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Thread: Tastes OK to me

  1. #1
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    Default Tastes OK to me

    Name:  leopard-at-swimming-pool.jpg
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    I'm really hoping for some help with this one.

    We followed this female leopard (Xikavi) as she made her way to reunite with a nearby male.
    The sun was gone and the day had been very dull and overcast anyway.
    She made her way through the bush to this swimming pool which belongs to a former lodge that is now used as staff quarters.

    The sight of a leopard drinking from the swimming pool was surreal.
    I like the way that her eyes pick up the turquoise from the pool. I was also grateful that on such a dull day I got a photo with some colour in it.

    I have added a small amount of contrast and saturation but I am not at all sure how to get the best from this image.
    I'd really appreciate some suggestions.

    Nikon D7100
    Nikkor 70-300mm VR zoom lens
    VR - on
    1/60s
    f8
    ISO2000

    Hand held.

    I was very happy to be able to use the D7100 rather than my D300s in this light.

  2. #2
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Hi Martin - The eyes are a little spooky so a good post for Halloween. It's always difficult when the waning light is against you. I would have opened up my aperture a bit more to increase ss and let more light in in the field.

    I took a shot at the pp but the IQ isn't great. There's a blue and cyan cast coming through (most evident in the tail) so the first thing I did was decrease the blues through a hue/saturation adjustment and then reduced the cyans in the whites in selective color. Then I did a levels adjustment selectively to the leopard bringing the rhs in to 243 and then a midtones curves adjustment also selectively to the leopard. Finally I dropped the brightness of everything but the leopard by -3 to give it a bit more pop. WDYT?

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Much better thanks Rachel,
    I'm really poor at spotting colour casts until someone points them out to me.

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    Very nice RP Rachel, and good explanation on what you did. Martin, I would just follow her lead if it was mine.

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    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
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    I think this is really cool!
    Brought a smile to my face.
    I like the crop you chose for this as well.
    I saw the cyan cast on the tail as mentioned by Rachel.
    Another way to "skin the cat" pardon the pun would be to increase the brightness by +6 to the BG and +3 to the leopard thereby lightening the whole image but still adding pop to the leopard!
    Gail

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    Great sighting, Martin. The eyes and tounge sticking out made this image. I'd attempt to brighten the eyes just a tad more. I'm too very poor at seeing color cast, so thank you Rachel for pointing out and showing how to take care of color cast on this image. Loi

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Hi Martin, a unique sighting at a swimming pool, but great eye contact. I like what Rachel did to expose the leopard more.

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Martin - what an interesting sight? Which lodge was this?
    I think in terms of colour and processing the fine detail you have underdone yourself here Would love to take a crack at the RAW file if you feel so inclined? Even a high res JPG should do the trick.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    This is a quirky image and I like it - also think you could get more out of it and sure Morkel will do so!
    Ed

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    I had some free time so i had another go at PP on this image.
    Big improvement I think
    Name:  xikavi-at-swimming-pool-400kb.jpg
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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    This is an astonishing improvement from the OP. Good job! Love the natural colours but the way that the blue is reflected in her eyes.
    My only nit is that the face looks a little smooth - perhaps some reduced NR and selective sharpening there.
    Spot on.

    Ed

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Truly a big improvement!!
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Agreed with Morkel. the last RP is warmer and got rid of the blue cast. Now the water looks clear and fits with the title :)

    Loi

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