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Like the scene and the dual species capture but that isn't exactly the most graceful pose I've seen from a cheetah
. Still, it's something different and techs look good as usual.
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Hi Morkel - nice scene and composition. I like the bit of water in the bg and the giraffe is a bonus. It seems a bit bright to me so if it were mine I would apply a luminosity mask to the highlights at about 40% or so.
TFS,
Rachel
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Hi Morkel, agree with Rachel's observations here, conditions do look tough based on the Cheetah. Really like the larger 'habitat' aspect of the image.
TFS
Steve
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thanks folks - I actually ran a lumo mask on it last night and felt it looked muddied even at 30% opacity, so I let it be (already ran one round here).
this cheetah is actually in great condition (save for the tailtip which he lost years ago in a scrap), he had been sleeping on his side so his coat looks a bit ruffled on the view we see here...
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Love the title and the pose. Had you moved five meters to your right the giraffe would have been to the right of the lower protruding stump with lots more separation from the cat and much better compositional balance.
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Originally Posted by
Arthur Morris
Love the title and the pose. Had you moved five meters to your right the giraffe would have been to the right of the lower protruding stump with lots more separation from the cat and much better compositional balance.
I agree about the placement/positioning, Artie.
First off, when shooting big cats on foot I tend to get into a position and hold that especially if the cat is looking my way (and he was pretty much looking mostly at me after getting into this position)...
Secondly - moving to the right would have made the fact that the giraffe was standing on the road a bit more obvious
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Originally Posted by
Morkel Erasmus
I agree about the placement/positioning, Artie.
First off, when shooting big cats on foot I tend to get into a position and hold that especially if the cat is looking my way (and he was pretty much looking mostly at me after getting into this position)...
Secondly - moving to the right would have made the fact that the giraffe was standing on the road a bit more obvious

,
With regards to first off, then you did not choose the best perspective when you chose your position :).
With regards to secondly, I believe that you are wrong. Why? If you moved to your right as I suggested then the taller grass just to the right of the low stump would have obscured the road more not less :) But that would have obscured the giraffes and lower legs as well. Maybe a bit more to the right would have been perfect.
Lastly, as I mentioned somewhere else recently all critiques are offered based on the assumption that all things are equal. By that I mean folks looking at an image do not know the fine points of a given situation and they cannot know what there is just outside of the frame :)
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
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I can agree on that. Sometimes I get so excited in the field that my fingers fumble with the controls and I am not capable of thinking clearly. I am actually glad that that still happens.....
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
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Dear Morkel,
I agree wholeheartedly with the comments above (regarding positioning when shooting), given that - like yourself - I mainly get to photograph animals in the wild and I really have to try and keep my cool and not let the excitement get the better of me. The thoughts "had I moved to the right" or " had I waited until my subject got there" occur ever so often, and I punish myself for not anticipating everything, for not seeing all that bothers me later when processing.
Well, as long as the sun is behind me and the subject makes a little eye contact I am usually quite happy with the outcome - I am certainly happy with what you got here, considering the fact that you were on foot and your subject might have decided any moment that it was time to walk away, so well done in capturing this image, love the fact that the patterns on the cheetah and the giraffe complement each other (there is something sweet and "spotty" about your subjects and I love it), nice eye contact with the cheetah, very well done! Great exposure and I love the composition, beautiful light, and the giraffe in the BG a great bonus-great work my friend!!!
Hope to see you at Zimanga next time
Have a fabulous week-end,
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Learning might be a better way to go than punishing oneself :).
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,
E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.
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:) You might want to go here: www.theWORK.com She teaches that pain and happiness and sadness and self punishment are choices :) You can always be happy and still improve as a photographer....
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,
E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.
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YAW. I try to show both my Artie side and my artsy side :)
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,
E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.
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I really like this image - an interesting combo. Giraffes can always be relied on to show interest in predators. I like the balance of the shot.
Ed
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