Results 1 to 22 of 22

Thread: Leopard on the Move

  1. #1
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa
    Posts
    820
    Threads
    135
    Thank You Posts

    Default Leopard on the Move

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    An image from a recent safari to Kambaku River Sands in the Timbavati Game Reserve. It is such an awesome camp and we had some fantastic game viewing, including this beautiful leopardess, we followed her for a little while shortly after she had finished feeding off a baby Steinbok kill, which was more of a snack than anything else, she offered us some great photographic opportunities and she moved around and even lay in a nice big marula tree for a while.

    Kambaku River Sands, Timbavati Game Reserve, South Africa.

    Camera
    NIKON D3S

    Lens
    Nikkor 200-400 F4 VR II

    Focal Length
    400mm

    Shutter
    1/800 secs

    Aperture
    f/5.6

    ISO/Film
    640

  2. #2
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Lovely angle, DOF and soft light here Brendon. Exposure looks great, one thing that bugs me (and it's something I noticed in my own processing too) is the look of the grass, as if you ran too much luminosity adjustment on the surroundings? It makes the midtones look muddy...
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  3. #3
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Hi Brendon,
    lovely image with the low POV, walking pose ,the crop and the detail in the cat.Not sure about colors, looks like a overall cast is running across the image.
    Took the liberty to rework, WDYT?

    TFS Andreas

  4. #4
    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

    I would be so happy if I had just half of your leopard sightings and images, Brendon!

    I like this very much, tried to look for the overal cast mentioned by Andreas but on my laptop I cannot really see it. The RP appears a bit lighter and the whites on the leopard looks better to me.

    Great image Brendon, well captured and presented as always!

    Kind regards,
    Last edited by Gabriela Plesea; 11-11-2013 at 04:54 AM. Reason: spelling error
    Gabriela Plesea

  5. #5
    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Somewhere else in the World
    Posts
    4,797
    Threads
    708
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Love the open mouth and attentive eyes on her Brendon, would be happy with both versions here, just wondering if you used a vignette blur or Nik glamour glow on this?
    As I like the effect and use it myself.
    TFS


  6. #6
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Hyderabad, India
    Posts
    5,088
    Threads
    1,356
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Super image Bendon! Great POV, nice eye contact. Andreas has reworked this well. Congrats.

  7. #7
    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

    Hi Brendon, gorgeous!

    A slight tweak in Selective colour will address the 'warmth' which may have been created if a luminosity layer has been applied, or just deselect the Lunin layer. If it has been applied, may I ask why, as I think it would not be required based on the overall exposure???

    My advice would be to take each image on it's own merits an not to have a 'completely fixed' workflow, only apply what is required. Just my 2 cents.

    Flipped may look better, just another option.

    TFS
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  8. #8
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    My advice would be to take each image on it's own merits an not to have a 'completely fixed' workflow, only apply what is required. Just my 2 cents.
    Aaaah, but that 'tis the hardest part isn't it Steve? Knowing WHAT exactly each photo NEEDS ...
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  9. #9
    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

    Perhaps, more importantly, it's knowing the 'cause & effect' each action has to the image, crack that, and...

    I'm just concerned that a Luminosity adjust seems to be applied to every image wether it needs it or not, as I say, 'less is more'. I could well be wrong about a Luminosity layer being applied, but it does seem to have that look, but obviously need to wait for your Mr C to respond.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Morkel Erasmus View Post
    Aaaah, but that 'tis the hardest part isn't it Steve? Knowing WHAT exactly each photo NEEDS ...
    Is not very subjective what every image needs ?

  11. #11
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa
    Posts
    820
    Threads
    135
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks very much marc, yes indeed used a little Nik Glamour glow and added a few tweeks, doesnt always work but i like it here.

  12. #12
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa
    Posts
    820
    Threads
    135
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks very much all for your great comments and advice. The warmth in the bg was a personal taste adjustment which i may take another look at and maybe adjust to something between the OP and Andreas RP. No Luminosity mask added to this image at all, infact it didn't even see PS, 98% Lightroom and then a quick few tweaks in Nik Colour Effex and done. I try to start each image from a neutral base when i comes to processing, yes there are a few tweaks you will most likely apply to most of your images but then from there the image has to talk to you and they are all different. I do agree with Morkel, i do have a bad tendency to wash out and create some muddy Midtones as in this image, sometimes it works, sometimes not. will have a relook at this one for sure.

  13. #13
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Brendon - very nice! Excellent low pov. Walking pose and comp work very well. I think there's a little more life to the op but the whites do look better in the rp, so maybe some combination of the pp. Steve - I thought "less is more" was my line

    TFS,
    Rachel

  14. #14
    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

    Thanks for the explanation Brendon, adding a LM can sometimes enhance the reds I've noticed, but the grass in the OP does look quite 'peachy' in colour, likewise the green is also quite vivid. Will take a look at Glamour glow to see the effect, cheers.

    Steve - I thought "less is more" was my line
    Need to think on that, however I thought we swopped, as you have my 16 x 9 crop.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  15. #15
    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

    Hi Brendon

    What a beautiful girl she is!!!

    Agree that in the OP the BG was a "peachy"..

    Shall I purchase the Nik software from Google? (149 USD)
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

  16. #16
    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    1,818
    Threads
    95
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Brendon, love the crop and comp. Was so free and flipped it in PS, must say, it looks much better to me flipped.
    Lots said above there is nothing else to add for me , only Cheers

  17. #17
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Thousand Oaks, California, United States
    Posts
    3,023
    Threads
    416
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Brendon, it's a lovely image, so much alive that you feel you are there! The low PAoV is really amazing here. Can't comment on the colors as I'm on an iPad. Loi

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

    Default

    Thanks again everyone, much appreciated. Steve you are quite right, i will definitely rework this one to remove the peachy colour in the BG slightly, the green i will drop as well, i purposefully saturated them a little more than usual but i see this may not work so well.

  19. #19
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Andre Pretorius View Post
    Hi Brendon

    What a beautiful girl she is!!!

    Agree that in the OP the BG was a "peachy"..

    Shall I purchase the Nik software from Google? (149 USD)

    Andre IMHO it's one of the best packages you can buy and at that price is a steal.
    Just make sure you don't become "lazy" in LR and PS because of it. Use it in moderation and try to understand how to achieve that in PS too.
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  20. #20
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Brendon Cremer View Post
    I do agree with Morkel, i do have a bad tendency to wash out and create some muddy Midtones as in this image, sometimes it works, sometimes not. will have a relook at this one for sure.
    I do it too! That's why I recognised it
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  21. #21
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Phoenix AZ
    Posts
    644
    Threads
    85
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Some good suggestions but a wonderful photo Brendon. Not sure how you always achieve such a great pov, I just have this picture in my mind of a guy hanging half way out a land rover, lens in hand.

  22. #22
    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    South Luangwa, Zambia
    Posts
    701
    Threads
    26
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Stunning image - all has been said so I'll just add that I'd love to have taken it!!
    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