Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: One Eye

  1. #1
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Thousand Oaks, California, United States
    Posts
    3,023
    Threads
    416
    Thank You Posts

    Default One Eye

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    This is One Eye (aka. the Airstrip Male Leopard) at the Mala Mala Game Reserve. He is a powerful leopard and a fighter. He was born in a litter of two male cubs, but was separated by his Mother and brother during a fight with the hyenas and was left to fend for himself. Fortunate for him, his Grand Mother had just lost her own cub and was nearby, so she adopted him and raised him to adulthood. He lost his right eye in a fight with a bigger leopard. His territory is near the airstrip, thus the name, and he likes ot use the road.

    On this cloudy late afternoon, he got up from a slumber sleep and began walking very slowly along the road. Our guide moved ahead and positioned the vehicle so that we could catch him on his good eye, but that was not meant to be. Every time I tried to photographed him, he would turn his head ever so slightly to expose his bad eye.

    1DX
    100-400 II @ 300mm
    1/160
    f5.6
    ISO-1600
    Fill flash ETTL, -2EV

    HH

    Conversion to B&W with LR CC

    I think B&W is tough, i have not learned the rope, but want to give this image a try.

    Thank you for commenting on my previous images.

    Loi

  2. #2
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Loi - a real gritty fighter this, have heard about him.
    I like the low angle you achieved, as well as the great pose. I don't mind seeing the "bad eye" as it gives him character and lifts this from being just another male leopard.
    I like the toning but would have worked harder to achieve more tonal contrast between the BG and the subject...and also it looks like he might be leaning to the left (also looking at his front paw line).
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  3. #3
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Nagpur, India
    Posts
    3,837
    Threads
    245
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Loi -- Straight way commenting after seeing the image and not even bothered to read what you and Morkel has said ! I loved it all the way ! great angle ,loved the conversion and the feel it has provided to this image ! that one eyed look and the looks of the leopard are just appealing to me !! loved it and TFS !

  4. #4
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Loi - Love the low pov here and the interesting story of his survival. He certainly looks like a strong leopard and a fighter. I agree with Morkel about the tonal contrast and rotation. I would also prefer a lighter added toning or a lower percentage of the one you used.

    TFS,
    Rachel

  5. #5
    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 like the low head on POV here Loi, just not sure on this mono conv.

    Quote Originally Posted by Morkel Erasmus View Post
    I like the toning but would have worked harder to achieve more tonal contrast between the BG and the subject.
    Morkel has beaten me to it on this, and my feelings also, perhaps a little less sepia/coffee tint as well.

    TFS


  6. #6
    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Hluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
    Posts
    1,237
    Threads
    135
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Loi

    Love the Brute and your angle of capture.
    Disagree on rotation, his shoulders look straight to me, maybe the road was uneven/sloped.
    The bad eye just adds to his attitude...
    Agree about the toning..
    With shooting at -2EV, you have lost all detail in darks, flash can not help.
    Very brave to shoot at 1/160- what support did you use?
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

  7. #7
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    italy
    Posts
    1,143
    Threads
    326
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hello Hi like the position , the color and background.
    I think a bit less blur on the down could better
    Nice shoot!!

  8. #8
    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

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Dear Loi,

    This is how I see your lovely leopard here in terms of colour, hope you do not mind I took the liberty to do an RP - WDYT? Is mine too light for your taste? Were you perhaps trying to match the colour/tonality with the mood of the image?

    Well framed, I like the way you composed and I really love the low POV and this menacing look from the subject, what a wonderful capture and one of your most interesting leopard shots - I would love to have this in my folders:)

    Kind regards,
    Last edited by Gabriela Plesea; 06-16-2015 at 11:13 AM.
    Gabriela Plesea

  9. #9
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Thousand Oaks, California, United States
    Posts
    3,023
    Threads
    416
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thank you Gabriela, on a lap top right now at the airport, but can see a big difference in your version. The leopard stands out when there is more tonal contrast with the BG. You also brought more life to the image. In real life, may be the image should be a little darker as it was near sunset and cloudy.

    Andre, I was lying flat out on the seat of the safari vehicle trying to get a low POV as possible. The 100-400 was not that heavy and can be handheld at this speed. Thank you all. Loi

  10. Thanks Gabriela Plesea thanked for this post
  11. #10
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Loi a great shot with a even greater view to the subject , the conversion is just not grabbing me because of tonal flatness and the color toning .

    TFS Andreas

  12. #11
    Lifetime Member Ákos Lumnitzer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Sydney, Australia
    Posts
    1,560
    Threads
    71
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I love the POV for sure and the subject is a killer one for me.
    I am not a big B&W person to begin with, but while I love what Gabriela has done to the image, based on your comments of the time it was taken it would be too much of an artistic improvement for me.
    That's not a criticism of Gabriela of course, it's my view on things. Her version actually does look better, but for me it's not a realistic representation, again, referring to your own comments Loi.
    Well done mate. Good work.

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