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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Default Keep your options open

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    I'm back from the most incredible experience in the Mara Triangle (Kenya)!! Between a million wildebeest (literally), lion kills and cheetah kills right in front of us and the mind-blowing expanse of the Mara landscape...it'll take me some time to find my bearings again (good luck to me for walking back into that office tomorrow!).

    Anyway, I'll do my best to get caught up with the images posted in my absence. Thanks to Steve and Rachel for holding the fort.

    This is from a crossing we witnessed on our first full day in the field. There's much more drama from this scene to share, but upon importing my photos into Lightroom this one caught my eye. Processed quickly using my basic workflow and some splashes of Nik Color Efex for fun. This "monster croc" (they make'em BIIIG in the Mara) was hunting some of the animals crossing and made a number of kills in the space of 2-3 hours, stashing the victims below the surface before coming back for more hunting. Here he swims right into a bunch of crossing wildebeest...can imagine a number of words that would be uttered by these creatures as they see this guy in their midsts (none of which would be allowed by the forum auto-moderation haha).

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    Morkel Erasmus

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    Hi Morkel

    Very fascinating. Drama in the Mara... Looks like you had a great trip. i´m looking forward to see what you captured. Great quality as always from you.

    /Gregor

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel, welcome back.
    Good to hear you had a great time with lots of good stuff to view.

    The image is quite nice with a lovely diagonal line of wildebeest awaiting to pass the danger, the one in the back is nicely breaking the emptiness of the BG.
    Your usual IQ is there, but i would reduce the blacks in the darks, cause to channels are blown in the darks, better said choked.

    TFS Andreas

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Welcome back Morkel,

    I see you had a blast in the Mara. Your image as usual looks great.

    Have a great week and hope not such a hard time being back in the office

    Ciao
    Anette

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel - nice to hear you had a good trip and I'm looking forward to your images. Nice start on this one. I might consider a tighter pano with some off the bottom as an alternate crop drawing even more attention to the croc. Although I am guessing you composed or cropped to where you did because it included mostly whole heads of the wildebeests.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Now i know why the water was brown hahaha

    Poor Wildebeeste and what a size on that croc!!!

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    Morkel, great image, well capture, nothing I would change here. All I could wish for is to see the reaction of the wildebeest, which I expect you will post later!

    TFS.

    Loi

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Morkel!!! Welcome back!!! I bet this is but one tiny morsel of what Morkel has in store for us! That croc is huge...I am not surprised, given their healthy diet of fresh wildebeest...Great capture, cannot wait for the rest of the images

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Awesome image Morkel, I am impatient to see what happens next! Love the comp, the POV and clarity!

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks folks - still finding my feet...

    Quote Originally Posted by Rachel Hollander View Post
    I might consider a tighter pano with some off the bottom as an alternate crop drawing even more attention to the croc. Although I am guessing you composed or cropped to where you did because it included mostly whole heads of the wildebeests.

    Rachel, you guessed it. Plus it had nice "visual flow" for me this way
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Okay I want to see the whole Croc.... I'm guessing at least a 16 footer..... I can't imagine the guts it takes for the beasts to cross the waters

    Very nice shot, love the comp and the lighting on the croc.

    Some of the water is a little funny colored to me, but you said you added some NIK effects so I might just be seeing those and I'm not familiar with them.

    Can't wait to see more.

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LinzRiverBalmer View Post
    Okay I want to see the whole Croc.... I'm guessing at least a 16 footer..... I can't imagine the guts it takes for the beasts to cross the waters

    Very nice shot, love the comp and the lighting on the croc.

    Some of the water is a little funny colored to me, but you said you added some NIK effects so I might just be seeing those and I'm not familiar with them.

    Can't wait to see more.
    Linz, the Mara river colour is reddish brown for the most part during this season where so many animals cross it and churn it around...nothing changed in colour, I only applied contrast effects.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
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    Cool shot Morkel. One of those images that instantly gets your thoughts going. What are they thinking? What would I do if I had to cross with them?

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    Spectacular - love the way the croc is in amongst them, rather than them just swimming towards it.
    Ed

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