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Thread: Lion at Lunch

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    Default Lion at Lunch

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    This image was taken on a recent trip to the Serengeti. I have posted an earlier image of the same lion, but felt that image lacked the intensity of a lion savoring every morsel of her lunch. So, would like to try another image here.

    1DX
    500f4 II + 1.4X III
    Raw conversion in LR5
    Levels, 30% lumino mask, Curves, Levels

    Mid day sun, but the lion was in the shade.

    Appreciate your comments.

    Thank you

    Loi

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    Hi Loi ,Awesome image ! To my eye, there is nothing I would change .Looks to me a complete story is spelled out !

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    Very nicely captured Loi. I like it as it is.

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Loi,
    you captured the feeding scene quite tight and intimate, like the fact that the lioness is not facing the camera just look to the side , just ignoring your presence.
    A bit more room to the RHS and a bit less to LHS would make a more balanced image , for my eyes.
    Tones - i would go darker a tad in the HL and a tad lighter in the mid tones, in the blacks you went too far, losing all the details in the dark areas, all three channels are clipped in the blacks.
    A bit more local contrast to the green channel would help to give the lioness a bit more definition.

    TFS Andreas

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Hi Loi,

    great scene and image. I agree with Andreas with a tad more room. Also would like to see the paw on the "lunch" a bit more sharper.
    Andreas gave you good suggestions for it.

    Have a great week

    Ciao
    Anette

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Loi - looks like she is enjoying that meal! Good choice on the portrait comp here. Good suggestion regarding the blacks and more space on the right. It also looks like the whites on the tip of the paw were blown and/or heavily recovered so I would revisit that area. You forgot to include ss, aperture and ISO in your post.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Forum Participant BenBotha's Avatar
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    Nice capture. I agree with the comments, the photo needs, IMO, more saturation. I realise she was in the shade and that made things difficult.

    Ben

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    Hi Everyone, thank you for your comments and good suggestions. Agreed that the image needs more room on the right and less on the left. I originally cropped it this way to minimize the gore.

    I also felt the image is a bit too dark and contrasty. So I restarted from scratch

    Techs:
    1DX
    500f4 II + 1.4X III
    1/1600
    f5.6 (should have used F8 here)
    ISO-400


    LR5:
    Adjusted WB, Temp 4350
    Boost up exposure by 0.3EV
    adjustment brush to reduce highlights on the paw and try to sharpne it. But it is really out of focus, so not much can be done.
    Adjustment brush to brighten the eye

    CS6:
    Added Saturation
    Added slight Curves to give some mid tone contrast
    UMS: Lion 80/0/0, Paw and Eye: 100/0/3/0

    Cropped to give less room on left and more on right.

    Hope you will like it better.

    Thank you

    Loi
    Last edited by Loi Nguyen; 09-30-2013 at 11:45 AM.

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    Hi Loi - Both posts look awesome, slightly prefer the repost. Amazing details on the lioness's face! I agree on the paw that would add even more if taken at f8. Amazing cature. TFS
    Hennie

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Loi, well I trust this was produced after our afternoon?

    A lot has been said above and I think you have addressed certain points raised, however for me it's a combination of the two postings. I much prefer the more 'muted' colours of the OP, however you may want to adjust colours via Selective Colour rather than Saturation, but your call, although you will need to make the changes using masks . Also going lighter on the RP I feel brings up more sharpening, so again I prefer the OP. I agree on your observation regarding DOF, but it's always easier with hindsight, however that will come in time.

    TFS
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    Hi Loi, well I trust this was produced after our afternoon?

    A lot has been said above and I think you have addressed certain points raised, however for me it's a combination of the two postings. I much prefer the more 'muted' colours of the OP, however you may want to adjust colours via Selective Colour rather than Saturation, but your call, although you will need to make the changes using masks . Also going lighter on the RP I feel brings up more sharpening, so again I prefer the OP. I agree on your observation regarding DOF, but it's always easier with hindsight, however that will come in time.

    TFS
    Steve
    Steve, yes this was done after I learned a thing or two from you about masks! It's indeed quite powerful.

    Seeing the image in full resolution vs. those posts here ta reduced resolution also makes a difference. I agreed that the OP looks better here than the RP. For both postings, however, the fur of the lion is a bit gritty to me, which I don't see at high resolution. I think this image suffers from not being sharp enough for such a close up. I compare this to your cheetah portrait recently posted and yours looks much much sharper.

    Thanks again.

    Loi

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Hi Loi! Very powerful image and I personally do not mind to see the kill I think Steve is right when saying that the perfect image would be a combination of the two. It seems to me that the eye of the lioness is sharper in the second version. If the IQ permits I would suggest an experiment with a tighter crop from the top and bottom of the image, a square crop that would lose the grasses, just below the paw. Great capture, very very well done!

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Nicely framed for me. Agree with Steve on the OP being better, or at least somewhere in the middle.
    Good detail and exposure control overall...
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Hi Everyone, thank you so much for your good suggestions.

    Steve and Morkel, I see now why the OP is better than the RP. Steve, I finally understand your comments regarding making the image lighter with Selective Color :)

    Gabriela, thank you for suggestion a square crop. I decided to go with a 4X5 instead of square.

    Let me try another RP here.

    Loi

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