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Thread: Backlit Hyena

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Default Backlit Hyena

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    We heard a pack of hyenas before we saw them but then followed them as they had a nice romp through the area in the early morning after successfully hunting or stealing another predator's prey before returning to their den. This allowed the camp to locate the den because they knew the hyenas were denning in the area but had not located the den yet. At one point this hyena was nicely backlit and I was able to take this image.

    Canon 5D3
    70-200 II @ 200mm
    1/1600
    f5.6
    ISO 800
    HH from safari vehicle, slight crop for comp, luminosity mask, levels, curves, selective color adjustments, sharpened in CCPS.

    C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

    Rachel

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    Great choice of settings, with just enough dof for the subject. Good control of highlights, but also detail in the darks. I like the comp and the relaxed pose of the hyaena. I think you've almost made a hyaena look elegant (I love them but not for their looks!). I wonder if you could get more richness in those beautiful orange specular highlights behind...without going over the top of course. I like the three little grasses coming up along the neck, but I find the one under the chin a little distracting and I would consider removing that one.
    Very nice.
    Ed

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel , you did well controlling the HL and you brought out nice detail in the darker areas.Nice rich colors, which i really like , just wondering that YOU get that saturation in your edit . Normally we see more dull colors from you .
    Comp works for me .
    I think this a good example of the limited dynamic range of the cameras we use , unless we edit the image more than just levels /curves, just my thoughts.
    I would open up the shadow area of the subject , i think there is more detail to bring out without looking unnatural or heavy lightened.

    TFS Andreas

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    Scruffy fur coats really look fabulous with backlighting like this! Love the golden hairs on his chinny, chin, chin! A bit more light and detail in the face would be good. The golden highlights in the bkgd echo those golden highlighted hairs. Very dramatic and nicely different!

  5. #5
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Ed, Andreas and Nancy for the comments and suggestions. I'll take another look at it. Andreas- that's the way the colors were at the time of capture. I didn't add any more saturation here than I do to my other images.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    Hi rachel, you controlled the exposure very well here, good details in both the highlights and shadow, nice pose. The only thing i would wish for is a less cluttered BG, perhaps you could try to darken it just a tad. Loi

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    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
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    A nice portrait Rachel. Agree with Edward, almost makes them look elegant.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Loi and Steve, much appreciated.

    Rachel

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel, personally I find it a little too rich & saturated, from recollection rather than accessing the files, the colours were more muted, softer tonally, however it's what you wish to create within the image that matters.

    TFS
    Steve

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Steve - Could be but this was mostly created in camera. Perhaps I just underexposed a bit more than you to emphasize the highlights in the backlighting and in the surrounds.

    Thanks,
    Rachel

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Although it should not effect the RAW I still have my reservations about having any preset styles i.e. Standard set within the camera.

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    I like these "rim lighting" type backlit images. Nice details despite the shaded face. I too would look into eliminating the curved bright grass below the chin, but I really like the mood you got here.

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  14. #13
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Daniel

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