Another portrait taken early morning in the Timbavati Game Reserve, South Africa in August 2009.
Canon 50D
100-400 @ 300mm
1/640
f9
ISO 400
HH from safari vehicle, luminosity mask, levels, curves and selective color adjustments, NR on bg, sharpened in CS5.
C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,
Rachel
05-30-2012, 09:25 AM
Ken Watkins
Rachel,
You have reminded that I must get some decent Giraffe images on my next trip.
This is very nice despite the somewhat cluttered background, which in my opinion does not distract as much as it would normally do.
Whilst I am obviously reluctant to raise the subject of colour the head looks a little too Orange on my monitor?
05-30-2012, 01:16 PM
Grady Weed
1 Attachment(s)
Rachel, How about this comp and a go for colors, S/H, Levels, Curves etc?
05-30-2012, 02:59 PM
Rachel Hollander
Thanks Ken and Grady. Grady - thanks for the rp but much too bright for my taste and it has lost some of the detail. :eek3:
Rachel
05-30-2012, 06:30 PM
Steve Canuel
Very nice portrait Rachel. Super detail and I really like the BG (color and content). Only thing I'd change is put a bigger neck on this guy (guess they have skinny models in the giraffe world too)
05-31-2012, 01:48 AM
Steve Kaluski
Hi Rachel, colour & detail looks good with nice definition where it counts. The image however looks a little flat so you could look at lifting in Curves to add some contrast and then adding some vibrance. Not wild about the crop, it's just a little too 'frame filling' for me. I think a vertical (Portrait) format would have been better. I might be tempted to either crop, or do some 'gardening' to lose the branch part coming in on the RHS corner.
TFS
Steve
05-31-2012, 05:31 AM
Mark Wiseman
Hi Rachel,
I like the detail you have in your image, but agree with Steve as to the orientation as in portrait you would accentuate the length of the neck.
TFS and best wishes,
Mark.
05-31-2012, 05:58 AM
Dumay de Boulle
Another image here Gradys repost is way off the mark. I think you need to check your monitor Grady.....Rachel, another cracker in regards to fine detail and IQ. I like portraits of Giraffe and the colors look good. Maybe a touch brighter for my taste, but thats all.
05-31-2012, 06:56 AM
Rachel Hollander
Thanks Steve, Steve, Mark and Dumay for the kind comments, much appreciated.
Rachel
05-31-2012, 07:33 AM
Rachel Hollander
1 Attachment(s)
Repost
Here's a repost with a bit more brightness and contrast.
Thanks again,
Rachel
05-31-2012, 07:35 AM
Rachel Hollander
1 Attachment(s)
Vertical Crop
And one more with the suggested vertical crop.
Thanks again,
Rachel
05-31-2012, 07:37 AM
Steve Kaluski
Not sure about brightness/contrast, but looks better than the OP, just watch any red coming through in the BKG.
Replies crossed, the vertical works, just needs a little bit more air all round.
Steve :w3
05-31-2012, 07:42 AM
Ken Watkins
Rachel,
Re-post is a big improvement, especially now that I have re-calibrated my monitor, I still prefer the landscape because it makes a nice change from portrait:w3 Which to me at least is far to obvious,
05-31-2012, 11:12 AM
Stu Bowie
Hi Rachel, inquisitive characters arent they. Great DOF on the giraffe, and you certainly have brought out good fine detail. Your vertical does look the best, but a little more room all round as Steve has suggested will put it over the top. :w3
05-31-2012, 03:09 PM
Andreas Liedmann
Hi Rachel,
like the basic idea of this image.i would go for the vertical repost with more room all around as Steve suggested.IQ is good ,as sharpness and contrast,but i would reduce the reds a tad.
Cheers Andreas
05-31-2012, 07:24 PM
Rachel Hollander
Thanks Steve, Ken, Stuart and Andreas :wave:
06-01-2012, 06:42 AM
Morkel Erasmus
I like your horizontal comp here Rachel, hard to pull them off.
I agree the OP looks a bit flat, your repost has improved this, but I would go even brighter. What you can also do is gently dodge highlights and midtones and gently burn shadows selectively to make it "pop" a bit more...
06-01-2012, 03:03 PM
Rachel Hollander
Thanks for the suggestions Morkel, will take a look.
Rachel
06-02-2012, 03:08 PM
dankearl
Outstanding Rachel, one of your best images, for me.
Very well done.