:07 PM
I like the HDR processing Morkel. As you mentioned and was mentioned in the other posting, getting the stump in the FG below the horizon would have been preferable. 3D look of the clouds is exceptional.

Indranil Sircar
10-01-2009, 02:10 PM
Beautiful image with that exceptional sky! Great light and colors. The only thing I can suggest is a small CCW rotation to straighten the horizon. TFS.

Rich Ikerd
10-01-2009, 04:46 PM
The sky and beginning sunrise are wonderful Morkel. The stump is just a bit too big for me though (lower in the frame and bit smaller would have made this much better (why can't we see these things in the field in the first place:)).

Andreas Freund
10-01-2009, 09:43 PM
I like your picture Morkel. The colors are very natural and the sky is beautiful. But Robert is right, that the stump with its branches above the horizon are distracting me a little bit of the beautiful sky. I think also that the horizon has to be straightened. But overall a very nice picture!

Morkel Erasmus
10-02-2009, 12:48 AM
thanks so much for the kind comments and great suggestions everyone.

two things about the comp and horizon:

1. the horizon is actually the downslope of a sand-dune, and you can see that also by the line formed by the long grass before the dune, which slopes the other way. I also thought that rotating would lose some of that gorgeous sky.

2. this was as far as I could get from the stump since I was already standing in the gravel road leading out of the camp, composing from farther away to make the stump smaller would have included the road. I do agree that I could have set the tripod slightly higher (or even tried to break off that wayward branch ;))

Robert Amoruso
10-02-2009, 08:21 AM
I agree Morkel, higher would have been you choice here.

Harold Davis
10-02-2009, 04:51 PM
take the chainsaw and cut that wayward branch off on the back of that log!!! get a little higher and you got it nailed for sure!! i do like this one a little better than the last one.

Roman Kurywczak
10-03-2009, 08:56 AM
Hey Morkel,
Great advice above on getting higher......but since that is now impossible use the digital chainsaw and just remove that branch......will help a lot! The HDR work looks great and the sky is super too! Overall.....This was nicely done!

Morkel Erasmus
10-08-2009, 03:16 PM
thanks a lot for the feedback and suggestions Roman, Robert & Harold...

I am finding it quite difficult to clone out the branch successfully due to the fine detail and difference in colour of the grass around it...
:(