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Thread: Leopard face (female)

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Default Leopard face (female)

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    Based on Loi's posting this was an image a few of you have seen a while back, but no posted, but I thought it was worth posting now. This was from the sighting we encounter with mum & cub and where we also met up with Dumay too. Light was still of a premium, I guess I could have gone to ISO6400 and upped the f-stop, but it's all a trade off. Even with a minimal crop you can see how the DoF drops away quickly. I did toy with moving the crop more left so split the nose dead centre, but I quite like to see the nose.

    Thanks for either viewing or commenting on the previous image.

    Steve

    Subject: Female Leopard (Panthera pardus), head shot, close-up
    Location: SA
    Camera: Canon 1DX
    Lens: 500f/4 with 2x
    Exposure: 1/400's at f/9 ISO3200 HH
    Original format: Portrait, slight oration and cropped
    Processed: LR6 2015 & PS CC2015

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Steve - I think there are a couple of differences here that make this one work better despite the drop off in dof. Here, you only have one eye and the detail in that eye is incredible. It captivates one's interest so it's almost like having a staring contest with Kwela Kwela. The pov is straight on with no distracting elements infringing into the field of view. Also, this is not a large crop so the IQ is better. Finally, the blood on the whiskers adds to the image for me.

    I think this is a valuable discussion because my guess is that we all have tried to capture images of the detail of the eyes of an animal. It helps to discuss the field techniques for these types of images. Btw in my experience trying to capture both eyes with the level of detail as Loi tried can be more of a challenge because the animals rarely cooperate with a dead on stare to have both eyes on the same plane. It will be interesting to hear what techniques have worked for others and thoughts on dof.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    It will be interesting to hear what techniques have worked for others and thoughts on dof.
    I think to have threads where it opens out more into a discussion is a good one and give more scope and learning.

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    Steve, I quite like this image. You were obviously closer to this leopard than I was with mine. Your DOF drops rapidly, but like Rachel's said it does not matter as the details around the eye incredible and draws the viewer's focus. Minimal cropping is the way to go. Also your image is much sharper than mine. Mine suffered a little bit from camera shake I think as it was the first time I used the monopod and the Mongoise side kick. The light also made the big different to the vibrant of the eye. Well done. TFS. Loi

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Loi, we were 6m away, the centre spot was bang on the eye.
    The new 500 is a lot lighter than the older version and certainly easier to HH, you just have to brace yourself into a comfortable position and if people move, you quietly shout a them . Just take a few frames at a more gentle rate, as you also have to think about the vibration down the barrel too, as you shoot, I found above f/8 on the 200-400 it can ring like a church bell at times.

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    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
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    Hi Steve

    Well thought in the field to have these settings, experience does count, and size...
    Light seems to be at a minimal, @ 6m, but the 500 with 2x is quite thirsty..
    Focus spot on, the rapid dropping DOF leads the eye.
    Love the inclusion of whole nose, the blood on whiskers makes one wonder about the recent past.

    It takes a pair of brass ones to shoot HH at 1/400..

    Did you shoot any at different F-stops?

    The church bell thing- so punctual or so noisy?
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Hi Steve, a well thought out comp, and of course, you have nailed the eye. Perfect DOF around the eye, and I like how you 'squeezed' the nose into the LRC. The bloodied whiskers add to the image too. Well captured mate.

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

    I must have said this before, this works for me 100%. The narrow DOF enhances the eye beautifully and defocuses the rest of the leopard's face, which makes it one very creative image IMO.

    Love the way you controlled DOF to create an image with such an arty feel, I am so close to this leopard I can look her in the eye, superbly shot and processed, sharpness right where needs be - I love the overall effect you have achieved here and the touch of blood on the whiskers makes it even more special - another lesson, and I am paying attention, thank you!

    Wishing you a wonderful evening,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Steve this stare goes right in the face !!!
    Very cool and well executed , lovely processed .
    I just think the image does look a bit unbalanced from the crop POV , i might split the nose vertically .
    DOF is spot on and the eye is a piece of its own .

    TFS Andreas

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Steve - this rocks. What makes it is the detail in the eye (that black fleck) and the blood on the whiskers, immense detail and story-telling power there.
    The nose/snout is "cut" just the right way (though perhaps even a hint more off the RHS edge would also work?)
    DOF works great here - you can't get more DOF in this situation without sacrificing IQ with a 2x methinks.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    I love this...What a way to make something out of a tough situation! I love the eye and I have never noticed the dark spot in her eye before. The blood adds to the image!

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    Hi Steve -- first let me start with some superlatives especially for that eye ! incredible , brilliant, stunning and so on . loved the compo and the blood on the whiskers have made this one of my fav image in recent times.

    I have always found a bit difficult to focus when the subject comes so close especially with the TC as it starts focus hunting ! recently i have tried to stack TC's to avoid cropping later but have never been able to stack TC's , it never fits . i have the 2x TC III gen and 1.4x TC II gen both canon . Sorry from diverting the topic but i feel its better to get as close as possible in camera rather thn cropping it later and i might be wrong but would love to hear from you people.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Thanks folk very much appreciate the kind words, but if Loi hadn't posted his, this may not have surfaced, well not so soon .

    Haseeb, generally if you use a TC then it's to get closer, the only thing is, IQ can drop a fraction, as all the TC does is magnify. Mine are also calibrated respectively by Canon so I know that if it's not sharp then it's down to operator error. The MKIII generation are good, especially with the new MKII lenses and bodies like the 5DMKIII & 1DX, the MKIII 2x is streets ahead of the old version, but using it IMHO you need to be rock steady and try to avoid any movement or vibration. I can't remember which body you have, but you can with the newer bodies refine 'the hunting' as you say, but if your subject & environment are both 'contrasty' then it maybe more harder. Hence a contrasty subject on a blue sky is easy to shoot as the camera looks on instantly, also one advantage with Canon compared to Nikon is how you can customise the AF now in the 'Case' settings.

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    Thanks Steve ! i forgot to mention abt the bodies that i use, they are 5DMK 3 and the 1D MK IV ! and is there anything u can share regarding stacking TC's ?

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    and is there anything u can share regarding stacking TC's ?
    Hi Haseeb, my understanding of 'stacking' is combining the 1.4 & 2x together with the lens & camera body? If so, I never do this because of IQ.

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    Lifetime Member Ákos Lumnitzer's Avatar
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    Steve

    This is one awesome portrait mate.
    Love the razor sharp eye. That's all you needed to make this work and you did just that.

    Very well done. Good long tele work with that rig. Not easy, but very doable from my experience. Even as low as 1/125th!

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    Wonderful image Steve., cool discussion. Technically, you did extremely well to get the eye that sharp under those conditions.. superb. My minor suggestion would be to move the eye off center a bit.., my chioce would
    be to have the eye more "right" in the frame. I think this would create an entirely different impact to the scene, but again, I see nothing at all wrong with your edit. Well done.

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