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Thread: Dawn Alert

  1. #1
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Default Dawn Alert

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    Here's a young male lion just before dawn, photographed from the same research hide in Etosha.
    I blended 2 versions of the same RAW file (one processed darker for the sky) to get the look & feel I was after.

    Techs:
    Nikon D800
    Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR-II @ 200mm
    f4.0 | 1/200 SS | ISO-400
    EV +0.7
    Slight crop from top and RHS, but still about 98% of original FF image.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Morkel - great pov and the pastel sky works really well. Sharpness, detail and comp all look good as usual. If it were mine I would burn the brighter fur right below the mane and between the legs, it draws the eyes a bit .

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Morkel, I agree with Rachel re. the POV, comp, pastel sky, sharpness & detail. I am ok with the brighter fur below the mane & between the legs. I think the OOF FG is a bit distracting. Did you consider cropping from the bottom to eliminate some of the OOF FG?
    I really like the intent stare of the lion because it makes me wonder what he is seeing.
    I am conflicted about the elephant droppings (?). Do you think they should be removed.
    Over all, a very lovely image.
    Andrew

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks Rachel and Andrew

    Andrew - everything you see on the ground is elephant droppings, fine and whole. This place is visited by at least 60 elephants per day so that's part and parcel of the location. I left some OOF FG to show the low POV a bit better?
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Lovely image Morkel, i really like everything as it is, lighter fur doesnt bother me at all and the OOF FG is not a biggie, if it were cropped out the image would be too tight on the bottom. Really nice image. Seems you had a great time up there, next time youll have to take me with you

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    BPN Member Douglas Bolt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Morkel Erasmus View Post

    Andrew - everything you see on the ground is elephant droppings, fine and whole.
    Someone told me those aren't droppings, they are "Ground Clouds".


    Excellent image. The background is spectacular and it makes the lion even more impressive. One of the most attractive photos of a lion that I can recall.
    Last edited by Douglas Bolt; 06-07-2013 at 02:56 AM.
    Douglas Bolt
    DougBoltPhotography.com

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Morkel, I feel I could almost touch this lion...What a great angle you have here! The lighter fur does not bother me either and I like the foreground just as much as I like the background. The OOF foreground creates the illusion that the lion is "isolated" and therefore makes me think of him as solitary, remote, captured by the photographer in his splendor. Your photography as well as your processing skills humble me Morkel...You certainly know what you are doing with that camera!

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Hi Morkel , great portrait, love the blending to bring out sky really makes image... I have just tweaked the lion a little ,felt the midtones needed lightening a little...

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    Morkel, lovely image, unusual POV for a lion shot, love the BG. Peter's repost makes the lion stands out against the Sky. Loi

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel, Peter's RP takes it where it needs to be, lovely image with that hint of colour in the sky too. The only thing is, I wish that the hight was the same to the right of the rear leg (as viewed) and wasn't touching the Lion, is it another animal?

    TFS
    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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  18. #11
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks everyone, and thanks for the repost, Peter.
    I did play with lightening the lion like that but felt it was "too luminous" for the scene that I remember - don't know if it makes sense?
    Steve, just a tree in the BG bushline that stood out
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
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    Stunning image and PP here. Looks like that hide really produces. Love the OOF FG, emphasizes the POV.
    One day you must teach me how do mask that fur on his head without a halo...
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

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  21. #13
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks, Andre.

    Quote Originally Posted by Andre Pretorius View Post
    One day you must teach me how do mask that fur on his head without a halo...
    That's the beauty of luminosity masking. It's originally a "landscape" trick but works equally well in wildlife photo processing. The selection is made based on the lightness or darkness of the pixel tones and not based on "magic wand selection", which means halos are pretty easy to avoid. Be happy to show you how when I ever do make that trip down to Hluhluwe
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Great capture in great light! What would you think about adding a soft-edged gradient to the top half of the sky and making it slightly more blue?

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    Superb image,Morkel. All has been said. I love the low POV , the soft light and bg.

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  26. #16
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks Arno and Diane
    Actually just worked on it again and "blued" up the top part of the sky some more, thanks
    Morkel Erasmus

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