Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Twisting Trunks

  1. #1
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default Twisting Trunks

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    These two young elephant bulls were floundering about in the Chobe river. Some of the poses they took on looked quite naughty sometimes .
    Processed this way back after my safari in March, and even then went for a high key flavour but retaining punchy blacks on the eles (my preferred way of "HK" processing).
    Photographed from a photographically adapted boat.

    Techs:
    Nikon D800
    Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II
    f7.1 | 1/640 SS | ISO-5600 (low light, overcast at sunset)
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  2. #2
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    102
    Threads
    8
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    i think this looks fantastic. The punchy blacks are awesome, and the background edit works well. I wouldn't change anything in this image. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  4. #3
    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Somewhere else in the World
    Posts
    4,797
    Threads
    708
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I'm sure Morkel you won't mind me saying I'm not a fan of HK images in general, but this one is probably the pick of this month's "theme" bunch for me.

    Agree with Moe that this ele pair contrasting with the overall BG really pop nicely from the scene, nicely composed

    Just would like to see them a little less central, but not a deal breaker.

    TFS


  5. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  6. #4
    Lifetime Member Charleen Ratcliff's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    81
    Threads
    10
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Morkel, even though I have been reading up on HK images, am still very much a novice in this area. Nevertheless, I like the effect, especially with the elephants almost popping off the page. Great detail where it is needed. Overall a super shot with excellent PP

    TFS
    Kind regards, Charleen

  7. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  8. #5
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Morkel , really like the pose of the ellies having fun in the water , for my taste they are placed too central in the frame , sadly . I like the tones in the subjects with this punchy blacks , but the BKG is not working for me , does look too OOTB and too much detail . I think it would work better for me if the BKG detail goes really flat and light .

    TFS Andreas

  9. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  10. #6
    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    5,444
    Threads
    444
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nice interaction and detail on the two guys. Looks like they're having fun. I find the BG trees and grasses in the water to look a little too much like charcoal drawings. Don't mind that look but the difference between subject and BG processing seems to be in conflict with each other (similar to selective coloring of eyes in a B/W image)

  11. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  12. #7
    BPN Member Douglas Bolt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Beltsville, MD USA
    Posts
    567
    Threads
    114
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nice image and interesting subjects. The blotchy look to the OOF trees in the background seem to draw my attention. I wonder if you considered giving the trees a little - green and yellow color sliders to give a little better contrast with the subjects. And, how about a little more blur on the margin between trees and sky to smooth the transition out a little more. I like the HK look for this image. Well done, as usual.
    Douglas Bolt
    DougBoltPhotography.com

  13. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  14. #8
    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    1,818
    Threads
    95
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Morkel,

    the ellis look great in this one also the conversion of the ellis. I have to agree with Andreas on the BG. Some slider you might pushed a tad to much to the left or right for the sky. The tree line is somehow a tad off.
    Overall I like it very much. The ellis really do look great. I do not mind much about the center, they draw the attention fully

    Have a great eve and weekend

    Ciao Anette

  15. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  16. #9
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Morkel - An interesting variation on high key processing. A bit OOTB, too much contrast and dark tones for the traditional definition . I agree with the comments about the bg and the central placement of the eles. The action and the low pov work well.

    TFS,
    Rachel

  17. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  18. #10
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    7,738
    Threads
    455
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Dearest Morkel,

    Just like you, I love experimenting...and therefore I find this most interesting in terms of PP work, as well as the scene itself. Not sure if Hi-Key as such, but still an interesting and a very attractive way of presenting those two ellies interacting - love the "wet, steely" look from the subjects against that soft BG - nice detail on the ellies, kind of a surreal scene overall and I guess this is what you were aiming for? Quite striking and certainly unconventional... but still such an eye-catcher...would love to see more...is there more?

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

  19. Thanks Morkel Erasmus thanked for this post
  20. #11
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks everyone for your feedback.
    I am personally fine with the look of the water and BG treeline - but may process another image from the sequence soon enough and will see if I can get a different outcome with it.
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  21. #12
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Nacka, Stockholm, Sweden
    Posts
    433
    Threads
    43
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Morkel, I love this one. Great posé.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics