Zebra mare and foal

[Tom Graham]

This from Sep 2007 in Kruger National Park. Came across small heard of zebra mixed in with a rather large herd of buffalo. Our car was surrounded, what fun that is!!!
Nikon D40X, 18-200 lens at 200, f5.6, 1/800, ISO 400. This large crop around 50% of original pixels here. Cropped to the "old fashioned" portrait ratio of 8x10. A bit of cloning to "clean" up surroundings, usual tweaking for color, sharpening, etc.

108525

Tom

[Ken Watkins]

Tom,

19 views and no comments, my excuse is that I have been in bed:bg3:

I quite like this although it is a little too centred for me, I am sure that some will think that it is too yellow, perhaps reduce this a little.

I may also try to lighten the eyes a bit if IQ allows

[bhavya joshi]

Nice Image Tom.. Agree with Ken Just little yellow tone.. You can clear it. but its not big error. and I am Ok with Frame.TFS

[Rachel Hollander]

Tom - a tender moment. I don't mind it being centered in this instance with them looking in different directions. Agree on the yellow.

TFS,
Rachel

[Tom Graham]

Thanks all, I don't see a distinct yellow cast. but, I do know that many of my posts do tend toward a yellow or warm look.
As for centering, I know, but not sure anything else would work better?
Was wondering about whether to include the sky or crop it out?
The eyes are so small in the image, not sure if lightening them would be noticed. But might like to see a catch-light in the foal's eye.
And no one has mentioned the very slight sharpening halo around the mare backside, don't know how that got by me.
Thanks - Tom

[Steve Kaluski]

Tom, the crop really doesn't work, just too much space and too central, perhaps placing the subject off-set to the right might have worked when shooting the scene, however the only option I can see to think about is going portrait, which sort of addresses the main issue. The image appears to have been shot mid morning (?) as the light looks not to have been on your side, plus tweaking the colour might need a look at and not just yellow.

This was the direction I was thinking off, but not ideal.

Steve

[Tom Graham]

Steve - yes, that's it!!! I should have seen that, portrait format, that's what I knew it was, I just got stuck in landscape!!
Tom

[Morkel Erasmus]

I agree with most on the colour just not being spot on here Tom (having been to Kruger in the dry season often).
I don't mind the central placement but would shave some from the bottom of the OP. I like Steve's portrait crop too. His colour rendition seems spot on to me.


Steve - yes, that's it!!! I should have seen that, portrait format, that's what I knew it was, I just got stuck in landscape!!
Tom

What about what he did to the colour balance? :bg3:

[Tom Graham]

Morkel - "What about what he did to the colour balance?"
I like Steve's but getting close to being too "cool". Maybe between mine and his??
A bit of color tweak never concerns me much because of the monitors each of us has, and, our own preferences toward warm or cool images.
Thanks for asking - Tom

[Morkel Erasmus]

A bit of color tweak never concerns me much because of the monitors each of us has, and, our own preferences toward warm or cool images.
Thanks for asking - Tom

I find your last reply perplexing, Tom, given how you seem to hammer on this issue when others post their images...:Whoa!:
If that's how you feel about it, why comment on colour ever at all? :bugeyed:

[Tom Graham]

HI Morkel - "Hammer"? I don't think so. I've looked at my last 10 comments and found only this specific color comment to other posted images . http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/95070-Morning-Glory and I said there -"Of the three posting thus far, I prefer color on first, original image. Although the other two are acceptable for me." Hammer?? But I will comment on color if I think the color is "way off".

IMHO, I'm not that critical on color, or white balance, because it is so subjective. Nor either on sharpness, if it is sharp enough, then it is good enough. I'm much more interested in light, composition and subject. (Check my recent postings). And I wish we got more comments regarding these - to balance out the over emphasis (IMHO) on IQ.
Thanks - Tom

[Steve Kaluski]

Interesting reply Tom, and perhaps based on this, time now to park/put to bed, the 'grey card' comment.

- If it's not sharp then time to move on/bin, it is pointless processing the image otherwise.
- Colour/WB both have a part to play along with other areas in the process and development of an image and will affect any light contained within the image and can change the look & feel so easily.
- Composition, yes.
- Subject, unclear what you mean here.

The majority of people posting here strive to portray their subjects & images in the best way possible and take a pride in this and to do so, IQ plays a huge role in that - YOU CAN'T MAKE A SILK PURSE OUT OF A SOW'S EAR. You can take the best photograph ever, but if it's badly processed, forget it.

Tom, although an interesting and though provoking development we are now going off topic, so may I suggest this is continued in General Discussion where it can be opened up to others and their thoughts and POV.

Thanks
Steve

[Tom Graham]

Steve - thanks, fair enough.
Tom

[Steve Kaluski]

Cheers Tom. :w3