I'm not as gentle as i look
Cape Buffalo, taken in Timbavati reserve, Kruger NP
Nikon D300s
Sigma 120mm-400mm lens @200mm
1/320
f5.3
ISO320
Handheld from a safe place
Post processing: corrected exposure by -0.3, mask to darken vegetation at top, mask to darken horns and nose, unsharp mask on buffalo head
Hi Martin, I like the light on this one, especially as it highlights and gives a nice moisture look & feel to the muzzle. You also have better tonal qualities to the image, likewise clarity & detail. If it was me, I might just move the whole crop down, leaving about half the space between horn & trim, that's if you have the image content. For the lens, you have enough SS, but I still might have upped the ISO a bit more for extra SS. However, looking at the image there appears to be something a little odd in the BKG foliage in front of the nose, it goes from a dark area to a light area in a slight diagonal line, cloning perhaps as it's not natural, any ideas?
TFS
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Hi Martin - Lovely light and pose. I also like the "wet" look you achieved on the nose. Good IQ and the bg not bothering me.
TFS
Hennie
Hi Martin - this for me has the best IQ of the images you've posted to date. Light looks good, detail is much better and so is tonal range. I see the area that Steve mentioned and wonder if it is from masking. Overall, nicely done.
TFS,
Rachel
The IQ is impressive here and my only wish would have been for a lower angle.
Nice clarity in this image.
i like the curve and shadow of the near horn. I also like the different layers of the BG.
You captured a wonderful tilt to the head, really emphasizing the curve of those massive horns and also showing an "attitude". I also like that wet nose!
Thanks for the comments.
Steve, I can't pick out the diagonal line you mention but I think that the contrast you refer to is because I applied a mask t the foliage at the top but didn't (forgot to) do the same with the grass on bottom right, below the nose.
Hi Martin, not a problem, but if yu want to correct it, here is the line just in case, however resolve it and you will have a fine image.
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Steve, that is a mystery to me as i didn't mask down there.
Could it just be a very straight - light - grass stem contrasting with the darker BG?
If it was Martin I would expect some 'colour/structure/tonal' change to the RHS of the line, albeit even faint. The line actually runs from the horn all the way down to the foot of the image and is quite a clean line, this is why to me, it stands out, spooky???????
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Steve, I just opened up the original RAW file and that same line is there. If is not the grass then I can't explain it.
Although I do believe that the line Steve refers to is completely natural ( freakish maybe) I have had a play at breaking up that straight line with some cloning.
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