Giraffe @ Mara

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

This image was made around 11 am at Masai Mara in Aug 2013. The light was a bit harsh but tried to get a clean head shot with a clear BG. PP in DPP, PS CS5, Nik Detail extractor, small crop for comp, sharpened in PS. If i were shooting now I'd use f/8 and up the ISO. But well....Still I think I got got detail & reasonable DOF.

Camera	Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Exposure	(1/500)
Aperture	f/5.6
Focal Length	500 mm
ISO Speed	100
Exposure Bias	0 EV

[John Robinson]

Sanjeev
I dont know much about this sort of material but it looks fine to me. I like the touch of interest in the background as opposed to a plain colour. Others may find technical faults but I wouldn't know about that. I quite like the mouth and the teeth !! Lovely gentle expression.
John

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Sanjeev, well in your own crit you know the pit falls, but it's great that a your are building on them and spotting them too, so you know for the future, look back at how far you have come, well done.

I assume this is from the top hatch, if so, good call as it almost brings you eye level with the subject which is nice. The light might be harsh, but you have good detail in the eye and retained tone throughout the body. Personally on the subject I might just drop the Red, and then a bit of blue & magenta, the last two I think creeping in on the blackish forehead, WDYT? Did you apply a Luminosity layer, if so, that might be giving the reddish 'hue', just a thought. A small Channel curves adjustment just brings a bit more tone too. Agree though, a higher ISO for more DOF coupled with a faster SS and you would have really nailed it, the BKG would still be diffused because of the distance & compression of the lens.

Just remember it for this years trips.

TFS
Steve

PS I'd flip it L to R.

[Steve Kaluski]

Sanjeev, drop the Magenta, via the Red channel in Selective colour perhaps around -20, Global adjustment.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Sanjeev - Nice look at the giraffe. Interesting bump on the forehead. I like that you can see the teeth and the fine hairs around the mouth. I agree with your self-critique of your field techs and also agree with Steve on the magentas, particularly in the darker areas of the head/horns. I also agree with Steve that you have made leaps and bounds this year. Well done.

TFS,
Rachel

[Anette Mossbacher]

A three horn Giraffe, very seldom that people will ever see such a graceful animal.

A beautiful portrait Snajeev, all has been said already "upstairs". Very well done in all. Congrats

Have a nice eve

Ciao
Anette

[edwardselfe]

Very nice - I think that a slight drop in exposure and a little global contrast boost would work well too.
Ed