Wild Mustang: A Sandy Pillow

[Bob Decker]

I recently visited the wild horses of the Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve near Beaufort, NC via kayak. I found a few of the animals held up on Bird Shoal during high-tide. One mare was napping when I first arrived, using a low dune for a pillow. A little while after I arrived she awoke, raising her sand covered face for an interesting pose. Canon 40D, Sigma 50-500mm, hand-held from a gently grounded kayak. ISO 1000, f/8.0, 1/250.

[Morkel Erasmus]

I like the POV here, Bob...and the interesting behaviour captured. I do wish her mane wasn't covering her eye...and feel the image as presented is a tad soft...not sure if it's your SS choice on the Bigma, or whether it's just a sharpening issue after resizing? :e3 Anyhow at this size an additional round or 2 of subtle sharpening should do the trick...

[Charles Glatzer]

Nice image. I agree with Morkel's assement.

Best,

Chas

[Sid Garige]

Morkel covered it all Bob. Very nice composition.

[Jamie Douglas]

I would have prefered to see the mane in front of the eye but nicely composed as is.

[Bob Decker]

Thanks everyone. Your thoughts are appreciated. I'm not a fan of oversharpened images, Morkel. (Probably a personality quirk or lack of good taste on my part). No additional sharpening was done after resizing for web use. I imagine that an additional dose would bring it right up to what you're looking for. Maybe I can get myself to start running a sharpening after resizing for web use.

Sorry about the mane, Jamie. I forgot to bring a hair brush with me. :w3 Another mare tried to climb in my kayak for a ride so this one might have let me close enough to brush it... but I'm too big a chicken to really try it! The more time I spend with these animals the closer they seem to allow me to be. Mind you I don't move in closer to them, they wander in closer to me.

Again, thanks all.

[Jamie Douglas]

Thanks everyone. Your thoughts are appreciated. I'm not a fan of oversharpened images, Morkel. (Probably a personality quirk or lack of good taste on my part). No additional sharpening was done after resizing for web use. I imagine that an additional dose would bring it right up to what you're looking for. Maybe I can get myself to start running a sharpening after resizing for web use.

Sorry about the mane, Jamie. I forgot to bring a hair brush with me. :w3 Another mare tried to climb in my kayak for a ride so this one might have let me close enough to brush it... but I'm too big a chicken to really try it! The more time I spend with these animals the closer they seem to allow me to be. Mind you I don't move in closer to them, they wander in closer to me.

Again, thanks all.

haha ;) A big fan would be nice to blow the hair up a wee bit.

[Morkel Erasmus]

I'm not a fan of oversharpened images, Morkel. (Probably a personality quirk or lack of good taste on my part). No additional sharpening was done after resizing for web use. I imagine that an additional dose would bring it right up to what you're looking for. Maybe I can get myself to start running a sharpening after resizing for web use.

It's fine having that view, Bob...but my point was referring to the well-accepted fact that downsizing an image results in a loss of sharpness even if it was tack-sharp out-of-camera...:t3...I also don't like "oversharpened" images but as presented the horse looks soft to me...:bugeyed:

Here is a repost of your image with some subtle sharpening applied to the horse...now tell me it doesn't look sharper now compared to your OP? :w3
I also added a hint of local contrast enhancement.

[Harshad Barve]

very nice and Morkel took this over the top
TFS