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Thread: On the Rocks

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Default On the Rocks

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    Sorry guys but I'm going with another African shot. Taken at Kirkman's Kamp in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa. This is the Schotia female. She is presently pregnant and it was believed by the guides and trackers that on this particular morning she was checking out the den sites that she had previously used, including a rocky area below the lodge on the Sands River. Here she crosses the rocks in the early morning light.

    Canon 5D3
    70-200 II @ 150mm
    1/800
    f4.5 (I should have stopped down but we were following her from shade to sun back to shade, etc)
    ISO 800
    HH from safari vehicle, ff, levels, curves, luminosity mask, selective color adjustments, dodging and burning, sharpened in CCPS.

    C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

    Rachel

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    You have too much time on your hands young Rachel, what happens when it's wet & miserable outside?

    Nice overal composition, reducing the blue in the FG rock helps, likewise an overall Midtone adj, adds a hint more depth.

    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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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Aaaah, there comes the cat, was waiting for it

    The highlights I would tame in all areas, just me. Especially in the RH rock bottom.
    F/4.5, oh wow how low. However, the left back legs is not sharp, I assume due the f number. But it does not disturb me, I take everything
    Agree with the blue cast in the FG rocks, would as well tone them down, that the morning sun has a warmer tone overall.
    Just all, as usual IMHO Your taste might see it different

    Have a great day

    Ciao
    Anette

    PS I very much like the space around the animal

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel i like the overall setting with those rock formations a lot and the walking leopard in front .
    Good detail in the subject and the rocks.
    I am with Anette about the HL and the mid tones with Steve.
    If this was mine i would loose the busy FG , or at least parts of it, all saying this sitting in my chair.And yep the blues………...

    TFS Andreas

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Never apologise for "another" african image Rachel.
    Tells the story nicely here, with her rocky environment, perhaps another round of lumo mask to ease back on some the bright highlight areas in the rocks & twig debris being really critical.

    TFS


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    Forum Participant BenBotha's Avatar
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    I agree about the fore ground and the high lights. Never to many African photos, looks as if you had a wonderful time.
    Ben

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions. Here's a rp attempting to implement them.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel - works better .Not possible to get totally rid of the HL in the rocks and the HL in the mess in the FG ?

    Andreas

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Andreas - thanks. I guess I am not understanding your question, particularly about the rp. There are no highlights in the image that are blown so why would I want to get rid of the highlights completely? The light was uneven at the time of capture so there will necessarily be highlights and shadows.

    Thanks,
    Rachel

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Rachel not meaning blown , just very light and my eyes are drawn to these points , meaning just make the HL darker if possible . Hope that clarify my question.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks, it does. I think I'll leave it as in the rp though. Just personal preference.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Andreas, the light was still quite low, albeit starting to get harsh and coming from the LHS and so any highlights on the sticks & wood debris from when the river was swollen would have minimal or zero tone in them, hard to avoid on this. Sadly the other vehicle had the better position with the sun behind them, and it was a 50/50 on where she was going to pop out.

    I think Rachel you could still drop a bit more the blue in the FG, but also evict the wood in the FG rock.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Actually prefer the OP, wonderful setting and the light albeit harsh looks lovely.

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    Hi Rachel, great image, dont have much to add other than i Echo steves comments. Image does look sharp all the way through to me including the back leg, but difficult to tell here, i would check it on the original, if its not sharp and you are confident your focus is spot on, then i would suggest getting your camera a lens calibrated as it may be front focusing, at the distance this image looks to be taken at even at f4.5 your depth of field would have been at least 2m more than enough for a buffalo let alone a leopard.

  15. #15
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Neil and Brendon. Brendon - it is sharp throughout. I think what Anette is referring to is an area on the left rear leg that doesn't have as much detail because it was hit with a ray of harsher light and had to be recovered.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    I love the setting here, Rachel. Won't add much to the above discussion but will suggest taking some off the OOF bottom?
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    Yes I would remove some of the bottom of the image (perhaps to half way up that tangle of stick in the llc) and then decide if you will remove the remains of the sticks.
    Ed

  18. #18
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    A beauty Rachel, my eyes are drawn to the leopard and the sticks/debris do not bother me one bit, although I am inclined to think I would crop a tad from the bottom if this were mine - but wow, what a sighting!!!

    I perfectly understand your camera settings when shooting here - well done, you have handled the lighting conditions extremely well, also I like the inclusion of environment and appreciate the story behind this capture. Image is well processed and presented.

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

  19. #19
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Morkel, Ed and Gabriela. I'll look at a crop from the bottom.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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