Setting Sun in Kaziranga

[Harshad Barve]

Dear all

Made this in Kaziranga NP
D300, 200-400/F4 at 400mm, F9 , ISO 400 , 1/500 HH
Done white balance trick , I have choose temp scale and kept WB at 2940K and of course overcast
conditions and few dark clouds helped

All C & C are most welcome
Harshad

PS , If this does not suite for LS forums , Feel free to bin it :S3:

[Dave Mills]

Hi Harshad, If I remember correctly you do not like to alter images in PS.(correct me if I'm wrong) I just wanted to show what could be done.
I felt there was too much negative space in the middleground so i selected the bottom up to the dark MG and moved it up to reduce the neg space. I added a small amt to the top since I felt it was a bit close to the edge. It now looks more balanced to my eye...
Nicely handled technically...

[Harshad Barve]

Thanks Dave , Much appreciated

[Robert Amoruso]

Harshad,

I am not sure if you had the opportunity to move around at this location, but my suggestion would have been to move left and gotten the animal more in the right side of the frame (even if he was facing out). This woujld have created a diagonal between the sun and rhino and placed them in opposing corners of the image - better balancing the image overall.

As it is now the left side is heavy with the sun and rhino and the right side feels vacant and lacking.

Better yet moving right (a lot) would have gotten the rhino left and the frame and sun right - but hard to tell if that would have worked.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Harshad, good advice already given above for this beautiful scene. If you don't mind altering your images you could always move and turn the rhino to create the diagonal line between rhino and the sun.:S3:

[Rachel Hollander]

Harshad - I know you don't usually like to alter your images and I respect that but IMO the repost really improves the image. I agree with Dave that there is too much negative space in the middle band of the OP. Nice to see you doing so many different shots on your recent trips.

TFS,
Rachel

[Ken Watkins]

Well having been there when this image was taken, I can let you know that moving around in Kaziranga is none to easy. The road network is very limited the roads are narrow and most are elevated above the flat areas which are inundated every year with the floodwaters of the Bramaphutra river.

Harshad's post is what it looked like and whilst it may be possible to move things around this would not then be a true reflection of the scene. I suppose it all depends on what you want to see.

Luckily we were not told off for getting to the gate after closing time!

[dankearl]

Pretty cool photo.
Dave's rework is good but either one works for me.

[Robert Amoruso]

Well having been there when this image was taken, I can let you know that moving around in Kaziranga is none to easy. The road network is very limited the roads are narrow and most are elevated above the flat areas which are inundated every year with the floodwaters of the Bramaphutra river.

Harshad's post is what it looked like and whilst it may be possible to move things around this would not then be a true reflection of the scene. I suppose it all depends on what you want to see.

Luckily we were not told off for getting to the gate after closing time!


Ken,

There is a difference between recording what you see and creatively designing the image. In this case, placement of the main elements of the image is not as good as it could be. I recognize that he may not have been able to move; as stated in my critique; but if someone wants to improve there image making, they need to know how to do it. If mobility was not the issue then I gave him some suggestions on how to improve such an image next time out. If mobility is an issue and you cannot create the image you wish due to it, IMO it is best to walk way from it or if the scene has meaning to you, limitations and all, then by all means record it. However, if you post such images in the landscape critique forum, expect to receive a critique irregardless of mobility issues.

I construe the portion of the comment "whilst it may be possible to move things around" to be related to the comments about digitally moving the elements of the image around.

My preference is to move yourself around to design the image in the field, not to move things around in the computer after the fact. There are countless times that I move around in an attempt to compose an image in a way I feel "works" and there are countless times that it just does not work out. In those instances, I walk away. If I do make an image and later someone tells me if I did this or that it would be better and I agree, then I have learned something I did not know previously regardless of my limitations in the field.

If I respond that I could not do that because I could not move this way or that, or this tree was just not in the right place, or any number of excuses, then I have learned nothing.

Regardless of Harshad's limitations in composing this image, that does not make the comments any less valid.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Harshad,
I really like the colors in this and like what Dave did (if you are OK with that). I do like some of the suggestions by Robert too. Not always easy to get around to the right position! Nice to see you doing landscapes too!

[Hilary Hann]

A lot of potential in this scene and I think Dave's work has improved the artistic imagery. Interesting discussion and lots of lessons to be taken on board.