Savuti Hippo and Co.

[Grant Atkinson]

Canon 1Dmk4, Canon 300mm f/2.8IS, handheld. S/speed 1/125s at f/5.6 iso 800. Cropped, and highlights toned down on birds. Location Savuti Bush camp, Botswana. Photographed in the very last rays of sunlight, filtered by dust and smoke haze. Processed in ACR6 and CS5. The birds are yellow-billed oxpeckers. Although they will take parasites and skin flakes off of hippo, in this instance the birds were using the hippo as a safe perch to drink from.
All c and c welcome
Cheers
Grant

[BenBotha]

Exellent photo, sharp, well exposed. The oxpeckers are clearly enjoying the perch and the ride.

Ben

[Hilary Hann]

Grant, I love the light in this image and the 2 birds drinking is fantastic. Not convinced that the crop is the best option. The bright highlights in the water at the top of the image are a little distraction which you could crop and although I like the reflection in the water I think you could crop to above your name without losing the effect. All in all a really wonderful image full of light and interest.

[Rachel Hollander]

Grant - this is beautiful. Great light, pov and behavior captured. I can't recall seeing a hippo's eye so clearly. I would clone out the spot to the right and just above the snout.

TFS,
Rachel

[Grant Atkinson]

Thanks Ben, Hilary and Rachel.
Hilary, I thought about cropping it tighter and your ideas sound good, though it does end up feeling a little tight on the hippos nose when I pull it in. I tried to post a cropped rework with the two bright spots taken out now but ran into time and computer constraints, as I am going to have to rework the raw shot from scratch...
So thanks for the suggestions Hilary and Rachel, I will take them into account on a rework...
much appreciated
grant

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Grant, a nice behavioral shot. I don't have any problem re the crop, but if you wanted to, just clone out some of those bits from within the BKG if you so wish. I would also try to get a hint more detail from around the eye and perhaps, even give it a fraction more warmth?

TFS
Steve

[laurie golden]

This is a great shot, the birds make the photo. It is great just the way it is but I wonder what it would look like as a pano. I agree that the white dots in the background should be removed.

[Paul Taylor]

I love this shot. A classic beahvioural shot, and especially wonderful because I doubt the behaviour is exactly common (could be wrong). Fabuloius! Technically, there is really only the hippo's eye for me - I would have wished the light to have reached it - but it's a small matter in this context. I haven't commented for ages, but I just had to for this one.

[Robert Amoruso]

Grant,

Well done for the reasons mentioned. I this where mine I would try lowering the warmth of light falling on the birds and back of his head.

[Brendon Cremer]

stunning image, great exposure, detail and comp, bonus to get the oxpecker drinking too, stunning image!

[Steve Canuel]

Nice light and texture on the hippo. I like the color of the water, it goes nicely with the animals.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Never seen them traveling like this!
Nice low angle and light...the eye does seem a bit 'glazed over' to me...could the hippo have been blind? :e3

[Jay Gould]

I think it cries for a pano crop!

[Arthur Morris]

Obviously well done but for the bird in the front moving during the exposure.... Pano crop, shoot the three birds on the top of the head, tone down the back of the ar, and darken the pupil a bit and you would have had a contest winner. Is the bird on our right in total shade while the rest are lit by a late sun????

[Morkel Erasmus]

Pano crop, shoot the three birds on the top of the head, tone down the back of the ar, and darken the pupil a bit and you would have had a contest winner.

Funny one Artie...:bg3:...Grant probably has a weapon on his safari vehicle so your solution is plausible :Whoa!:...
I also agree with the pano crop! Strange that I didn't notice it first time...:e3

[Charles Glatzer]

Grant,


I think our job as nature photographers is to present the best image possible with the elements, lighting, and conditions as scene through the viewfinder. And, you did a wonderful job.
Your crop works well, and you beautifully captured and presented the canvas mother nature provided.

Removing the small highlights makes the image unrealistic.

Warm Regards,

Chas