Bushbuck

[Martin Dunn]

We spotted this bushbuck male resting amongst the trees in Gorongoza NP, Mozambique.




Nikon D300s
Sigma 120mm-400mm lens @120mm
1/640s
f4.5
ISO1600

Handheld from car.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Martin - He does look relaxed and I like the habitat but wish that the plant on the right wasn't so prominent. Overall, the image is a bit tight for my taste and I would have preferred more room all around. Nice sharpness and catchlight but the blacks are a bit choked on the buck and I would also open up the midtones some. Finally, if it were mine I would reduce the reds a little.

TFS,
Rachel

[Martin Dunn]

Rachel,
alas there was no more space to give. He was quite close and my lens was at its shortest focal length.
what do you mean by 'the blacks are a bit choked on the buck'? too dark? too light?
yes, I see now where I could tone down the reds.
thanks for commenting

[Brendon Cremer]

Hi Martin, Rachel offers some good advice, a little more space would have been nice but i understand you had no more room. I would indeed lighten up the mid tones a little as the image is quite dark. otherwise nice detail on the bushbuck, you held the whites well and the catchlight in the eye is very nice.

[Stan Cunningham]

Rachel always has good suggestions. I would not reduce the reds much as the color is gorgeous and representative of the few I have seen. Use Art's method by adding cyan to the reds in selective colors in PS. I've always liked those results best.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Martin - when blacks are choked up they are too dark and lacking detail.

Rachel

[Morkel Erasmus]

Always nice to see these. Gorongosa is on my to-visit-in-the-near-future list for sure!
I agree about the blacks (and thanks Rachel for explaining to Martin and others who are reading here). There's also some blue creeping into the whites.
Overall IQ is just not there - very gritty, and having worked with the D300s before I would say it's the high ISO. 1600 was just too much for me on this camera.

[Steve Kaluski]

Overall IQ is just not there - very gritty, and having worked with the D300s before I would say it's the high ISO. 1600 was just too much for me on this camera.

Totally agree Morkel, likewise just too tight, colours are saturated and the highlights in the FG are a bit distracting. Just isn't really working for me, sorry Martin.

TFS
Steve

[edwardselfe]

Beautiful colours and setting but the composition was just a bit hard I think. It's too tight (as said before) and I think the creepers are just too prominent. A valiant effort to portray a nice looking animal but the environment just let you down a bit.
Ed