Cheetah Cub

[ken dyball]

Taken in the Masai Mara 2008, one of Shakira's cubs BBC Star, very low afternoon light, guessing the colour a bit on this one as am on my latop (no calibration) grass was extra green from a burn off & new shoots

Nikon D3 400mm2.8, VR on, 1/320 f/5

www.africanatureimages.com

[Grant Atkinson]

Hi Ken, I really like the light on the cub, the catchlight and colour in the eye, the tail swinging, this shot shows the bravado of the cub for me. Also liked the low angle. Uncertain about the crop, maybe would like to see a little more space on the left, in front of the cubs face.
Well done
Grant

[Ken Watkins]

Nice light, I think you could go another round of sharpening. I agree with Grant that a little more space on LHS would definitely improve things.

[Harshad Barve]

Landscape format image will look far better IMHO but this is terrific image and would love to have such once in my files , big congrats
TFS

[Hilary Hann]

Beautiful lighting on this but agree with comments regarding cropping. Just a bit too close to the edge of the lhs for a subject looking that way. Lovely facial expression. Personally I would get rid of the bright grass, but I know that is a very personal decision.

[ken dyball]

Nice light, I think you could go another round of sharpening. I agree with Grant that a little more space on LHS would definitely improve things.
Hows your eyes today ken, is quite sharp on my monitor, maybe your looking at the fuzzy fur:):)

[ken dyball]

Thanks for the post's guys, yep i agree about the crop, image libraries often give me a shoot list & tight cropped verticals are always on it!! couldn't chop the tail so the lhs suffered !!

Cheers

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Ken

Certain the colour looks flat to me and looking at the image in PS it is not sharp, even for web at SS, it is soft. Overall the image is to tight within the frame and the cub has no real room to breathe. The blades of grass catching the light are too distracting and lead your eyes away from the main subject, the cub. However, the catchlight in the eyes is a nice touch and having the rest of the body 'diffused does work.


image libraries often give me a shoot list & tight cropped verticals are always on it

Interesting POV, most libraries ie Getty (probably the biggest in the world) may give a shooting list or requirements, but never specify the crop, as it hampers designers and more importantly the end result. I have never heard of a request, 'shoot tight'? I tend to, like most, shoot leaving space where I know headlines or text can be placed and trying to avoid hot spots too ie Advertising, POS, Posters, editorial or just shoot for portrait where perhaps no text is required ie holiday brochures. It would be madness to put any restrains on a photographer unless the images were used for the more basic usage ie web or fillers.

TFS

[ken dyball]

Hi Ken

Certain the colour looks flat to me and looking at the image in PS it is not sharp, even for web at SS, it is soft. Overall the image is to tight within the frame and the cub has no real room to breathe. The blades of grass catching the light are too distracting and lead your eyes away from the main subject, the cub. However, the catchlight in the eyes is a nice touch and having the rest of the body 'diffused does work.



Interesting POV, most libraries ie Getty (probably the biggest in the world) may give a shooting list or requirements, but never specify the crop, as it hampers designers and more importantly the end result. I have never heard of a request, 'shoot tight'? I tend to, like most, shoot leaving space where I know headlines or text can be placed and trying to avoid hot spots too ie Advertising, POS, Posters, editorial or just shoot for portrait where perhaps no text is required ie holiday brochures. It would be madness to put any restrains on a photographer unless the images were used for the more basic usage ie web or fillers.

TFS
Steve don't look at the cubs tail for sharpness, look at the nose & eyes & don't be so critical on a little jpg on a forum your taking the job to serious man!!!!!,
secondly the cub does not have to breath its just a image,
thirdly, i don't think you shoot much stock your comments are just dumb, ever heard of text books!! thats why they want them if you had a editor assigned to you, you would get a personal email from them with all sorts of requests like, Hi Ken next time your in the Mara can you get me some close ups & head shots of a cheetah cub, point being good agencies want everything!! not what you think they should have, , last but not least thank you for taking all the fun out posting a few low res files on a freindly forum & getting some feedback, your way to serious for me, all the other moderators are fantastic good critics & some compliments, sorry man your just to full on for me. :(:(:(

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Ken One thing first .. please don't try making this comment again and that goes directed to anyone ..." i don't think you shoot much stock your comments are just dumb" ... don't often get mad but your trying my patience !!! All comments are personal opinions and should be taken as such.

In shooting for stock I have never been given a constraint and as a mater of fact most want some room so they can crop to their own needs. One thing is to be asked for a close up from an animal and the other is to have it too tight in frame.

Sharpness wise the eyes are not critically sharp and presenting images in small jpeg size will not "un-sharpne" the image. If you want to see small and sharp all the images in Arthurs bulletins are only 45kb ... not the 200 allowed here .. and they are razor sharp.

If you want us to give you a pad on the back and say all is well just say so and we will. You are talking about submitting images for publication so why not post to those standards. I find positing good quality images and fun to be one and the same.

[Steve Kaluski]

Ken I will try to answer your points in order, however on your last post I raised the point, 'what are you looking for?' Your reply was if you find something good or bad go for it let me know!! I therefore have based my comments on that reply. Obviously wrong assumption.

1. I am looking at the face of the Cheetah and it is not sharp, normally when posting an image on the web you need to add some USM to the image, reducing it from an A3 or A4 size to 800px will lose some detail, definition & sharpness, hence adding USM before posting. To try and bring it back to the original look.

2. Irrespective of the 'image' a subject needs to have space, and it appears I am not alone in my thoughts, but you felt that when I mentioned this you would comment. Fine.


i don't think you shoot much stock your comments are just dumb, ever heard of text books
3. Personal comments are not required and suggest you keep this to a PM.

4. As I said earlier, my comments & feedback were based on your comment back on a previous posting. I gave you exactly what feedback I would give everyone else. As far as I see it was constructive not destructive.

Finally, I strongly suggest that any further replies are done as PM and not carried through on this thread and you clearly state on any future posting what you want in terms of feedback from the reader.

Thank you.

[Ken Watkins]

Ken,

In response to your request, I am afraid it will probably be a long time until I am back in the Mara, I am fully booked up for this year and most of next. In the meantime I suggest you take a look at this image of Cheetahs taken in the Mara
http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=31416

I think I have allready told you by PM that I do not take images to make money, purely for fun and sharing;)

I must confess that I was approached by a South African Calendar manufacturer and he has taken three of my images including two Cheetah cubs, I gave the money to Painted Dog Conservation.

I am sorry you feel, it necessary yet again to resort to personal attacks, please desist.

[DanWalters]

Like the way the face is in light and the rest of the body is in shadow. Would like to see a little more room around the subject.

[sandy richards]

Ken D, a Very endearing cub! Great catch.
Excellent light and pose here. The face is sharp, and I don't care a bit that the tail is a little oof. A greater DOF to sharpen the tail would have also sharpened the grasses , which would have been a detriment, imo. Nice BG blur as is.
I do wish for a bit more room in front.

cheers -

Sandy r

[ken dyball]

Hi Sandy & dave, thanks for the post, my thoughts exactly, i must admit that it needs more room, but i am glad sandy you think its SHARP.:D

Here is a link to a simular shot taken with a shorter lens, would like to know your thoughts

www.pulsewildimages.com/index.php?module=media&pId=102&id=1707&category=gallery/CHEETAH&start=0

cheers