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Thread: The Three Musketeers

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    Default The Three Musketeers

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    It was a real treat to follow the Cheetah family on a morning hunt. Mom and one of the cubs were ahead, so the 3 cubs hopped on a tree to get their bearing and looking at the impala herd at the distance.

    1DX
    100-400 II @ 107mm
    1/1000
    f5.6
    ISO-1600
    HH

    Slight crop due to rotation. Want to include the habitat, so decided to shoot wide.

    Thank you for commuting on my previous images.

    The 100-400 II lens is amazing and was my main lens for the trip. It's just as sharp as my 500f4.

    Thank you

    Loi

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Loi, lovely capture of the three Cheetahs in the tree and again, I'm glad you chose to 'pull-out' more and to have a wider aspect/POV. Hard to know if going for say f/8 may have helped or not, although they are not all on the same plane of focus, so...?

    Overall I do find the image a bit thin, (something I'm puzzled on with this lens), it looks a bit bright and so I might suggest getting some more 'overall tone' back into it, but still retaining that nice light from the early morning. I might come in a bit from the top & RHS, RHS to loose the nest creeping in.

    TFS
    Steve

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Loi - This is a really beautiful scene and a special sighting with the three using the tree as a vantage point. So many additional things to like about this one including the tail of the left cheetah draped over the center one, the fact that all 3 are generally looking in your direction. I agree with Steve that it looks both a little thin and a bit bright. If it were mine I would also darken the greens a bit. Definitely an image worth reworking.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Hi Steve and Rachel, you are right about the thinnest and bright. My mistake was to boost shadow and mid tone levels too much. The cheetah were in the shade, so original picture was a bit sark on the face of the one on the left. So I put Levels back to 1 and cut exposure to -0.2EV. Let's see if it is better.

    F8 would have been better, but then I set up for the one on the right coming down from the tree, which he did.

    I'm very happy with the 100-400 II, nothing is wrong with it. I think it is the best wildlife lens for the money.

    Thank you both

    Cheers

    Loi

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    My mistake was to boost shadow and mid tone levels too much. I put Levels back to 1 and cut exposure to -0.2EV. Let's see if it is better.
    That is more like it Loi, personal taste you could push it a little more in the Mid/Shadow areas, but as I said, personal choice.

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    Hi Loi - super sight this is and beautifully captured , the experts have already described the low points in this image , but i loved this scene . TFS !!

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Loi - Rp looks much better. I would still darken the greens. I find the brighter leaves below draw the eye a bit. Here's a rp where I darkened the greens selectively -30 in a hue/saturation layer and masked the cheetahs. I also burned the chest of the middle cheetah. WDYT?

    Rachel

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    Agreed Rachel. Darkening the Green makes the cheetah stand out more. Thank you. Loi

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Dear Loi,

    Good morning to you!

    I like what you have captured here, beautifully framed and the pose is just lovely. I particularly enjoyed looking at the two cheetah brothers on the LHS, one's tail affectionately resting on the other chap's back, so - apart from tree climbing, another nice behavioural aspect included:)

    I took some time to reply because I wanted to think about this image, I know it was taken in the most beautiful light and in fact I too have a few similar frames (of other species) where everything is so golden, it almost looks unnatural. It all depends on the effect you (the author) are seeking, in this case you decided to keep the warmer look, nothing wrong with this IMO and I like it very much:) Your RP is great, by the way. Rachel 's too, her version retains this splendid rich light and adds that much needed "punch" . The OP appeared a bit pale to me.

    Here's another version, not saying this is how it should be, just something slightly different... let me know what you think?

    Have a wonderful Sunday,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Hi Loi

    lovely sighting , a photographers dream to get three cheetah in a great composition...

    lens , camera technicals are all good ..only thing letting image down is a little fine tuning in your editing ..personally I would start over again..
    find you black point and white point.. as your whites are blown and blacks are to thin ...once you have done this u will find a great improvement.

    I have cropped to my taste using 1/3 rd s ...tighter comp works IMO..

    I have reposted the image with adJ to white and black point ..but I really can't do much to a low res image with whites blown.. so just posting as example..

    hope this helps

    well done on a wonderful; sighting and capture

    Peter

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    Thank you Peter and Gabriela. I see my mistakes for boosting the Shadow/Levels too much and made the image too bright. So went bak to the RAW and reduced only the Highlights. Then in PS, used Curves (inverse S) to reduce the overall contrast. Then used Curves again selectively to lift the shadow in the cheetah and the tree trunk. Hope the image is more well balanced now.

    Thanks again for your helpful comments.

    Loi

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Looks better than the OP and also better than my RP, Loi - I like it Mine looks dull now:)

    BPN Wildlife makes us work very hard, LOL. One never knows enough, we keep learning...Looked through my Jpg/BPN folder, I seem to do an average of 5 to 8 RP's to every image, just never entirely happy with the results of my work.

    Loi, I would rest this one for a few days and then look again - I am sure you will "see" things with clearer eyes then. I just love your enthusiasm and hard work, you are doing great and I am following your progress with much delight. Please keep them coming!

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
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    Hi Loi

    What a moment you have captured!
    What grabs me is that each one looks in a different direction. The one on the right seems to be interested in the impala, the centre one
    is gazing in the far distance and the one the left is doing some Birding!
    The tail over the sibling is such enchanting behaviour of the big cats- they love their family!

    Techs are covered above, I too believe you must rest this a bit, clear your mind and start with the RAW.
    You have all the input from the masters, start your version afresh and show off your masterpiece!
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

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    BPN Member Anette Mossbacher's Avatar
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    Hi Loi,

    great moment with those three in the tree. Very nice. Lots have been said above. I won't add another RP, but had it in my CC. I added 2 rounds of MidTones in a different way then normally and it works. I would suggest as well to start from scratch and do not go to light. Find the blacks and as well the MidTones.
    otherwise great image love it and envy you

    Ciao Anette

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    A great scene/sighting indeed Loi!
    I concur that it looks a tad thin and too bright in the whites - even in your RP...are the whites blown in RAW and unrecoverable?
    Morkel Erasmus

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