Blue Wildebeest, Red Dunes

[Morkel Erasmus]

I thought I'd break the pattern of predators we're seeing posted this week (by all means - continue to post them! :t3) with a herbivore...and an image to show that even an "ugly" creature like a wildebeest can look mildly handsome in sweet sweet light :w3. I also like how this shows the red dunes of the Auob riverbed.

This is from a trip to the Kgalagadi last year...still mustering up the courage to tackle the mountain of images I brought back yesterday from our recent trip :eek3:.

Techs:
Canon 7D with 100-400mm L IS USM @ 235mm
f8.0 @ 1/500 SS @ ISO-640

[Rachel Hollander]

Morkel - I don't know if I would go so far as handsome but the light is sweet :bg3:. I also like the inclusion of the habitat and dunes with just the sliver of skies. The angled stance also adds to the image.

TFS,
Rachel

[Robert Amoruso]

Morkel - I don't know if I would go so far as handsome but the light is sweet :bg3:. I also like the inclusion of the habitat and dunes with just the sliver of skies. The angled stance also adds to the image.

TFS,
Rachel

I agree.

And mildly handsome is an understatement.:Whoa!:

[Marc Mol]

The overall lighting and colour here is first class Morkel, the crackled mud on the gnu showing up nicely.
TFS

[Ken Watkins]

Morkel,

Always nice to see a Gnu, I know the general conception is that they are "ugly", but I find them fascinating, they often behave rather sillily but that is part of their charm, and of course everybody wants to see them in the Mara.

Great light in the eye which is rarely captured.

Perhaps you could start a poll as to what animals everybody considers attractive or otherwise, in their adult form?

[Harshad Barve]

lovely image , great light & colors here
TFS

[Jamie Douglas]

Sounds like you had another great trip Morkel. Welcome back :5

Looking at this I can't help but think IMO that it could do with a slight increase in contrast all round. I feel the head is detail is a little flat as posted.

Nice scene and you get some sweet light out your way.

[Dumay de Boulle]

A boring subject, one of those animals I struggle to stop and talk about on GD as I find them dull...And unfortunately the image is pretty dull too, not even the sweet light does enough to save it (The only great image I have seen of one was your one of the Dune and sky, what a image) but this one lacks that magic. Busy surroundings,especially the low shrub are too much....Sorry mate:e3

[Stan Cunningham]

The repost looks good Morkel, what do you think.
Were you HH that 1 - 400? Awful sharp. And I second the mud effects, personally I don't like it when people try to rid their animals of animal qualities, dirt, mud, scars, etc.
Looking forward to seeing your mtn of images.

[Ken Watkins]

Stan,

I see no repost.

Dumay,

You are of course entitled to your opinions of Gnu, but I find them almost unbelievable:2eyes2::2eyes2: i

[Jamie Douglas]

Sorry for the confusion. Here is the repost. I dont know why it didnt save on my original reply above.

I added +15 contrast all round.

[Ken Watkins]

Jamie,

I think that helps a little, but I liked it as was as well.

Less "dull" perhaps:bg3::bg3::bg3:

[PRABIR BHATTACHARYYA]

Yes, handsome! The typical African light makes one look at it more and more!

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Morkel, the stance certainly conveys the structure, form and physic of this animal and I like the slight head turn. The setting and the warm light is nicely echoed by the red dunes in the BKG and a good call to have the hint of blue sky.

TFS
Steve

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks for the varied and valued feedback, everyone.
I knew the "handsome" comment would elicit some reaction!

I must admit that I did a very quick job on the processing and forgot to add some contrast :e3


Thanks for the repost, Jamie. Here's one of my own - added some LCE selectively and did some dodging and burning on the wildebeest.

Dumay - all's good mate, I can understand if you just don't like these guys. And fair enough, it's nothing like that 'other image' of mine...but I still like it.

I tend to agree with Ken on this one - I have seen them do some silly things and therefore I tend to always give them a few moments of my time when I'm around them. :bg3:

[Morkel Erasmus]

Were you HH that 1 - 400? Awful sharp.

Stan, I almost always handheld the 100-400mm when I was using it...sometimes I was resting it on a beanbag over the car window. Hard to remember which method I was using here :w3.