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Thread: Rubik's Cube for a Honey Badger

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Default Rubik's Cube for a Honey Badger

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    Here's another photo of mine that made it to the final round of judging in this year's BBC WPY.
    An epic sighting, the story of which I still need to fully tell...for now just this...(the caption included in the WPY entry):

    At the start of 2016, my family and I braved camping in the Kalahari during a nationwide heat-wave. With temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celcius before 11am on most days, early morning was our best bet to find interesting sightings of the local wildlife. There are few animals higher on my wish list to see in this area than the iconic and legendary honey badger. My joy was great when I came across this male searching for food early one morning. Before I could blink my eyes, he had dug up a young leopard tortoise right next to my vehicle and proceeded to try and find a way to devour it.

    It sadly did not end well for the tortoise as the badger was quite resourceful (it seems he does this regularly), but I liked this inquisitive moment before the carnage started...showing the badger trying to figure out the keys to unlocking his meal (much like a Rubik's cube, hence the title).


    Techs:
    Nikon D4s
    Nikkor 400mm f2.8G VR
    1.4x teleconverter
    f11 | 1/400 SS | ISO-2800
    controlling exposure here with the back-light was tough, especially given that I wanted detail on the black-coated animal
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Default Rubik's Cube for a Honey Badger

    First of all congratulations for your image being selected for BBC WPY ... And thanks for shearing this image and story with us ...

    What an beautiful story to tell here about this male and his meal ..... What a lovely sighting you had here love the curiosity on the face of this honey badger he is trying his best to open it .....loved it fully.

    TFS
    Ritesh.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ritesh Nangare View Post
    First of all congratulations for your image being selected for BBC WPY
    Thanks Ritesh - just to clarify, it bombed out and wasn't awarded in the end :)
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel - I have yet to see a badger so am envious. Great behavioral image. Love those long nails and the concentration of the badger. You accomplished your goal of detail in the blacks. At this size the fur on the top of the head looks oversharpened to me.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Lifetime Member Andre Pretorius's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel

    Love the moment captured here!
    Appreciate the difficulty on controlling the exposure here. Did you use any ev? + will blow the whites, - might rob you from detail in blacks. Was it Matrix?
    The fine dust from him rolling his cube prevents you getting detail on his right front paw, but adds to right of image around the twig.
    Like the claws intersecting on the dark lines of shell, as if he is rolling it.
    Your title is augmented by his puzzled look..

    Must have been really close to only have that much DOF @ f11!

    Agree with Rachel about fur on top of head.

    Nice scene well captured!
    Regards

    Andre.

    www.gappimages.com

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Love the quizzical look on this HB as it tries to decipher the package, excellent shadow detail and techs overall Morkel and do agree with Rachel re, the slightly over sharpened head.


    These guys are just so feisty and one of the toughest pound for pound in the animal world, check out the size of those claws!

    TFS


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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks folks!

    Quote Originally Posted by Andre Pretorius View Post
    Did you use any ev? + will blow the whites, - might rob you from detail in blacks. Was it Matrix?
    Must have been really close to only have that much DOF @ f11!
    Hi Andre
    Had to do -0.7 and even -1.3 EV at some stage, matrix metering! Backlight was strong.
    Yes, was right next to the road.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Fantastic sighting, Morkel!

    This is so special, what incredibly unique sighting, my friend. I shall not question your techs or decisions here, reading your info I was able to sum up the situation pretty well. I realise you could not move the vehicle, nor change gear: removing the converter would have taken precious time, any noise would have disturbed your subject, a minute delay might have been too long. You did your very best under the circumstances, knowing these guys are scarce and shy away from vehicles (yet brave like no other when facing lion and other large predators, including humans...I would not want to encounter one of these guys while on foot, unless I have a tortoise handy as a peace offering, LOL.)

    Wonderful behavioural frame and the content is superb. Love the dust raising as the Badger grabs the tortoise, the concentration as he figures out how to get to the flesh. I like the inclusion of branches and the tree trunk in the BG, that bit of light filtering through the vegetation above, love the atmosphere you captured, a dramatic scene I hope to witness too some day.
    Thank you Morkel, I took a great deal of pleasure viewing I know you have more than one frame from this sighting, pretty please when you have time can you put together just three and share them in Story Sequences? This is too good not to share!

    Have a wonderful evening,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Morkel one of these images that is full of content,it looks like it might have been a tad difficult to get this image so very well done.

    Keith.

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    You've made a find image out of a very difficult shooting situation! Great find and congrats on the BBC

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    Hi Morkel -- What a lovely creature to see at first and on top of it you get to photograph the same , though the lighting situation was quite challenging yet you have pulled out a lovely image . I also find it a bit oversharpened on top of its head .

    How many of your images made it to the final round of judging ? Seen 2 of those already here !

    TFS !

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks folks - sharpening noted, was fine on the 1920px version, perhaps when downsizing and sharpening for 1200px I overcooked it ;)

    Quote Originally Posted by haseeb badar View Post
    How many of your images made it to the final round of judging ? Seen 2 of those already here ! TFS !
    Cheers Haseeb. Had 6 in final round, all crashed and burned haha :D
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel, always cool to see a sighting of a Honey badger, especially in such a context as this. Nice low POV which engages with the viewer well, but you can see broom the claws why it has such a reputation.

    Surprised at the IQ of the D4s at ISO2800 here, as the file looks very heavily processed and agree, the sharpening looks a bit course.

    TFS
    Steve

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    Hi Morkel, always cool to see a sighting of a Honey badger, especially in such a context as this. Nice low POV which engages with the viewer well, but you can see broom the claws why it has such a reputation.

    Surprised at the IQ of the D4s at ISO2800 here, as the file looks very heavily processed and agree, the sharpening looks a bit course.

    TFS
    Steve
    Cheers Steve - as you know shooting into the light robs contrast, I added contrast and processed to bring back some mood.
    Totally fine with the IQ of the high res file as presented here eh
    Morkel Erasmus

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