Results 1 to 18 of 18

Thread: River Horse

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

    Default River Horse

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    This young hippo, part of a larger pod, was very inquisitive and interested in us. It kept on bobbing up and down in the water as if is was peering over the edge of the boat to get a better look at us and what we were up to.

    Chobe River, Chobe National Park, Botswana

    Camera NIKON D3S
    Focal Length 600mm
    Shutter Speed 1/1000 sec
    Aperture f/5.6
    ISO 1400

  2. #2
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    UK / RSA
    Posts
    407
    Threads
    38
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Lovely pose Brendon, with the rolls of neck fat.
    Not completely sure about the composition though, although I am sure you've experimented with a vertical crop

  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

    Hi Brendon,
    lovely pose of the hippo sticking his head far out of the water,looking very curious what is going on……
    I do not mind about the crop, is working for me.
    Is the image taken in a foggy environment? Or did you use NIK filter to achieve the soft effect around the main subject, if so i would back off on the filter.
    Overall i think it is too light and too thin in tonal separation,if taken under normal condition, in foggy conditions it would look ok, reflecting the softness of dull sunlight through the fog with all that even light.

    Love the detail in the skin . But i think it could benefit from working on the blacks defining more the details , if you wish, if not still ok, maybe you wanted this effect.

    TFS Andreas

  4. #4
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Brendon - What a comical, fun image. Nice timing to get the hippo so high out of the water, good low pov and sharpness. I like the comp as is and feel that the wide eye just visible to the left adds to the image, as if that hippo is saying what the heck is going on. I do agree with Andreas that overall the image feels a little light. There's also a slight halo around the main subject.

    TFS,
    Rachel

  5. #5
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa
    Posts
    820
    Threads
    135
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks every much guys, yes indeed it is a little light around the subject but that was due to quite thick smoke in the area, the namibians were burning the reeds on the banks of the river causing the smoke, so not fog just smoke. I see the Halo now thanks Rachel, cause of the smokes light grey colour, i tried to add a slight cooling filter to it but i see i left a few halos here and there.

  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

    Hi Brendon, I like the quirkiness of the image, looks like the hippo is wearing a polo neck sweater, something different from what we have seen before.

    My first impression was the same as Andreas, you had applied a fog filter, but if this is due to burning then nothing you could have done. Good detail & clarity for ISO1400, although as point out earlier, there is a halo creeping down the RHS as viewed of the main hippo, in fact it's running on the head and LHS. Personally I would prefer not to have the RH hippo in frame as it's moving away & out of frame, but like my cub, nothing you could have done. Was this shot from land or from a boat?

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

  7. #7
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa
    Posts
    820
    Threads
    135
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks very much Steve, ya i think its just about makeing the best of a difficult situation, i will remove the cooling photo filter and mask and that should get rid of the Halo, think i will keep it with just the smoke in the BG. Image was shot sitting on the floor of a Boat as we drifted by.

  8. #8
    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

    Brendon when you do, please can you RP, be good for all of us to see the difference. I think we all have those times where we make something from a tough situation, but go for it, as we can also learn from the situation too.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  9. #9
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Bangalore, India
    Posts
    759
    Threads
    78
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    superb image! the pose & IQ are excellent. not sure if it needs a bit of ccw rotation.

  10. #10
    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    1,818
    Threads
    95
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Late to the party, sorry Brendon. Most has been said already above. I like this image a lot. I am sure when you apply the suggestions it will look marvelous

    Have a great eve

    Ciao
    Anette

  11. #11
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Very sharp and perfectly exposed with great detail on the subject. The erect posture and the rolls of fat on the neck are great. Two compositional wishes:

    1-wish that the the two o-o-f hippo backs were not in the frame.
    2-wish that the merge of the hippo on our right with the subject did not occur as it somewhat distracts from the wonderful subject.


    And a question: one each side of the subject's neck, there is a darker brown shape. The on on our left is triangular. The one on our right is round and sort of looks like a pig's nose on the right hand hippo. Any clue as to what they are?
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  12. #12
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Waukee, Iowa
    Posts
    433
    Threads
    155
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Brendon, as I scanned the thumbnails, this one really caught my attention! You managed to captured a very unique image. I love the expressionless face, the cute round ears, and the rolls of neck fat! The merges with the unidentifiable objects Artie mentioned just to the immediate left and right do distract a bit, but I don't mind the OOF hippos otherwise. As you stare at the subject, you can't help but wonder WHAT he/she was thinking.

  13. #13
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    637
    Threads
    78
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great image Brendon. Most has already been mentioned. The objects some are referring to appear to be the ears of other hippo behind it.

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

    Default

    Love this pose, the filtered light and the angle afforded by being on boat on the Chobe here Brendon.
    Artie - those would be the ears of hippos behind the main actor, I presume...
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  15. #15
    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

    Liked it when I saw this elsewhere Brendon.
    Love the turtle-neck sweater this young one is wearing.


  16. #16
    Landscapes Moderator Andrew McLachlan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Thornton, Ontario
    Posts
    6,039
    Threads
    480
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Brendon, this is a great pose for the main subject with superb eye contact too...I would evict the ears that Arthur mentions and also consider the hippo backs...if you are not opposed to such work. A vertical crop would also be nice as an alternate version to this image.

  17. #17
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa
    Posts
    820
    Threads
    135
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks very much once again everyone. Here is a RP with the Blue photo filter removed which should have taken care of the halos, i also added a little more clarity all around. WDYT

    Arty yes indeed those parts you are referring too are parts of other hippos in the bg, i will look for another similar image with possible less distracting elements and better position of the surrrounding hippo.

    Name:  _D3S2727.jpg
Views: 45
Size:  399.0 KB

  18. #18
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Colors in repost are far stronger and natural. Thanks for the additional info Brendan.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










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