Finally back!! Missed being here past few months and guess what - I have forgotten how to post and had to really rack my brains on how to PP from where I left off.
In April, I spent a week on the Chobe River in Botswana. I used some Nikon gear as well as my own on this specialised photography boat.
This image was one of the first images I captured that first afternoon and although it is not perfect I am quite taken with it.
Nikon D700 - 600mm f4 lens with 1.4 extender
ISO 1250 - f7.1 - 1/1250 - AP
I had to work with different software at times there and with Nikon Capture NX2 for the nef files. I learnt how to use control points and so when I got back I began playing around with Viveza 2 and used it here as well as some Topaz plugins.
This was at beautiful low light. I straightened the image using the muzzle as a measure to do this. I darkened the BG and FG slightly as well as emphasising the texture on the hippo portrait using the structure tool in Viveza 2.
Hi Carl, nice to have you back and posting, glad you remembered how, too. Was this with young Brendon, as you mentioned Chobe & Nikon?
Like the low angle the boat gives, sadly I had to accept lying down on the waters edge. Techs look good and I like the fact you have minimal tone in the BKG with only content in the FG. You might like to experiment with slightly darkening the shadow ares to create more 'form' within the Hippos head. Just watch you don't lighten the nostril vents too much. I would add some NR to the FG only. Nicely framed and sits well, hope to see more from you in the coming weeks & months.
TFS
Steve
BTW just back, bumped into a lot of folks from Phinda, small world.
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Love the low angle POV here Carl, the colour looks accurate as well, his attention is evident with that typical raised eybrow also, nicely captured.
FG noise levels look OK to me.
I love the silvery look of this hippo, nice low angle, and these prickly whiskers I just want to reach out and touch
Nice IQ and the crop/presentation just great, my favourite bit of this image is -as you know- the nostrils, wide open and pink and kind of cute...what did we call them, Etna and Vesuvius?
Great work Carl, you must have so much from this trip, I want to see it all!!!
Have a lovely Sunday, we are pottering around the house and getting ready for our short Kruger adventure next week-end, will pop by on BPN from time to time to see what's new, just cannot stay away...
Thanks all for your comments. I've tried to put all the suggestions in place. Let me know what you think. Thanks
Steve - Now that you mentioned the nostril vents I know Andre will have some comment as he said it reminds him of a volcano. I tamed those down a bit.
Hi Carl it's quite a departure from the OP, it has more depth and quite 'graphic' too in it's portrayal and in lifting it the FG is I feel is more pronounced, hence the NR suggestion, plus I would remove what looks like dust bunnies in the LHC. The skin has a more 'shinny' appearance in the RP, where the OP was more matt and perhaps a better rendition? The RP is going say more hi key and perhaps not so reflective of the time of day, WDYT? I do however like the idea of more life in the visible eye, although again personal preference I might just drop it a fraction.
Given the choice, both have their own merits, but I think the OP is closer and requires only a little work, you may feel that overlaying the RP on the OP and masking to bring in some of the new features is a starting point, but I do believe having a darker FG gives a platform for the subject to sit on, not sure if this helps? Great to see you developing your images, it's great way to learn Carl.
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Hi Carl very classical low POV shot with interesting color / contrast tonal range .I quite like the OP but Steve has made good points and a even better RP , and i agree with him about your RP at 100 %.It looks almost HDR `ish.
Hi Carl - Glad to see you back posting, we missed you. I too like the low pov and the tones. Good suggestions above and Steve's rp has taken the op up a notch. I hope to see more.
Very interesting image, my first impression was there was some form of HDR processing involved. In anycase, i do like Steves RP but i also do feel the image looks liek it was taken in very poor perhaps overcast conditions, i know you mention it was shot at beautiful low light and having spent some years on the chobe river there is nomally some great colour in the water at this time. I can see some pinks and reds coming through in the OP and perhaps you could punch this a little more and perhaps check the WB of the image which may help. Alternatively just to throw another spanner in the works this could work really well as a B&W just as another option.Here is just a limple conversion to B&W with some channel adjustments for the tones and then added a light vignette around aswell.
Nice low angle with rich color and detail. As Steve K. mentioned, just a very slight tweaking of your OP is all that's needed (and "needed" isn't necessarily required.)