Protecting the herd!

[hennieloots]

Baby elle charging the local plovers to protect the herd. Picture captured at small waterhole near Berg-en-Dal restcamp in the Kruger National Park. I initially used a V crop, but changed to the H version to include the sub-adult male to lend some perspective to the size of the aggressor.

Techs: Canon 1D-X | Canon EF 600mm F4 IS USM Mii– 1/640 @ F/7.1 & ISO: 3200 |EB: +1/3EV | On beanbag from SUV |
PP:
Crop – 30%
LR – Contrast added, recovered minimal shadows, sharpened
PS6 – Luminosity mask –, Midtone contrast added with LBM, Selective sharpening, Selective NR to BG, Selective dodge & burn to both ellies.

All comments and critique always welcome and appreciated!
Regards
Hennie

[Nancy Bell]

This is a darling pose, with the very alert ears and his attitude showing!! Adding the large elle was a good idea. The foreground grass looks a bit funny, too yellow and maybe over processed.

[hennieloots]

Hi Nancy - thank you for the comment. There were some grass on the foreground which I removed; if you noticed, I did not do it well enough! Thanks.
Regards
Hennie

[Loi Nguyen]

Love the big ears and his attitude, good light, good comp. Including the adult is a good idea. As Nancy pointed out, the FG grass looks a bit funny, the blurring is a bit too abrupt, may be too much NR? Loi

[BenBotha]

I agree with the comments. Baby ellies are really cute and the ears make this photo! It is a pity that the babie's feet are hidden. Ben

[Morkel Erasmus]

Lovely pose and light here HEnnie! I like that you included mom too for perspective, though it would work with only junior in the frame too.
Were the FG grasses covering the little one's face? Why did you feel the need to "remove" them?

[hennieloots]

Hi Morkel - There where some scrubbery in the near foreground which distracted in my opinion, did not cover the face.
Hennie

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Hennie- the ears make the image. I think it would work either with the subadult or without. Nice detail and light on the baby's face and I like the motion blur in its trunk. I agree with the comments about the fg grasses looking unnatural. Perhaps post a version without the alterations/cloning to the fg.

TFS,
Rachel

[hennieloots]

Hi Morkel, Rachel - FG restored. In retrospect, it does not bother that much...
I would appreciate your opinion ti assist me in future.
Thanks
Hennie

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Hennie - the fg doesn't bother me except the color looks funny. I took your rp into PS and applied a hue/saturation layer dropping the lightness on the greens by -40 with the elephants masked so as not to be affected. I also selectively burned the tusk of the sub-adult at 4%.

Rachel

[hennieloots]

Thanks a million, Rachel. I appreciate your advice.
Hennie

[Steve Canuel]

What a terrifying sight that must have been! Agree that this would work with or without the adult. I don't find the grasses distracting in your 2nd post but the color does draw the eye. Rachel's repost fixes that.

[Martin Dunn]

Lovely little elly.
Whilst the sub adult does help to highlight the size of your main subject I don't think it makes or breaks the shot. It does help with composition though.
I prefer your original post with the foreground grasses removed. The odd grass colour doesn't distract nearly as much as the foliage.