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Thread: Hindsight

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
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    Default Hindsight

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    Image taken at Emdoneni rehab centre for cats. Unfortunately was not able to get to Cheetahs until late afternoon, by then light has faded.
    D3S with 300F2.8 handheld.
    Shot from kneeling position to get correct angle.
    Lens wide open to quench the thirst for light- 2.8 with ISO 1250.
    Only managed 1/800 with VR on.

    Tried Radial filter in LR and basics. ( the Dropper tool was used as always to set WB, but result was not resembling as seen, temp slightly raised)
    Sharpening done in LR
    CS6 with various adj layers.
    Resized, convert to s-RGB, selective sharpening for web.

    A pole in far BG removed and some gardening done on direct FG.
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Andre - I really like the 3D feel of this. I like images with a lot of negative space but I'm sure some will suggest a cropIt would have been a little better angle if you could have moved slightly to the right so the rear wasn't so prominent. The blacks on the cheetah are a bit choked. Overall though you did well in the low light.

    TFS,
    Rachel

  3. #3
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Andre, good to get the position you needed as it made all the difference to the angle/POV of the subject. The crop & framing work well and i won't suggest flipping it. No too worried about the blacks, but the whites I would revisit, ie on the face and the tip of the tail, but viewing on the laptop so... Personally I might just even up the BKG above the head just for continuity. I would also address the slight blue cast in the whites.

    ( the Dropper tool was used as always to set WB, but result was not resembling as seen, temp slightly raised)
    hat's fine, at least you had a good starting point, you can then take it in which ever direction you want, Cooler or warmer.

    Resized, convert to s-RGB, selective sharpening for web.
    Transpose the last two for obvious reasons.

    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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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    Hi Andre,

    I like this and I like the pose. It doesn't matter to me that you can't see the right side of its body. I had thought that you need to warm it a bit, but as usual Steve is right - needs slight blue cast removing from whites. Did you darken the background with the brush tool in LR/PS? Seems like there might be an area just to the rhs of the cheetah which hasn't been darkened? Or perhaps a bush behind.

    For me, there's a little too much negative space, but that's personal preference.

    Ed

  5. #5
    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Hi Andre,

    all has been said above, even my blue cast , nothing left for me. Just a very nice image. Have been there few years ago.
    Have a great evening

    Ciao
    Anette

  6. #6
    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
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    Thank you Rachel, Steve, Edward and Anette for comments.

    Did mask on face and tip of tail- curves to cool the whites.
    The blue cast on Whites is a headache. Tried selective colour layer, did not work. Did new mask on cheetah and brought down Saturation on blues. Better, but not perfect.
    Soft clone brush to smooth out area to right of cat. I think this was the area Edward referred to.

    Rachel, I wish that I could predict or move to the capture the right angle. Spend some time with this cat trying portraits, he got up and moved away. I stayed down to watch him. Suddenly a noise behind him made him turn to look for a second-I shot.
    The majority of the time we are in a vehicle with cam racks, gimbal, 600mm monster on window- to move entails taking lens of gimbal putting in on the seat next to me, bumping the steering wheel and the roof in haste etc. By that time the moment is over
    and Gabriela has got another 500 images. I have spent more than 20 years close to animals, I still can't predict them? Isn't the image named Hindsight?

    Anette-the place is about 10km from us, we are planning a private morning visit with no tourists, hopefully the light will be better, and no hordes of tourists. If you plan a revisit, let us know!

    Resized, selective sharpening then s-RGB!!
    Last edited by Andre Pretorius; 10-24-2013 at 11:41 AM.
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

  7. #7
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    I like the low angle and pose, and soft light Andre.
    In both posts it looks like you added blur to the BG? Is it just my tired eyes?
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Great alert posture and the indirect look back is key to helping balance the image with the space on the rhs. The BG does look like it was been smoothened/blurred or is that from the NR?

  9. #9
    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
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    Thank you Morkel and Jamie for comments.
    Yes, there were noise on BG from high ISO, NR run, but shot @ f2,8- subject quite far from darker BG.
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

  10. #10
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks Andre. Gotta ask .
    Looking forward to what you can get on your return visit...
    Morkel Erasmus

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