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Thread: Elephant Herd

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Default Elephant Herd

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    I'm posting this a few hours early to remind everyone that the theme for August is multiple animals in one image. They can be same species or different species, captive or wild. So let's see those theme images!

    Taken in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa on our recent trip. It was just after 8:30 a.m. and the light was already getting strong and reflecting off the water. The herd included another 4 -6 elephants also drinking from the small waterhole. I went wide here to include as many elephants as I could and also to capture the reflection. I'm not in love with the grass in the lrc but there wasn't anything I could do to avoid it and still shoot this wide. I do have some without the ele on the rhs but I thought its inclusion balanced the image a little better.

    Canon 5D3
    70-200 II @ 70mm
    1/640
    f7.1
    ISO 400
    HH from safari vehicle, luminosity mask, levels, curves, selective color adjustments, sharpened in CCPS.

    C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

    Rachel

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    An overall pleasing scene here Rachel, showing good colour and workable light, the ele on RHS is tight and would've liked some more sky, but I see your at your widest here with the 70-200.
    Yes agree the grass stalks on the right are obvious, with one option to crop them and the ele on RHS (+clean up remaining grass) to just leave the 5 as an alternative image.

    TFS


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    Great image and scene rachel, really like the detail and textures as well as the reflections, i may just punch the blues in the sky and water a little and possibly add just a little exposure to the eles as they may be a little dark, or it may be my eyes, lets see what everyone else has to say ;-)

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Nice scene Rachel, but I agree that the grass blades are quite distracting - I'd crop off the RHS and from the bottom to lose the grass and rightmost ele :)
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks guys for the comments and suggestions. As always, they are much appreciated.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    Hi Rachel, very nice image. You had good advice above. Why not go pano and crop out the grass up front? TFS. Loi

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Loi = thanks for the suggestion but that won't work because I'd have to lose the reflections and the grasses even extend into the ele on the rhs. As I said in my intro, I've got other images with less elephants without the grass. This one just had them all lined up drinking nicely.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

  10. #8
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel nice theme opener for this month .
    I like the line up of elephants , the colors look very nice . I am 50/50 about the RHS but understand your point .Tones /contrast are looking ok , to me.
    I would just push the level for the whites to 225 and mask out the real HL to get a more open image from the tonal POV .All is looking a bit more full of life after that move , saying this from my POV , just my 2 cents.

    TFS Andreas

  11. #9
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Rachel, if I said the grass actually gives some perspective and depth to this image, would you believe me?

    It does seem a tad tight on the RHS but since you are not a fan of cloning I am happy to leave the issue and admit this is a great image to start the August theme! I am pleased you had so many amazing sightings on this trip! Love the colours and the reflection is great, the baby ellies a great bonus and overall a very pleasing image - great work!

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel, a nice surprise that morning and fun just to sit & watch whilst they came to drink. Agree on cropping on the RHS, but I think the crop then needs to work in pro. If you have just tweaked the axis on the Curves then I would back off on the Black, even set it back to zero. If you have done anything more in the Curves adj I might turn it off. Like the two babies being flanked either side by the adults.

    TFS
    Steve

  13. #11
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Andreas, Gabriela and Steve, much appreciated.

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