Contentment

[Steve Kaluski]

One from the series of shots taken, where a family of Warthogs played in a mud hollow. The male seemed to be very content judging by the expression. Taken from under the LandRover to get the POV, sadly at mid afternoon the light was a fraction harsh.

Steve
Subject: Warthog content, sitting in mud hollow (Phacochoerus africanus)
Location: Baines camp, Botswana
Camera: Canon MKIII
Lens: 70-200/f/2.8 handheld
Exposure: 1/1250s at f8 ISO200 0 stop compensation
Crop: Cropped for presentation (original capture horizontal)

RAW convertor, exported to Adobe PS: B/W conversion/Levels/Curves/USM

[peter delaney]

Hi Steve

Sorry , but the light is way to harsh for this conversion to work for me... and I dont find subject/comp holding my interest!!


sorryyyy

[Steve Kaluski]

Not to worry Peter, you have to occasionally throw a punt in now & then. :bg3:

[Grant Atkinson]

Steve, as always with your images there is exceptional sharpness and a depth of detail in the warthogs hair and skin. I like the unusual posture resulting from only one ear showing and the low POV. I think it is well set off against that OOF leaning grass BG. I think toning down the two bright horizontal bands of BG and FG might make the shot even stronger..
Nicely different
cheers
Grant

[Steve Kaluski]

Well before it's asked for, here is the colour version, however I don't think it adds much more.

Grant have tried another route for sharpening, but not that convinced on the final output, so I think I will keep to my normal practice.

cheers
Steve

[Brendon Cremer]

Nice detail and oof bg, but agree with Peter light not on you side here, however well captured under the conditions:w3

[gail bisson]

Well the light wasn't great but what you did with the image is! Super sharp and very unusual (I like unusual!:S3:)I would buy this if i saw it in a gallery. But then, I LOVE warthogs!
Gail

[Harshad Barve]

Agree with Peter and if I have to choose , I may go for color version
TFS

[Marc Mol]

Another vote for colour version also, light against you as stated but nice bristly detail on the wartie.
TFS

[Hilary Hann]

I remember the earlier warthog from this series, but not much detail about it. I remember the harsh lighting but that I thought it worked previously. I must agree that this looks a bit too harsh, but I'm wondering if my tastes have changed or if the earlier one didn't present with such contrast as this one. Quirky pose all the same and of course, the pp work is superb.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Love the detail and low angle here Steve. Agree, the light is harsher than what we've become accustomed to from you...still a nice moment. I prefer the colour repost. :t3

[Steve Kaluski]

Agree, the light is harsher than what we've become accustomed to from you...

:bg3::bg3: indeed Morkel, but I will shoot in anything, well perhaps not first or last light, that's the time to leave the camera in the foot well of the jeep and sit and just watch. Come over here for a week, Austin & I will show you just how precious light is and what you can shoot in, good grounding. :w3

Cheers everyone.

Steve :wave:

[Austin Thomas]

Hi all,

I am going to go for the colour version as well. With the light being harsh the B&W conversion carries with it some of that harshness. I also feel that the blues/yellows in the BKGR help to lift the Warthog in the colour version.

In both versions I would darken the OOF lower foreground.

Cheers

Austin

[Steve Canuel]

Not really a fan of B&W shots but I like the crisp sharpness and depth of the OP. But I find the subdued colors of the 2nd post especially nice. The subtle bluish-gray of the water and rust color on the warthog's back make a nice contrast with the colors of the grass and dirt.

[Rachel Hollander]

Another vote for the color version, somehow the light doesn't seem quite as harsh. Great detail and sharpness as usual.

TFS both versions. :w3

Rachel