Giraffe silhouette

[Vincent Grafhorst]

Sorry I haven't been posting for a few weeks people, just too busy doing other things
Arthur Morris requested earlier that I post my avatar image so here it is.

I made this image last December in the CKGR (Central Kalahari Game Reserve) in Botswana.

Below I have posted another version of the same image. The main difference between the two is colour temperature! Cooling the original down considerably, results in the blue sky and brighter oranges. This was furher enhanced in CS3. Although a silhouette image is never a true representation what we really see, the second post is obviously the more 'natural' looking image with only minor adjustments. Despite that I like the first one a lot more. I would like to here your views.


Camera Model Canon EOS 40D
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/250
Av( Aperture Value ) 9.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation -1/3
ISO Speed 250
Lens EF-S17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM + Tiffen circular polariser
Focal Length 85.0 mm
Image Size 3888x2592
Image Quality RAW
Flash Off

Vincent Grafhorst
http://www.khwaiphotography.com
vincent@khwaiphotography.com

[Vincent Grafhorst]

Herewith the second version

[DanWalters]

Very nice image! I really like the color in the second image.

[Jim Poor]

I have to say they are both super, but I'm more drawn to the first.

[Ed Cordes]

To my eye I like the first image. The blues are fantastic! I still wish I had either in my portfolio.

[Todd Frost]

Another vote for the first one, nice composition and pp.
Todd

[Krijn Trimbos]

Hi Vincent,
The first one is the one for me! Love the colours and the excellent Giraffe shape! I would urge you to try a slightly lower angle next time. To get a better seperation of the feet from the black FG. Otherwise super, love the leg postions!

[Mike Tracy]

I think the first is absolutely riveting with it's colors. I might entertain the idea of eliminating the little shrub at the base of his leg.

[Vincent Grafhorst]

Krijn, you are right about the lower angle and I would have, if I could have;)

[Jasper Doest]

I love the first one!!!! But I fully agree with the angle suggestion here....this angle doesn't work for me, as the knees are blocked at the horizon. This would have been soo much better if you would have been able to show more of the legs. Beside that I love the placement in the frame, and your composition....very well done!

[Arthur Morris]

Love the image, love the colors, prefer the original with the blue by miles. Yes, the image would have been better if more of the legs had been showing. Folks are assuming that the animal was not on the other side of the ridge (in which case it would have been impossible to show more of the legs). Vincent, do you know which was the case? Furthermore, getting lower at the exact moment that this image was made would have eliminated the sliver of sun from the image...

Did the giraffe leave after you made this image or were you able to create a series of images?

later and love, artie

[Vincent Grafhorst]

Arthur thanks for your comment. Let me first briefly tell you how I made this image. We drove towards a waterhole, when this lonely giraffe had already decided it did not care for our company and started moving away. With the setting sun in the BG I visualised this image in my mind. However, the giraffe was moving and there was no jeep track in a parallel direction and I had to be quick. Instinctively I jumped out of my 4x4 and ran across the pan (maybe 70-100m) to a position from which I would have the giraffe in between me and the setting sun. I know that for this shot I was on my knees and remember there were low scrubs in front of me and that I was I on a lower level than the giraffe. And as you said, a lower angle would therefore have affected the portion of the sun (and therewith the colour and lighting of the entire image) in the frame. In the heat of the action I am pretty sure I looked for the best framing possible through the viewfinder, taking into account that a lower angle would make the giraffe look taller and more prominent.

The giraffe moved further before it stopped and turned around, giving me another nice opportunity. In total I had 3 keepers from this session.

Btw. I scared the living daylights out of my friend and brother-in-law by suddenly jumping out of the car and running across the open pan. Only later I kind of realised how irresponsible my action was, lions, leopards or cheetahs could have been hiding nearby anywhere. All that was on my mind was getting the image I had in my mind knowing that these opportunities do not present themselves every day...:o

Herewith another image made shortly after the posted one. (I have not yet postprocessed it with a cooler colortemp.)

[Juan Aragonés]

Fantastic images Vincent and what a story... :eek: When I am out in the the field during night looking for nightjars I only have to worry about ticks and to take care to do not broke one of my legs (no lions here :D). Is great to read this kind of stories behind the image. One can see the beauty of this sunset with the terrific image of a giraffe but if you say nothing about the making of... one cannot imagine the risk that you assumed! This is a neat example of a great image improving its value with an interesting story. Thanks for posting both the images and the story.
BTW I think the first version is the winner:)