Results 1 to 19 of 19

Thread: Low level Hippo

  1. #1
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default Low level Hippo

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Taken towards the latter part of the day, this was with a pod of about 15 hippo's ranging in all ages & sizes. Once they were use to your presence they easy/quickly settled down, however this does cause their curiosity to kick in and so you always have to be 'on your toes' as quite a few of you know, and move at a moments notice. Shot from a skiff, this is the FF image.

    Steve
    Subject: Curious Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius)
    Location: Botswana
    Camera: Canon MKIV
    Lens: 500f/4 plus 1.4x HH
    Exposure: 1/160s at f/11 ISO400 +0.33 stop compensation

    I applied a small tilt shift blur to the FG as the water lines & repeat patterns were too strong & dominant.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  2. #2
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Steve - the low pov on this is a real treat. Clarity, detail and sharpness are all perfect. I also like the tones. My only suggestion would be to tone down the highlights in just the uppermost block of water. Well done!

    TFS,
    Rachel

  3. #3
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    637
    Threads
    78
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    MMM So much detail here. Great low angle shot. TFS

  4. #4
    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    South Luangwa, Zambia
    Posts
    701
    Threads
    26
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Steve,

    Great details, particularly at 1/160s! Whites are a bit dominating in the bg, but could be recovered perhaps. I'd like a bit more space either side, but FF not allowing I guess. Perhaps the hippo's a bit dark and could be lightened slightly along the cheeks? Might be my screen though. Astonishing details around the eye.

    Ed

  5. #5
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    UK / RSA
    Posts
    407
    Threads
    38
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great pov, great detail Steve. There's definitely a warning look in that eye.

  6. #6
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    From my perspective I liked the idea of a darker FG to add weight to the image and felt the balance between light & dark was OK. This was the image before the blend so it might be tonally stronger with regard to that 'thought'? Ed I wanted to try and keep form to the shape of the folds etc so happy with it being a tad darker, but please feel free to RP, always good to have options.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  7. #7
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    7,738
    Threads
    455
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Dear Steve,

    I have no image at 1/160s that looks this good-did you use some kind of support, a bean bag or tripod?
    Exceptional detail on the hippo, and I really like what you did with the water in the FG. As soon as I opened this image my eyes were led straight to the eye of the subject-I love the expression you captured! The crop is great and I like that green bit at the top, it frames the picture perfectly.

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

  8. #8
    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Hluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
    Posts
    1,237
    Threads
    135
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Love the POV and the detail!!!

    Prefer the OP, to me comp is strong. The 3D effect of image is amazing. Love the "little" hairs on neck.

    Agree FG looks better with blur, not so distracting.

    Only suggestion as a slither off bottom...
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

  9. #9
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Lincolnshire UK.
    Posts
    4,951
    Threads
    187
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Steve could not fault it if I looked all day,excellent.

    Keith.

  10. #10
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    NY Metro
    Posts
    312
    Threads
    46
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I'm with the OP, and love everything about it! My first reaction after seeing the image was that Mr. Kaluski was probably snorkeling with the pod , so the added blur to the FG works nicely!
    I like the idea of how you've formed the darks and lights in the frame to bring the attention to the Hippo, and the subtle light on the back of it's head adds a nice touch too!

    TFS

  11. #11
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Thousand Oaks, California, United States
    Posts
    3,023
    Threads
    416
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Like the OP better too. I see what you meant regarding the water lines being too dominant. Excellent sharpness and the eye of the hippo looks fantastic. Not too crazy about the BG and the OOF hippo, but on a safari, you couldn't control everything. Loi

  12. #12
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
    Posts
    1,058
    Threads
    101
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    The day I get this much detail in an image is the day that'll stop and pat myself on the back. Holy smokes this is good and I am not brown nosing as you know my ego is too big to do that Steve LOL.

    Breakfast and lunch is on my next time in Feb and I'll be bugging you again about sharp techniques behind the camera and desktop.

    What was the primary reason for using F11 here? Purely to get enough detail in the head?

    Sooo good

    Jamie

  13. #13
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Hyderabad, India
    Posts
    5,088
    Threads
    1,356
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Superb detail and exquisite sharpness in the image steve. I love the angle and the color scheme.

  14. #14
    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    1,818
    Threads
    95
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Steve,

    what a great Hippo, the best I have seen so far for a long time Very nice done and I for sure do love the low angle.
    Have a great day and weekend

    Ciao
    Anette

  15. #15
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    So sharp - and at 1/160 from a skiff!
    (Gabriela, I've tried to pulse Steve's handholding technique from him for years, he doesn't budge )
    Love the dark to light transition and the tones of the hippo. In a perfect world the one in the BG would be gone or would have posed differently.
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  16. #16
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Steve,
    like this frame in all terms, nothing to talk bad gently, just good as is.
    Congrats on another secret of yours, the HH technic.Just really good sharpness for that SS.
    At least at web size.
    How do you get that low?

    TFS Andreas

  17. #17
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    7,738
    Threads
    455
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    [(Gabriela, I've tried to pulse Steve's handholding technique from him for years, he doesn't budge )
    Morkel-good morning! I wonder how he does it, my only technique is "shoot and don't breathe"

    Have a great week-end!
    Gabriela Plesea

  18. #18
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa
    Posts
    820
    Threads
    135
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    LOvely image Steve, with loads of detail. I do like your RP without the FG blending the tones are just better for me, ideally a little more space all around would have been great but alas not to be. The dark to light tones from FG to bg work really nicely for me, but then comes the dark Stripe on top, which doesn't for me but more personal taste.

  19. #19
    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    South Luangwa, Zambia
    Posts
    701
    Threads
    26
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    RP is great. Agree with Brendon about the stripe at top, but just taste.
    Ed

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics