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Thread: A Million Animals

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Default A Million Animals

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    How do you photograph this amazing spectacle? I believe it's impossible, though I have tried and I know many others try year after year.
    I believe the best way to photograph this is with the mind...and a cold Tusker in the hand.

    Still - what do you think of this attempt? On this afternoon the plains were dotted for 360 degrees with the big herds. Literally hundreds of thousands. If not a million (the herds had suddenly all come back to the Mara Triangle after sudden late rains on the plains on the other side of the Mara river in the exact week we were there).

    I sized to 1200px although this needs to be seen at the full 36mp resolution . Had to save at 74 quality to fit in under 400kb.

    Techs:
    Nikon D800
    Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR-II
    f8.0 | 1/320 SS | ISO-1000
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel,
    This is the quintessential African scene. it makes me long for a return visit to Africa so you have evoked the right feelings with this image.
    I really like the placement of the wildebeest in the RLC and the lone tree on the left.
    I wonder why you used your 70-200 lens instead of a wide angle to get a wider view? Not criticising your decision - just wondering.
    I would crop this to a pano to just below your signature thus losing some of the sky and the darker corners. I find I get the darker corners if I haven't placed my petal hood on properly.
    I see a little dust spot in the sky about halfway. easy fix.
    Gail

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    Lifetime Member Ashleigh Scully's Avatar
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    Hi Mr. Erasmus,

    I agree with Gail this was composed really well with the wildebeest in the front right corner and the tree towards the left side. It looks like the scene from Dances with Wolves when they found the bison herd. It's almost unbelievable how many animals there are in this view. Great shot! You live in an amazing place. I live in New Jersey - want to trade?

    Ashleigh
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/awscully/

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks gals!

    Quote Originally Posted by gail bisson View Post
    I wonder why you used your 70-200 lens instead of a wide angle to get a wider view? Not criticising your decision - just wondering.
    That's part of what I found challenging, Gail. The wide angle (I tried a 24-70 and 14-24) just distorts the distant horizon and herds so much that you don't really get that feeling that they stretch on forever. I got better results with the 70-200 for trying to convey this...not the "perfect" shot, but the best I could manage at the time. Perhaps next year I will have a different take on it.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel,

    many animals in one image, looks great. I would get rid of the dark corners as well. Well only on top with more pano as you did already
    My choice would have been as well the 70-200 with this one, just from the Landscape side of view!

    The blacks look a tad to dark for me, just IMHO
    The tree is a nice add on, wish it would be a bit closer.
    So many animals!

    Have a great eve

    Ciao
    Anette

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel - I think this works quite well to show the large herds. Is there a slight distortion at the horizon, seems like a slight curvature but it may have actually been that way. Only other way that I've seen to successfully capture this type of scene is from the air either a balloon or flight. Maybe try that next year!

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Morkel,
    i echo your thoughts on this. I was at the Mara and have shot many such scenes only to leave them unprocessed in my hard drive. I agree that there is nothing like having a cold Tusker in hand, sit back and watch the scene from the safari vehicle!! But your image has made me open my RAW files to check the similar shots I got & process them.
    You did very well here, lots of interest and detail in your image. I agree with you, the 70-200 is the best choice. I shot similarly with the 70-200 f/4 IS.
    TFS.
    sanjeev

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    Almost the hardest thing of all, trying to capture this spectacle. I think that the most successful images are ones where the herd is spread out but then filters into a narrower mass so that you get a sense of the beasts together. You also need the higher viewpoint, which you have here. The best time to get that is when the wildebeest are on the move so that the lower third of the image would have all those animals coming together and towards you. This is discounting the massing of the herds for a crossing, but that's been done a million times.

    All that aside, you have a nice picture of many animals and the wide open plains of the savannah although I would like to see something of a little more interest in the foreground. I find the closest wildebeests to be very dark and clogged and the distant blue a little overpowering. Agree with the suggestions to remove the dark corners.

    This kind of shot is much harder than most people realise, unless they've tried and wasted gigabytes of CF card space on the attempts! Like me!

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    No critique from me Morkel, just enjoying the scene and wondering why I haven't got a Tusker in the fridge. Wait a minute, it's only 8:30 am.

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Nothing can ever do justice to majestic scenes such as this, but I do like this attempt Morkel, and totally agree with your use of the 70-200.
    (btw, what focal distance were you at, as it's not in your specs?)

    Love the balance of the FG Gnus with the lone acacia mid left.
    I too have tried with wider lenses and the results pale in comparison with what your eyes/mind really see, so the 70-200 fits the bill well.
    Sightings, such as this are a great time to setup for breakfast and soak it all in.
    TFS


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    Hi Morkel

    From someone that's never seen a spectacle like this I think its simply amazing...! and I can imaging how it would be difficult to photograph and to try and capturing the grandeur in a way that made you feel like you did it justice...

    DON

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    Morkel you did well here. One can't help but be moved by moments like this as it is a spectacular event in that part of Africa. TFS

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Amazing sighting Morkel, would love to see this with my own eyes, no crits from me, just compliments for capturing this so beautifully!


    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    Wow!! I would reduce blues/cyans a little in BG - otherwise stunning.
    Ed

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel, great one.
    Good choice in all parameters, agree with the majority of comments above.

    Was surprised that nobody commented on the blues so far, was my initial thought when i first watched the image, what happened to those blues , Morkel?

    TFSAndreas

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks everyone. Will relook the blacks.

    Quote Originally Posted by Andreas Liedmann View Post
    Hi Morkel, great one.
    Good choice in all parameters, agree with the majority of comments above.

    Was surprised that nobody commented on the blues so far, was my initial thought when i first watched the image, what happened to those blues , Morkel?

    TFSAndreas
    Mmmmm...gonna leave the blues - it was rainy weather and the sky had that hue to my eyes too. My vision, after all
    Morkel Erasmus

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    You have been there, and you must like it the most in the end, if that is case, i am fine with it.

    Still like it a lot.

    Cheers Andreas

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