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Thread: On the lookout

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    Default On the lookout

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    My swansong date with my 7D was in February this year when I made a quick dash to the Mara for a week. I had some excellent sightings, especially in the quieter Mara North Conservancy. We spent around 4 hours with this cheetah and her cubs on this occasion and although it was after 9am, so the light was hardening, it is one of the sweeter poses I thought.

    7D; 300f4; ISO400; I/500; f13

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Hillary ,
    like the shot of the Cheetahs family on the lookout.The one crawling under mummys belly is a very nice bonus.
    The comp should move slightly to the left by losing some of the RHS, for me.
    The overall image is a bit dark and a tad too yellow for my taste.Plus i would like to see a bit more clarity in the darker areas , looking a bit flat.

    I think with some tweaks i could be looking very good, still good though.

    TFS Andreas

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    Like the family portrait, what works well for me are the three head.

    Would agree with Andreas on the yellows and slight up life in exposure. I know you are having some issues with your new office, so have posted a RP to perhaps help you out a bit.

    Name:  cheetahs-2136-BPN.jpg
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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Hilary - great poses especially with the youngster under the mom. I agree on the yellow cast but Russell's version is too cool for me so maybe somewhere between the two. I wouldn't crop from the rhs because of the bush but would like a tad more room on the left if you have it but not a deal breaker.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Great looking cheetahs Hilary. Youngster under mum's belly has a great expression.
    I concur with what Andreas wrote about the colours. Like Rachel I think Russell has made the image too cold.
    I too find the composition a bit central and would like a bit more space one the left side, I see no point cropping from the RHS unless you can add onto the LHS.

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    This is an Awesome shot Hilary! I have been to mara for two consecutive years and never could sight something like this so am envious You have some good advice above. Taker care!
    TFS.
    Cheers,
    Sanjeev

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    Beautiful - Russel definitely takes it in the right direction but a little too coolly! I would warm a bit, and perhaps drop whites a touch.
    Lovely lovely image - be very happy to have it as mine.
    Ed

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    Thanks everyone for your suggestions and comments. I've just had a chance to look at both my OP and Russell's RP (thanks for that Russell) on my desk top computer rather than my iPad and am about to re-calibrate my monitor again as I'm afraid that the colour cast in Russell's is very noticeable on my screen. Given that nearly everyone seems to think it is better than the one I presented, I think I have a problem.

    It will be very interesting to see what the calibration throws up!

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    Something like this?
    EdName:  131123_.jpg
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    Ok, I have recalibrated and although there has been some shift since moving my desk and monitor, there is not enough to account for the disparity in what people are seeing as regards colour. I can pull just the slightest bit of red and yellow out, but not much because then the colour looks completely unlike what the country was like (in my eyes, at least). The contrast is a different matter and I have moved the lights in the office which I think were unbalancing my processing … we shall see how it effects my work tomorrow.
    Thanks for the repost Ed but it looks like there is too much structure and sharpness applied and it isn't a natural look to me.
    As far as the crop goes, this is full frame and I have to admit that I took it like this so that there was a pyramid shape to the animals, mirrored by the termite mound. Yes, I could have swung the camera a fraction to the left but cropping the edge of the bush was not an option.
    Sometimes I feel that we lose sight of the reality and emotion of nature in our search for technical perfection and I don't agree that it is necessary for every pixel to be perfect to make an effective wildlife photograph. For me, I find that the final step in making the image just how I want it comes in the printing process and I know that my on screen image is only part of the way to how it will end up once I have selected my paper stock and made adjustments to the image to suit it. Some art papers I use bring out the contrast, some reduce it.

    So I just want to say that I greatly appreciate all the comments and feedback, I really do, but sometimes I just have a different vision. I am quite ok with it not pleasing everyone else.

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    Great - good for you. I'm sure that people on this forum will still continue to give their ideas and thoughts on photos that are posted, but it's great if you have your own vision and know when you want to take advice, and when you want to do your own thing.
    Ed

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Hillary,
    there is no need of pleasing each and every one of us, we all have different visions of our own and images of others.We set the importance of the image content, technical perfection and art all differently, that is good , otherwise we would see only images looking all the same.So we can listen to others or we can ignore what they are saying, both ways are ok.

    I would like to know , what monitor you use , and how you calibrate it, if you are not having a hardware calibrated screen , at least for me it is a piece of junk……….!!!!!!!!

    All software based calibration is not really 100% correct and consistent , that is a FACT. And there are not that many hardware calibrated screens on the market, and they cost really big $ , but worth every single one.

    I personally own a EIZO as second and a QUATO as first screen, both hard ware calibrated, i just calibrate them once a month, never had any color changes , if there was something "wrong " with color, it was just my fault, because i did not realize the casts.

    Color is subjective, very much, but at least you need a trustful equipment, that shows color correctly , but you have to make it able to display the colors correctly.

    If you use the eyedropper in PS , that shows objective the colors, not subjective like our eyes. So you cannot say "what people see", you can say i like it that way, i remember the colors has been that yellow , orange ………!

    In the end , it all very subjective all about, i think.

    Have fun ,Cheers Andreas

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Well, for what its worth, IMHO, the OP just needs some simple balancing in the 'Exposure' slider to get to where it needs to be, balancing the whites/highlights. The detail is there and the framing/comp/content work beautifully.

    Just making some simple changes, perhaps add a bit of mid tome coupled with a luminosity layer and curves tweak applied to specific areas, just beings thing up, but all with a subtle tweak. Yes you could move the sky from a 'magenta' based blue to a perhaps a more 'yellow' tone may help, as the OP just looks a little dirty and Russells is just too cool, but again these are subtle refinements.

    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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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Hello Hilary,

    Sorry to comment so late, I saw the image yesterday at work but decided to check it out again on my "calibrated" monitor Let me start by saying that I love the way your subjects are positioned and the detail in this image. Regarding colours, I think Edward's RP is most pleasing, your image is a tad hot and Russel's a tad cool for me. Stunning capture, when it comes to techs I would definitely follow Steve's advice, just remember to do "subtle tweaks". Keep them coming Hilary, I love your work and certainly looking forward to more!

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Thanks Steve for the extra fine tuning, appreciated.

    Andreas, I use an Eizo and calibrate with a Spyder 3. The monitor hasn't shifted previously, my current problem reflects the changed position in my office where the light from the windows (although behind blinds, it doesn't block completely) and the artificial lights have changed right down to the new long life globe. I need to make a few further changes to get back a consistent environment.

    These things are set to test us out every now and then.

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Good to hear that you have a "good " screen , the problems you have should be sorted out easily , from what i understand, can i ask you for the model you have? Is it a CG ?Which software you use ? Eizo ?Spyder?

    Regards Andreas

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    Yes Andreas an Eizo CG. I used to use Eye1 which I preferred to Spyder, but Spyder and its software is what I have now. I think I will change back as I think that the Eye1 is a better product. The Eizo software won't work with my Spyder and I've not had time to figure out why.

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Good stuff you are working with .Think the Eye One is the better choice.

    Andreas

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Hi Hilary,

    late to this post. Lots has been said above, guess I do not need to chime in. Very nice image, like it with the youngsters very much

    Have a great Sunday

    Ciao
    Anette

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