Mom...Im tired!

[Dumay de Boulle]

Canon 1D MKIII
Canon 500 f4 L IS +1.4 Ext
AV f5.6
TV 1/400
ISO 500
Exp +0.33
AWB
RAW file processed in CS5 iMac
Subject distance 12.1m

Shot lying on my belly lying under the game viewer. Wish I had sunlight on them but they were under a shady tree...Tried something new please let me know if it works...If not why not? Crits always apprecitaed:S3:

[Steve Kaluski]

Tried something new please let me know if it works...If not why not?

Be good to know what, then we could respond. :bg3: Is it to do with the BKG?

Steve

[Steve Canuel]

Neat shot, I like the placement of the OOF cat in the BG. Nice detail and colors too.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Be good to know what, then we could respond. :bg3: Is it to do with the BKG?

Steve

Ditto that :w3

I like the DOF here with just enough discernable of the yawning OOF cheetah. Nicely framed for my tastes too, with good use of soft light in the shade.

[DanWalters]

Like the composition. The yawning cheetah adds a lot of interest to the image.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Thanks for the comments folks...I meant the overall image with the OOF Cheetah and placement of the in focus cat.

[Harshad Barve]

very nicely done indeed
TFS

[Hilary Hann]

Dumay, I just typed a long reply when the internet went off line. Whatever I write now won't be nearly so interesting! :w3

What I said was on the lines that oof animals in the background appears to be very much a taste thing, some seem to love them and others hate them. If you like the concept I'd continue working on it no matter what.

I think the pov here is excellent and the foreground cheetah is stunning. I quite like having the 2 like this, my only caveat being that the background cheetah with those yawning teeth keeps drawing my eye and I wonder if it would have worked better having the positions reversed so that the eye is drawn to the sharp cheetah who would also have those teeth! Then the oof cheetah would be the softly gazing one. Of course, without seeing it I have no idea if it would work. Having said all that, I really like the image as it is and well done for trying new things.

[Pieter de Waal]

Excellent image Dumay, well conceived and captured. The OOF Cheetah provides a great backdrop for the main subject and to me conveys the scene beautifully. I prefer the soft light you have here. TFS.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Thanks folks...Hillary the thought of focusing on the BG Cheetah did cross my mind when PP. I think that would have also worked nicely, gonna give t a bash on my next opportunity.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks for the comments folks...I meant the overall image with the OOF Cheetah and placement of the in focus cat.

As said, it works for me...though Hilary raises a very interesting point! :e3

[Steve Kaluski]

The position, profile and overall detail of the FG Cheatah is perfect, excellent detail where it counts and colour looks good. I also like the rear part of the body slopping down, as it tapers to the bottom LHC.

Re the BKG Dumay I wondered if a branch stem had run across part of the Cheetahs (closest one) near the ear then up through the BKG to the RHS, hence my question. I also wondered if the OOF Cheetah should have been positioned slightly more to the LHS rather than so close to the other Cheetahs head? However saying all that I am still a little puzzled with your 'tried something new' comment and all I can think of is that you have tried 'knocking back' the cheetah in the BKG in a PP method.

Overall a well executed image.

TFS
Steve

[Rachel Hollander]

Dumay - Great low pov and the in focus cheetah looks great. I like the comp but do wonder if the reverse, as suggested by Hilary, would have been a stronger shot. It's tough to make these split second decisions in the field and my guess is that you were not expecting the yawn when you set up for the shot.

TFS,
Rachel

[Dumay de Boulle]

Thanks again..>I agree that I wasn't expecting the yawn, but I did get what I was going for. Maybe I should PP the one where the Cub has a standard stare instead of the yawning pose....Steve, what is so puzzling? I have never attempted this type of image before. Having an OOF animal in the BG with a very tight crop in the corner. Do you not agree that this varies quite vastly from my usual style! None of this was done in PP just a very shallow DOF to throw the OOF cheetah more OOF...Look at the focus distance 12.1m at that distance and the combo wide open you would get this result...I ran a very mild round of NR on the BG and thats all. I created what I wanted in camera. This is about 90% full frame so I composed in camera.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Here is a completely unedited or processed version with slight. Steve, I just remembered I did some cloning in the bottom left hand corner.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Dumay, I think what through me and perhaps others, was the phrase 'Tried something new please let me know if it works...' which I guess we took as something in regards to PP, hence the replies. It was a good call to include the 2nd Cheetah as it certainly adds more interest to the image. Having the yawn takes it to the next level, although some might say their eyes are drawn to it rather than the FG cheetah. :S3:

It is a departure from your normal imagery and portrayal of Wildlife, however I think it illustrates the confidence and perhaps more the development of your thinking in photographing your subjects.

Look forward to more.

Steve :wave:

[Morkel Erasmus]

It is a departure from your normal imagery and portrayal of Wildlife, however I think it illustrates the confidence and perhaps more the development of your thinking in photographing your subjects.

Ditto that! :5

[Ron Bernstein]

Dear Dumay,
I very much like this image, particularly the comp and low POV. Had you been able to anticipate the action of the animal in the back, I'm sure you would have gone there, but it's a moot point. You made your choice and got a fine capture.
After seeing the original, I thought there was a bit too much of a color cast for my taste, and took the liberty of recropping and playing with the new set of filters in Nik color efex 4, with a bit of sharpening at the end. Hope you like the alternative
take, and congratulations on the image!
Ron