Kij-Kij, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa...
I have been playing around with some monochrome conversions on this image and eventually came up with this one...?! Processing in Lightroom, Nik Silver Efex and final tweaks on midtones and some dodging and burning in CS6...
Canon 7D and 500mm F4L lens at 1/400s, F7.1 and ISO 400.
Hi Rudi, I love the conversion here...very nice. I think it's a little tight for me, especially on the bottom, but it's nit picky stuff and I would be pretty happy with this just as it is.
I just had a look at your website and liked what I saw, very arty stuff and I loved the B/W conversions Just wondering, are we going to bump into each other one day in the Kalahari? Myself and Andre go there twice a year, every year - it would be nice to get acquainted. Lovely image and lots of expression from the lion couple, I can almost see them facing the wind, the male's mane lifted by the breeze. I gather we share the same affection for that magic place, I can see it in your images, wish you would post more often here in Wildlife.
I am a great fan of your work, there's an intimate feeling about this portrait, something raw and very Kalahari like - thank you Rudi, I enjoyed viewing, very very much.
Thanks for the replies and thoughts guys! Yes, I wa a bit too close for that 500mm and should have opted for the 50D with the 100-400...
Gabriela, yes, the Kgalagadi stirs something in me that I cannot explain... Will be there one my own at Rooiputs (on the Botswana side) from 14 to 20 June and another 4 days at Mata Mata with a friend... Will be great to share our passion one day and to have a braai and some red wine to tip it off..
Love your toning and contrast here Rudi - through perhaps shadows on their faces can be lifted a little. Not too keen on the bright white section around the male's head which appears as a halo on the thumbnail and the full size image, doesn't look like a natural effect to me...I'd look at selectively lessening the tonal contrast between that "halo" and the areas around it.
Thank you Rudi, and it is wonderful to know like-minded individuals like yourself, I am sure we'll have an opportunity to meet and hopefully at Rooiputs (one of our favourite places). We are only going in October, next year it will be probably February or March - we'll be in touch
When I look at your Kalahari images I like trying to figure out the spot where the image was taken, I know it's often impossible, but the joy of knowing the place intimately is always there. I must have an image of every lion I have seen in the Park and I try to keep some records of them, love to see them growing up and growing old.
Braai and red wine sounds great, lions roaring nearby and the odd naughty jackal calling in the distance and you got the perfect set up for a magic evening
Hi Rudi , nice work on conversion and overall tone /contrast. I personally like the "halo" you created because give a very nice separation between the subject and BKG.Sadly as yourself said too tight all around specially on RHS .
Without looking at any other comments i can say that i like the treatment
Since this is full frame at 500mm you had no other options.
I likethe feel of this and it makes a nice painting like feel something that can be put up on the wall and be admired .
Hi Rudi - I was away and the travel netbook did not do this image justice so wanted to wait to comment until I was on my calibrated monitor. Yes, it is a little tight but the conversion and toning work very well. You brought out excellent detail too.