No peace in this river

[Hilary Hann]

I was staying in a tent on the banks of the Mara River, right on the edge, only visitor in camp apart from staff so spent the last minutes of daylight sitting on the bank watching these two hippos spar. Didn't bother to take photos as it was 6.30pm and getting quite dark but then I thought, in all my years on safari I've never seen hippos really fighting and these were getting closer and closer. Having nothing to lose I managed 2 photos before the light had gone, consequently I have had to do quite a bit of post production.
For anyone interested, this is what I've done to the image (any C&C very welcome);
USM on initial image; Nik-color stylizer; burn at 8% on some of background rocks, dodge at 8% on left hand hippos snout to lift it slightly from background; added high pass filter … inverted and added layer mask to bring back the detail in the hippos; opacity to 90%; added a gradient filter at 60%.

Would be interested in whether this works, knowing that some are a bit averse to over producing wildlife photos.

Techs: 7d; 300mm; f4; 1/125; ISO 800; HH;

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Hilary

I don't think the treatment has enhance the image to any great effect. It might be good to see the original as a comparison?

Steve

[Hilary Hann]

Thanks Steve, this is the original. I thought my OP had more drama but we see these things through the background of knowing the original and how much work we put in to it. That's why it is interesting to see our images through another's eyes!

[Steve Canuel]

I've enjoyed your other submissions in this series but this one doesn't work as well for me. The FG water is too bright and the BG is too dark. I do kind of like the color version though, with a little off the bottom.

[Hilary Hann]

Thank Steve, can't win them all! :D

I find the colour version (unprocessed) very insipid and if it hadn't been for the action I would have binned it long ago. :o

Have to go back and try to get another, better photograph!!

[Harshad Barve]

I liked the action in this image very much as I enjoy moments more than techs , works for me
TFS

[Hilary Hann]

Thank you Harshad, I haven't given up on it yet and may process it more … OOTB for me! :eek:

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Hilary, whilst you have captured great interaction, I would try to put more into your original image. The conversion doesnt do it justice.

[Tom Graham]

I like your original post, re-work, a lot.
The mono color/tone emphasizes the violence of the action and churning water. While the real color version, the color detracts or diverts you from the violence. And the background is great, dark and twisted and also looks violent, threatening.
Tom
ps - just had thought about cropping, maybe a bit tighter left and right?

[Hilary Hann]

Thanks Stuart and Tom.

Tom you have expressed exactly what I do like about this ... I feel the darkness and violence are best portrayed on my re work but realize that it won't be for everyone.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Hi Hilary,

The action is nice. The colour version is better than your extensive post processing.

The image is a bit soft, I guess primarily due to the 1/125 shutter speed. Why only ISO 800? You could have pushed the ISO to get a decent shutter speed. If you are not averse to extensive post processing, then noise can certainly be cleaned up later.

My suggestion with this image would be to crop a bit from the bottom and then increase the contrast a bit more. It would serve as a nice memory. After all, that is what pushes us to be in the wilderness areas. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Steve Kaluski]

Hilary, Sabyasachi makes some good points here and totally agree in pushing the ISO, especially as it's the 7D even to 1600. To be honest I could live with the grain, but having more definition, sharpness and clarity in the shot would have help a lot, in fact, the 'grain/noise' might have benefited the image and perhaps got closer to your end result you were after?

Interesting that when we used film, we wanted to reduce the 'grain/noise'. Now we start putting it back in, to add to the image from time to time and give it GRIT! :)

Steve ;)

[Hilary Hann]

I quite agree with the point re ISO and although it was no excuse, I ran back to the tent, grabbed the camera and managed 2 photos using my previous settings , before the light and the hippos went.

The exercise I set myself here was whether an ordinary capture with lots of failings could be retrieved and by how much. I think I have answered my own question to my satisfaction and am very grateful to those of you who managed such helpful comments. I really dislike my original image but I can say that because I took it ... Everyone else is far too polite! :D

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Hilary

With hindsight I would not worry and think, if only I had done this, or I did that. By posting this and the comments made I hope there might be something positive that you have gained from this for the future and it's a step forward rather than back.

Onwards and upwards :)

Steve ;)

[Hilary Hann]

Steve, you are quite right and that is indeed the best way to look at it! :)