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Thread: Hanging Around

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Default Hanging Around

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    Hi all, I've just returned from my trip to Namibia and South Africa. Took a ton of images but have processed very few so far. I spent the last 5 nights of my trip at Kings Camp in the Timbavati and was extremely fortunate to have some extended and quality leopard sightings there. Here's one of the funnier images. This 8 month old cub was feeding on an impala his mom had killed (which was first stolen by a hyena but then mom stole it back). At one point, he flipped upside down and continued to eat. He stopped long enough for me to snap this one with his face in the clear.

    Canon 5DIII
    70-200 II @ 115mm
    1/200
    f6.3
    ISO 400
    Fill flash used. Luminosity mask, levels, curves and sharpened in CS5. Slight crop for composition.

    C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

    Rachel

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel, welcome back, good to know all went well & you returned safe & sound. Lovely opening shot, and a different POV.
    Looks like the 5 performed well, the image looks very good, clean, nicely exposed, very well process, especially when you have the subject backlit, nice use of fill-in flash. Depending upon how long this Leopard stayed like this, I might have quickly swopped format to portrait, might have had the edge? You could try and boost the colour in the foliage/adjust the exposure (darken) which the flash might have diluted, reduce some red in the tree truck and just open the face a fraction more, it can take it, just a hint. Also perhaps cropping half inch off the RHS, just where the bow branches off to the right, 1024 x 724?

    Great to have you back.

    TFS
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  3. #3
    Ken Watkins
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    Rachel,

    What a magical "moment", hope you got some good shots in Namibia as well

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Wonderful yet comical. I might take a sliver more off the top. The stare and the parallel hanging tail and legs of the Impala are just great.
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    Well, I've never seen anything like this before and it certainly brings a smile to the face. Good suggestions above, but well done, very nice image.

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    Lifetime Member Marina Scarr's Avatar
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    What a terrific pose and story you have captured here. Wishing for less space on the right. Great use of flash. I wouldn't have known.
    Marina Scarr
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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks everyone for the kind comments and suggestions. Here's a repost trying to incorporate all the suggestions.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    I love the crop from the top; it really tightened things up :).
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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Great POV and pose here Rachel - something different as you said
    I like the repost though I'm struggling to see real differences except the crop (will view on better screen tonight).
    I do think the vertical would've been very interesting - with 22mp you can always crop that way?

    Flash well handled, doesn't look "flashed" at all - did you tweak the on-flash EV at all? -1?
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Interesting about loosing a hint off the top, however I do think the RP is better, I would still try and add some selective green back into the foliage, plus I added a hint of 6pt of brightness, but applied selectively. Albeit subtle Rachel, I feel the RP is in the direction of where I think it should be going, but again, just personal choice and I think you can distill from all the advice given and be able to hone, what is, a lovely image.

    Just my take, but view in PS as it appears a little flat?

    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  11. #11
    Ken Watkins
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    Rachel.

    I am with Morkel here and apart from the crop see very little difference, not that it needed anything in particular for me. The tightening up of the image has worked well.

    Whatever way you look at it it is a something totally different
    Last edited by Ken Watkins; 08-24-2012 at 07:48 AM.

  12. #12
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Artie and Morkel. The crop works for me too. Morkel - the changes are subtle. I reduced the exposure of the bg by -.08, reduced the reds by 15 points and opened up the face by just a few points. No tweaks on the flash. I didn't like the proportions to crop to vertical on this one. I have another one that I was able to crop to vertical. I'll post it at some point.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

  13. #13
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Steve and Ken, I was drafting my post at the same time you posted. Other than the crop, the changes I made were very subtle. Steve - thanks for the repost.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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