Lone Longneck

[Morkel Erasmus]

I so enjoy working with simplistic scenes. Clean surroundings, a single subject, a solid composition. This giraffe bull was standing on the eastern edge of the vast Etosha Pan in late morning light.
I can't wait to return and explore more of Etosha with my family in tow later this year.


Techs:
Nikon D3s
Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II
f5.6 | 1/1250 SS | ISO-320
Exposure bias +0.7

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Morkel,

this images conveys Etosha at this time of the day really well.Looks really dry and hot with the heat haze in the BKG.
Like the placement of the giraffe in the frame , looks being caught in the surrounding bushes,nicely seen, if you wanted to achieve this.
Like the overall tonality but i do feel the blacks are tad too heavy on the giraffe, but on the other hand , this makes the giraffe stand out more and give her more attention.

Just ok

TFS Andreas

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks Andreas.
This giraffe, like many I saw in the East of Etosha, was very dark...hence in converting I didn't really do any additional burning etc to the animal.

[Brendon Cremer]

Lovely image Morkel, conversion works for me. I only see a slight lighter section, like a larger halo around the giraffes neck and head, perhaps from a little dodging.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks Brendon.
It's a constant niggle with me - even though I calibrate regularly I just can't see those fine subtle halos show up on my screen. I don't even see it now.
I do take care to make selections and masks when adjusting. Will have to go back to the drawing board then......will pull exposure right down in Levels (this normally shows it up).

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Morkel, the image has an almost ghostly feel to it, which I quite like. I agree that pulling the blacks back (shadow area only) on the Giraffe would help, looks a little clipped in Levels? I just wonder, but a slight CCW rotation by eye around 0.8 might help????

Like it.

TFS
Steve

[edwardselfe]

I think you made the best of this situation. It was clearly already hot (mirage in the background and loss of detail and sharpness generally) but it's got impact - that's for sure! The male giraffe is making an odd facial expression - was it shaking away flies or something?! Like the composition and the idea, but think it was just one of those hard situations to work with. I think the whites in the grass are a bit too bright, and the giraffe looks like it's floating in the clouds, but that's just my view!
I think it would look good printed BIG!
Ed