Another great shot Andre. I like the contrast between the yellow fur and the dark log background, wonder if others will. It's an interesting shot that I had to do a double take on. very nice.
Andre, nice low angle view. It must be exciting to see eye to eye with a lion! There is a dark streak across her left ear. Not sure what it is. Image is sharp with good details. The BG is a little bright and I'd suggest to tone down so e and add some contrast to the lion itself. Loi
Lovely image Andre. The lioness looks great, good colour and nice detail and well exposed. Comp wise, i feel its a little in between where it needs to be i find myself wanting to either see the whole lioness or an image more focussed on the portrait of her. The fallen tree in the bg helps to break up the bright bg, it seem you have tried to recover the bg a little and therefore have created a halo around the fallen tree top and bottom. I think this image may work very well in B&W as well, i gave it a quick go, it might give you some ideas to play with. I converted to black and white using silver efex pro added a little brightness, contrast, amplified whites and black a little, and added a little fine structure.
Hi Andre, perhaps one of your best, great clarity, detail & sharpness and I like he subtle tones of colour in the Lioness. Personally I think the crop could have gone a bit more to the left, but no deal breaker, however I would go for a cleaner edge on the RHS so the fur just ends. Not a lover of the NR on the BKG and the tree branch looks odd, especially the outline as it the BKG has been dropped in, to smooth & regular, but just my take? Can tell about colour as I'm away, but would reduce the blue in the branch. Wonder about a hint of Saturation in the eyes, but just guessing here. Did you need such a high SS as she was static and so the ISO could have dropped, or was the setting from a previous encounter?
Think I see a blue color cast to it?
Any ideas where Tom, would be helpful to expand on your comment so the member can adjust if required. Are you saying the image is overall cool and needs a little warming. Just trying to clarify things Tom.
Andre this is probably OOT, let me know, or indeed anyone who is viewing on a calibrated monitor and will delete, just thinking outloud as the camera is downloading.
TFS
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Hi Andre - The open mouth and low pov with visible paws make a very nice portrait with good detail and clarity. I think Steve's rp takes it up a notch. It just seems to have a little more depth. I agree with the slight crop from the rhs for a cleaner edge. Overall, well done.
Hi Andre, excellent low perspective, and love how the head 'pops' with all that detail, and also nicely framed against the fallen darker tree. Steve's repost looks good with regards to the RHS edge.
Loi, the dark steak on the ear, all lions have it, it help to see each other from behind when walking/stalking, her left ear was turned. The BG is always a debate, do I darken or brighten, everyone has their opinion. The lioness has a lumino layer @ 40% to brighten her up a bit.
Thank you Tom, the log does look a bit blue.
Thank you for comments Brendon, agree with the crop. I am still trying to get ahead with colour; (curves); will then try my hand at B/W. Like your conversion, everyone raves about silver efex, is it a plug-in?
Steve- you always can take everything up a notch, we have so much to learn from you! Looks like you did a Sat layer on lioness, maybe I should have done that AFTER the lumino layer? Your crop makes sense. The image was barely cropped from left, nothing from RHS, could not reverse at time to get wider POV. Tried to bring in more mid-tone contrast using layer mask with alpha channels, but it seems to not respect the mask, alter image as a whole. The log was painted black with soft light, big brush @ about 7%. The settings was to capture her while she was walking before lying down- made a vow to myself never to shoot under 1/2000, on that trip, thought my support wasn't stable enough, as I was not getting crisp images. (calibration!!!). BTW, what is OOT?
Thank you Rachel, appreciate.
Thanks Stu!
Last edited by Andre Pretorius; 08-20-2013 at 11:17 AM.
I as well like the dark tree trunk behind the lioness. That makes her pop more. You got already a few suggestions. I have nothing to add. I like your OP very much, but Steve's RP brings it up to the notch
Well, if agreed it is too blue, then you fix it by taking away blue or adding red and yellow. Takes 10 sec in Photoshop, adjust color to taste. Of course there is always the question about different monitors.
Here is a little gif flipping (every 2 sec) between original and adding red-yellow to whole image. I cropped it also. It is difficult to keep a gif image size within BPN byte size limitations.
Tom
Nice regal lady here Andre. Good advice already given. I like how you were able to created good DOF/separation between her and the stump!
Steve's RP as usual spot on. Brendon's monochrome is also an idea (though I would play with a hint of warm toning if I were to convert it).
Tom, your GIF is showing only one image on my screen...
Predatory Instinct
Andre Pretorius thanked for this post
); will then try my hand at B/W. Like your conversion, everyone raves about silver efex, is it a plug-in?
Tried to bring in more mid-tone contrast using layer mask with alpha channels, but it seems to not respect the mask, alter image as a whole. The log was painted black with soft light, big brush @ about 7%. The settings was to capture her while she was walking before lying down- made a vow to myself never to shoot under 1/2000, on that trip, thought my support wasn't stable enough, as I was not getting crisp images. (calibration!!!). BTW, what is OOT?
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