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Thread: Leopard cubs

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Default Leopard cubs

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    Not the world's greatest and the tech's could have been a lot better, but with constant changing of light, position/location of the cubs and the vehicle, things as we all know, can be forgotten in the heat of the moment. Oh for the 1DX then!

    These are two cubs that have been posted before, taken after 6.00pm when the light was just starting to go, but strong enough to get some nice highlights, albeit through very dense thicket where Mum (Mom) had concealed them, safe from harm whilst she retrieved the previous nights kill. Just didn't have enough to pull back to include the paws, but personally I think there is enough interest within frame with the 'head on' cub and the other one 'stalking' in the BKD.

    Yes I should have tweaked the internal settings of the camera for higher ISO, likewise upping the ISO for more SS, or dropped to f/4 at least... oh well

    Steve
    Subject: Leopard cubs in dense thicket (Panthera pardus)
    Location: Botswana
    Camera: Canon MKIV
    Lens: 500f/4 HH
    Exposure: 1/200s at f/5.6 ISO800 0 stop compensation
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Steve - Looks like a sleepy house cat following the sun coming in through the curtains for its nap. There's a definite cuteness factor here and I think the stalking sibling in the bg adds to the image. I agree with your self-critique that it would have taken it up a notch to have all the paws in. There are a couple of white areas on the chest/paw that seem to be lacking detail, I'm guessing it couldn't be recovered?

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Lovely, drooping sleepy eyes. I like that the foreground edge is all dark and the dappled light is mostly on the cub. My eye keeps going to that whitish spot of the nose of the bkgd cub. Maybe that, plus the whitish light on the leg of that cub, could be blended in some.

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Right you guys I need an education in mammal photography - what's up with the image, it looks to me to be:
    1 well focused
    2 sharp
    3 well exposed
    4 shows good detail
    I would have been pretty content with this, I am not sure where you feel the quality is ailing - are you referring to a print that would have resulted ?

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel & Nancy, in response to your replies about the 'whites', they are quite 'muted', there is tone in there Rachel, but no detail, as it's OOF disappearing back into the body. So, to drop the exposure there would mean you would lose the soft light aspect, which is partly what I like, especially as you say, with those 'sleepy' eyes. Again, it's how we see things on screen I think. However, I do take your point Nancy about the chin highlight which is easily fixed, I left it as it was the same strength that ran down the length of that front paw.

    Jonathan I have as yet to print it which for me is the telling point.

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

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    That's a lazy cub! I like the dappled light and the half-open eyes showing some of their colour. Not too fazed about the clipped paws but I know it's a niggle when it's your own shot......
    I'm wondering if it could stand a bit more oomp in the midtones?
    Morkel Erasmus

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    This is just an invite to place myself down next to the cub for a nap I like the details very much and all around. All is said already from the others above.
    With the paws clipping, I assume you forgot as well your other camera on the seat next to you with a different lens on with all excitement
    Oh well, I clip whiskers all can happen. But I do like this image even with clipping paws.

    Ciao
    Anette

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    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
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    Hi Steve,
    Like the lighting and sleepy pose of the youngster. Clipped paw not even an issue for me. Not sure of the one in the BG. I think I'd like to see at least a hint of the eye. As an option, a browser crop to the bottom of the chin of the BG cub puts more emphasis on the main cub and gives the appearance to me of the BG cub's leg being a tail .

  9. #9
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Cheers Steve, will take a look, often fixed on the image and need occasionally to step back.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Love that face and the light is soo sweet Steve. I find the partial oof cub in the bg a bit distracting so I would crop this as a pan to eliminate it. The oof leg will still be there but much less distracting to me and you could always remove it too.

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