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Thread: Rude Awakening

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
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    Default Rude Awakening

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    Eat, sleep and then we arrive...

    It was just after around midday, we decided after not having a decent sighting on the morning drive to do the long loop (about 130km) back to Rooiputs. After about 90 min in the trip, we
    came across the mother with four cubs; she has killed a WB calf earlier. They were full and lying in the shade, sleeping, their glutony ended. They were hot and bothered. Had to manoeuvre
    vehicle between the best position to shoot them and the sun. Witchever way I went, the sun was fierce from the front and the side. Spent about and hour with them, after which I had to flee
    from the beating of the relentless sun.

    Techs:
    Nikon D3S with 500F4
    1/1250 @ f6.3
    ISO 3200

    LR3 and CS6
    TK and some actions.
    Sharpened for web.
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

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    Andre, I am sure you must have been happy with the sighting (any cheetah sighting is great according to me!) you did well with the given lighting conditions, I like the sharp detail, the bloody face and the comp works. TFS.

  3. #3
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Andre i really like this blood soaked Cheetah portrait , a nice comp with a great variety of colors and tones . I think you handled the dappled light very good with detail in all tonal ranges .
    Hey Bhuti are you getting old and can no longer stand the sun , yes i could be hard specially when they only rest after having eaten .

    To me the image is lacking a bit of punch , you are very conservative with your recent postings regarding pushing things , it is good to start less and if wished just push things a bit more , easier to add than to remove .

    I think you are on a good way ........... at least from my POV . TFS Andreas

  4. #4
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Well, it's "experimental Sunday" for me so I am playing with colour, Andre here does not mind me pushing things a bit to the extreme when it comes to his image so here's my slightly "over-the-top" version of this beautiful young cheetah
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Andre - I agree with Sanjeev, it's always great to see a cheetah! You've captured this one well. There is so much to look at from the bloodstained face to the bits of grass to the flies. It all works for me. Excellent detail, sharpness and tones. I prefer your op (sorry Gabriela) as a more natural look. I am surprised you needed ISO 3200 given the light but it seems to have worked.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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

    Do not wish to hijack Andre's thread, so just briefly: we are sitting side by side and working on our images, I liked his OP and saw it before posting and already told him I would not change a thing:) But I like to play so tried a more colourful version, just for interest' sake. I completely agree with you regarding OP:)

    Re. ISO: We both used quite high ISO here. The cheetahs moved about from time to time and we eventually ended up quite close to them. Deep shade and a tad of light here and there. The cheetahs did not mind us one bit but we did not want to move the car and disturb them. Wanted a bit more DOF and also wished to be prepared for possible interaction, from time to time this little one shook its head to get rid of a fly or stretched out to be closer to his mom.

    We both noticed a number of images posted by other members in this forum, they were taken at very low shutter speed and the IQ is very good, I guess myself and Andre tend to push ISO for fear of ending up with blurry images. Here Andre was shooting with AUTO ISO, I chose to go for lower SS and even went further with DOF, unlike him I had to check my images constantly, will show you some of mine at some stage, I haven't even looked at them properly yet:)

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Andre and all others i am a hijacker with pleasure , and Andre can take this i guess as far as i know him , well Buhti ?

    So here is my version with the same stuff applied as previous image of yours ......... Dan Margulis action plus a lift for the shadows and the eye . I think went a bit too strong for my taste , but for the sake of demo it works for me. But must not work for all eyes .

    WDYT dear Andre ? Yours Mr B.E.

  8. #8
    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
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    Thank you Sanjeev, Andreas, Gabriela, Rachel, Gabriela again, Andreas Again

    Well, I tried to push more, like to push if I am pushed...

    Will look at Andreas RP now.
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Well so many different versions , i slowly become puzzled . But this makes this an interesting thread folks .

    Andre your last version does look quite good , the differences are quite marginal and we end up with different tastes . So i hope you feel good about your last version , i would say you could .

    Cheers Andreas

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    I like the detail and overall quality here Andre, with Andreas's RP looking the pick (even though the extra contrast and sharpness is a little too much IMO), plus the blood & flies ties in well with the story.

    TFS


  11. #11
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Marc no extra sharpness added , just some tonal maneuver .

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Andre, I can sympathise with you regarding light and the overall conditions, having been in an almost identical situation with three Cheetah brothers & a kill myself.

    Firstly, if you have the time, I might look at trying a more convention 'rectangular' crop, rather than the pano for an alternative option. I don't think you mentioned it, is this a crop or FF? Looking at the techs and the Cheetah being still, I might have liked some more DoF. As I'm away again, so using the laptop, therefore I feel as a gut reaction, Gabriela's RP works best as it has more depth, your OP isn't that far off to me, I just think the Contrast & Sharpening in the RP's are fighting, but it could well be some of the 'actions' applied?

    Obviously my thoughts are based only on what I can see, not seeing the RAW, however just try to keep in the back of your mind 'less is more'.

    TFS
    Steve

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    Tough to get a shot when they are lying flat on the ground with the head up from the vehicle. I have gone out of the vehicle in the past and gone under to shoot a better angle then you have a chance of getting the pupil.(Not sure if that was a option where you are).
    Lovely details and textures!

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