Spider Monkey Juvenile (C)

World Wildlife Zoo
Litchfield Park, AZ

Canon 7D
Canon 70-200/2.8L II + 1.4X @ 280mm
1/250 sec f/4 ISO 400

Crop for comp and Levels in CS6
Attachment 145428

Hi Ian - Looks like the monkey was mostly in shade and as a result the image is a little flat. You can make the monkey pop a bit more with a levels layer applied just to the monkey bringing in the right slider until just before the whites are blown. I would also do a curves adjustment masking out everything except the monkey. I also reduced the blues that were creeping in particularly in the blacks. Finally, a little NR on the bg behind the monkey. I did this very quickly just to give you an idea so please excuse any sloppy masking. Do you have more space to the rhs? If so, I might shift the whole comp to the right a little just so the tree on the left is not so dominant. I do like it as the left edge though. You needed a bit more ss to freeze the hand too.

TFS,
Rachel

Hi Ian, I'm not great on techs.... but looks like this little guy is just ready to climb up the tree, or really focused on something. The tree seems a bit overwhelming since it takes up about a third of the image. Would love to have an inkling of what he's looking at! Love the pose and those HUGE hands/feet! I've never seen a Spider Monkey, (much less a juve!) Is his head quite pink, as in the OP? agree on a bit of the "blues" as Rachel mentioned, and a bit of NR on the BG. Just a nit, but there is an odd "blob" just under his tail and another one just to the upper right of that. Fun image! TFS!

Thanks Rachel and Sandy! I appreciate the re-work and see what you mean about the blues. I always miss that. I agree, a bit more NR is also in order. I like the dominant tree because it makes me feel the little guy is overwhelmed by the big-bad-world, but maybe a bit less would be in order. Yes, Sandy, his face is very pink. As for the blobs, Sandy, I'll get rid of the dark blob. I don't think HE would appreciate it if I got rid of the "blob" above and to the right :w3 .

Thanks, Ian! (oops, surely don't want him to lose his 'manhood')! Agree with Rachel on the blues. Totally sweet image!

Cute! And sharp. I'd like more room on the right if you have it, and would have a look at cropping some from the left, or at least doing a soft gradient darkening there. Rachel brought up the light tones nicely.