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Thread: Black and White Leopard

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Default Black and White Leopard

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    It's been over a week since I posted a leopard image . Here's another one of the fairlty cooperative Vomba Young Male as he sat atop a termite mound. A couple of our rangers on this recent trip commented on how they always liked to get images of leopards looking up. I liked this one because of the partially open mouth and visible teeth. Taken at Londolozi in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa. I struggled with the crop a bit on this one. I shot this in portrait and already took some off the top but it's ff on the sides. I tried square but didn't love it. So would appreciate any suggestions.

    Canon 5D3
    300 II plus 2x III
    1/1000
    f6.3
    ISO 800
    Beanbag from safari vehicle, luminosity mask, levels, curves, selective dodging and burning, converted in Nik Silver Efex, Detail Extractor at 4%, sharpened in CCPS. Because this was a more arty shot for me with the conversion, I removed a piece of grass across the tip of the ear.

    C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

    Rachel

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Nice details with good DOF here Rachel, (perhaps just a tad more USM on the eyes?) just shows how little is lost with the 300 2.8 + 2 tc, I remember my Nikon 300 with great fondness.

    I'm a little undecided on this monochrome conversion, perhaps it's just the light BG, not sure? A colour version might just do it for me
    It's a shame you have no room on the LHS, as I think it needs more canvas on the left and could bring back even more up top as well giving him more gazing room, given the fact that he's looking right into that top LHC, WDYT?
    I'm also a sucker for leopard "lookup" images as well, so this is still a keeper for mine.

    TFS


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    BPN Member Douglas Bolt's Avatar
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    I really like the B&W version. It really makes the animal almost jump out of the image. Being very sharp certainly contributes in a positive way.
    Douglas Bolt
    DougBoltPhotography.com

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    Hi Rachel. I like this one a lot in monochrome. The one thing that keeps pulling my eye away is the BG. Rather than getting the sense of a termite mound, it has the appearance of a studio paper backdrop. The crop works well for me.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Marc, Douglas and Ian. Marc - I too would prefer a bit more room on the left but sadly don't have it and I don't normally add canvas.

    Ian - the bg is sky with some of the tall grass not termite mound. The leopard was on top of the termite mound.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rachel Hollander View Post
    Because this was a more arty shot for me with the conversion, I removed a piece of grass across the tip of the ear.

    Rachel

    Quote Originally Posted by Rachel Hollander View Post
    Thanks Marc, Douglas and Ian. Marc - I too would prefer a bit more room on the left but sadly don't have it and I don't normally add canvas.
    Rachel

    As you state above being an arty piece, and therefore with a more liberal approach , my question on adding some more canvas on the LFS could be implemented, no?

    Just a thought.


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  11. #7
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Funny Marc, I was doing just that when you posted as a sort of experiment. It can of course always be implemented but is not something I normally do because my images are mostly for personal use and I can't "fool" myself.

    Here is a version with canvas quickly added on the left. I also cloned the dark spot in the llc because with the added canvas content aware fill, it was repeating and not very pleasing.

    Thanks,
    Rachel
    Last edited by Rachel Hollander; 07-23-2014 at 07:11 AM.

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel , very nice work with the conversion achieving good detail and very nice tones.
    The crop from OP is kind of difficult , agree with more room needed in ULC . You resolved that slightly in RP , but i still feel it needs more room .
    If it was mine i would give the image a tad more punch and definitely work on the eyes , i think they can stand a bit more of Steve´s glassy look . Saying all of this as a personal preference.

    TFS Andreas

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Dearest Rachel,

    This must be my favourite of all your images posted since you got back from your SA trip. Just in case you saved the best for last, I cannot imagine what's next???

    I absolutely adore this leopard and his beautiful eye lashes, which - by the way - add a "glamour" touch to this portrait. I am fully aware that the so called "paper backdrop" is all natural, but I love the "studio" effect created by the pose of the subject, those langurous eyelashes and background altogether: it all adds up so nicely to create this unique image I thoroughly enjoyed viewing.

    Don't know if this would work for you but I had this thought while viewing this image for the third time today, perhaps if you could take some off the top you could create the illusion that there's enough space in front of the leopard? I am thinking of an almost square crop but not quite, enough to give the leopard space to look into? Well it's your call and I really love this, whatever you decide to do with it: nothing can take away from this lovely gaze, the amazing detail and those interminable whiskers

    Looking forward to your next post, really excited to find out what else you have in those recent folders...

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Rachel for me this is crying out to go landscape, it's to too big in frame as the OP. As presented I would go almost square loosing space above to try and balance the LHS. For me, like others, there isn't enough space for the eyes to look into, or for the subject to breath, do you have any in a landscape format as from recollection the subject was static. Good clarity & sharpness, although certainly expected from the 300 likewise the conversion works with a good tonal range for me and where the blacks are solid, it simply works. having the faint grass stems in the BKG adds interest to, it would have looked a little flat without them.

    TFS
    Steve

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  18. #11
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Andreas, Gabriela and Steve, much appreciated. Unfortunately, this was the only image I got while he looked up. I do have more close ups from the sighting.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    I think the light and dark tones of the Leopard well in black and white. I love the slightly open mouth and the head angle is good. A nice improvement with the addition of canvas to the left. A cracker of an image Rachel.

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    Magnificent portrait. Love the eyes and composition.

    Regards,
    Satish.

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    I think this is one of your better images of a leopard. I love the B&W version, that is what gives it the extra punch for a portrait image. My only concern is the spot pattern makes it look soft around the eyes. But it is not a deal breaker. Frame it and hang it.

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    Yes very nice. I would allow myself to add canvas here since you are only adding white BG and the problem was only one of not having a zoom! We allow ourselves to crop in, so sometimes we might allow ourselves to "zoom out" with a bit of canvas. I don't have anything to add which hasn't already been said.
    Ed

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  27. #16
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Nick, Satish, Grady and Ed, much appreciated.

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