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Thread: Just 'chillin...'

  1. #1
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Default Just 'chillin...'

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    Just to keep Andreas company , here's a Harbour seal, just chilling out early one morning. Light was harsh and pretty direct too, which did prove to be challenging, but change a couple of settings, think differently and then adapt your PP workflow later. Can't do anything on the highlights on the rocks, but there is just a hint of tone scooting down the LH side of the seal., shot from a zodiac.

    Thanks for either viewing or commenting on the previous image.

    Steve

    Subject: Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina) on rock, chilling out
    Location: Svalbard
    Camera: Canon 1DX
    Lens: 200-400f/4 HH
    Exposure: 1/1600s at f/5.6 ISO800
    Original format: Landscape, slight crop for presentation
    Processed: LR6 2015 & PS CC2015 No shadow recovery used, just softened the overall colours with a gentle warmth.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Steve - I like the mermaid pose and the rock as a perch. I also like that it is surrounded by water. The highlights are unfortunate but it sounds like there wasn't a lot you could do to avoid them. Nice low pov too from the zodiac.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Steve yeah a typical Harbour Seal pose well captured , you did quite well with the difficult light .
    Lucky you have been with the Seal being dry in the fur where it got hit by the sun , if he would been wet you would have ended up with the HL blown as within the rocks .
    Nice detail in the tones from HL to 3/4 , but think the blacks do look a bit closed up too much in parts . Just for the sake of technical interest , did you shoot for the HL and just accepted the closed blacks ? Or are the blacks a result of your PP ? As i think the blacks do look quite good in the face !!
    Where are the greens coming from on the foot of the image ?

    Like the overall comp and the overall warmth in the image , the seal is nicely balanced on the rock .

    So all in all a solid executed frame with no distracting elements .

    TFS Andreas

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    Hi Steve -- Beautiful Pose , and excellent details where it mattered . Seems nothing could have done with the light but you managed it very nicely . i also liked the BKG with an impression of black smoke coming out from a distance . The low POV you have managed to achieve really makes this image work. TFS !

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Thanks folks.

    Nice detail in the tones from HL to 3/4 , but think the blacks do look a bit closed up too much in parts .
    Deliberate Andreas, I wanted to emphasis this more.


    Where are the greens coming from on the foot of the image ?
    No idea Andreas and certainly not from us or the zodiac, it's a bit like the cyan blue in the water of the image I sent you a few weeks ago.

    These guys were skittish and we did have to be oh so careful in how we approached them, the rocks provided an excellent location for them, with 360 degree visibility.

  6. #6
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Hello Steve,

    This is more or less me chilling out on this Kruger holiday, LOL!

    Love the warmth in this image and amazed at the amount of detail despite the difficult lighting conditions, I really like the framing and presentation overall, such unique pose and this grabs me big time:)

    Forgive me for being brief, all's packed now so I can afford a few BPN minutes before I jump into the feathers...Tomorrow night I sleep in the tent, yepieee!!!!

    Thank you so much for sharing, wishing you a great week-end,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Nice pose and contrast here Steve.
    Why was the light "direct and harsh" given the conditions up in the Arctic this time of year?
    Morkel Erasmus

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