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Thread: Zebra portrait

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    Default Zebra portrait

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    This image was from my first ever (and only) trip to Kenyan national parks.
    I was photographing the beautiful long-tailed widow bird in full plumage (another image for another day) in Nakuru.
    While most of us were watching and photographing the bird's courting displays, there were several zebras grazing on the opposite side of the grassland. I took a break from making photographs of the widow bird and turned my attention to this particular grazing zebra who would now and then look up.

    All comments are welcome...


    Edit:
    Tech details - Nikon D800, Sigma 500mm f4.5, f/8, 1/1250, ISO200, bean-bag




    regards,
    Kaushik

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    I like that this image is totally filled with the graphic black & white stripes of the zebra, with just the eye and those delicate eyelashes being the focus point. But there is something funny going on in the lower left corner where part of the muzzle is indistinct and a part right next to it is distinct, giving the feeling that part of the face is sunken unnaturally. Do you see what I am trying to describe?

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Kaushik - This is a classic presentation with the frame filled. I agree with Nancy that there seems to be something strange going on. It almost appears smudged in the llc and I am somewhat surprised at the falloff in sharpness and detail at f8. Is this a large crop?

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Like the presentation as well, super sharp. To me it just looks like the llc is getting black near the muzzle but I"m not sure what they are talking about for sure.
    Curious what processing you used to get the whites and blacks so clean, I haven't seen many zebras with whites that nice.

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    Hi Kaushik ,looks like a clever piece of photography well thought out, it's eye certainly draws my eye ,like it a lot.

    Keith.

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    Nice pic. I noticed the odd fuzziness too but generally it's a nice image.
    If anything, I'd like the eyelashes to have a white stripe background behind them so that they stand out more, but that's really a nit-pick.
    Generally I'm not that keen on borders, but this subtle one actually works here.
    Ed

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Kaushik, parking the muzzle issue to one side, providing this is not a huge crop and more FF I would expect more detail in the eye as this is the key focal point IMHO. I like the colour contrast between eye & body, works well. My question is why do the blacks vary, they seem denser/richer in the body juxtapose to those in the head? The stark contrast between the B&W's work well as a 'graphic' portrayal.

    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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    Nice arty kinda image Kaushik. You have some good suggestions above.

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Hi Kaushik,

    the iconic view of a zebra in B&W. Very nicely done. I agree with the others above. For me it looks a bit strange!

    Have a great eve

    Ciao
    Anette

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    First off, thanks for viewing this image and commenting on it.

    At people who've noticed and wondering about the funny OOF thingy in LLC, there were couple of OOF blades of grass in front of the muzzle which I could not clone out.
    Here's the direct export from raw (with mild cropping) which shows you the grass.
    Name:  NakuruLake-800am_20130528-4863.jpg
Views: 27
Size:  149.4 KB


    @Stan: you would notice in the inserted unedited image that this zebra is not too scared/stained. However to get the whites as 'whites', I did de-saturate them considerably.

    @Anette: did you mean the OOF LLC bit strange or anything apart from it (could you elaborate) ?

    Thank you all once again

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks for explaining the fuzzy muzzle Kaushik
    Given the image above I like your crop and how the eye stands out - I would dodge the eye some more though?
    Morkel Erasmus

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