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Thread: What's up? (C)

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
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    Default What's up? (C)

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    Another image from our Emdoneni morning.

    The Serval was constantly moving around in the enclosure with a large tree which they sometimes climb and sleep in.

    She heard something above her, stopped briefly to look up.

    I was concerned with light, decided to use spot metering as I was using spot focussing, reasoning that where I focus(the eye), the exposure will be correct.

    There were some tree trunks of smaller trees behind her in BG, cloned out as it was bothering. In retrospect should have changed angle. In the heat of moment still only concentrating on focus,comp, and techs- must learn to pay attention to BG as well…...

    Nikon D3S with 300F2,8
    Aperture Priority
    ISO 1000
    1/800 @ 4,5
    VR on
    Last edited by Steve Kaluski; 11-10-2013 at 06:52 AM.
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

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    Hi Andre - See you managed to clone it all out. There is really good detail here and I enjoy that pose. Super shot my friend.

  3. #3
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Andre, I think the trip to Mr Nikon has helped, or is it a combination of Nikon & updated PP?

    I was concerned with light, decided to use spot metering as I was using spot focussing, reasoning that where I focus(the eye), the exposure will be correct.
    Interesting thought, never thought about it in that way, be interest to know others thoughts?

    I think you could afford to loose some space on the LHS, I think there is perhaps just a little bit too much dead space. I like the posture and intense gaze, but I would have increased the ISO just to gain a minimum f/5.6. IMHO spot on with the FP, but I think in your masking you may have missed a few areas with your brush as it jumps from sharp to as shot to sharp, easy to check on your masking. If you have lightened the corner of the eye, unless that light I might just pull it back to being a fraction darker. Good to see no casts within the whites, well done.

    Given another opportunity I think you need to explore more 'angles, lenses etc' as opportunities don't come up that often with these so plan ahead.

    Hi Andre - See you managed to clone it all out.
    Indeed, well done.

    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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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Andre - nice detail and . With the serval's attention upwards did you try any portrait oriented images? I'd like a bit more room above and less to the lhs. Nice job on the cloning. As always, Steve has made excellent points.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Andre,
    like the detail, tones and color of this image.
    Would agree about more DOF and maybe going vertical and losing from LHS.
    Do not like the BKG, looks kind of too sterile for my taste , is a bit looking like a montage to me, but no deal breaker.Think i would have left some parts of the original BKG.

    TFS Andreas

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    Lovely portrait of a secretive cat. Agreed with Steve that too much dead space on the left. A vertical shot would have been great. I think the green BG is lovely. Don't think you have to use spit metering together the eye exposed correctly. If you get the whites exposed properly here, the rest will work itself out I think. Loi

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Lovely pose and crisp details Andre! I second Steve that it could lose some off the LHS.
    Exposure seems spot on - interesting technique which I will have to try out on our upcoming Etosha/KTP trip.
    I would love to see you try some wide(r) angle expressions on your next visit to this rehab centre?
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Great image, nice colours and the space and comp works for me however i can see how a portrait orientation crop would also work quite well. A little more DOF would have been great to get the far ear in focus as well as getting rid off the fall off down her back. Interesting choice of metering modes, the theory is sound but would also imagine that a fair amount of exposure and shadow recovery would of had to been done or not so? The down side of spot metering off the eye is that if you are not 100% accurate with every shot the drastic changes of tone around the eye will result in very different images, however in this image you got it bang on by the looks of things, very well done.

  9. #9
    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
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    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Thank you every-one for comments and suggestions.

    Tried a 8x10 crop, WDYT?

    Thanks Carl, Steve- Fixed eye, checked mask for sharpening, Rachel I had no room on top, sorry?

    Andreas, hopefully the crop takes care of lots of greens.

    Loi, you have 2 seconds to capture the image, no time to check exposure on whites, this cat was moving, man…

    Morkel, I have it planned to get wider shots, two obstacles- low light, high ISO- the other bodies are D330S, they can't handle more than 800 ISO. To change lenses on the D3S will be wasting valuable time. The other problem is the close proximity of the fence- anything more than 5,6 would give a BG with a fence in it, more evident with the 70-200. I will have 2 sessions, maybe one with 300 f2,8 and next with 70-200, leave the D300S bodies @ home…

    Thank you Brendon, hopefully the crop now takes care of her back.

    Regards

    Andre
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Thanks Andre
    works better in all terms, at least for me.

    Andreas

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Andre, you could even go square, with slightly less above and a fraction more to the right?
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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