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Thread: Happy Groundhog day

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    Default Happy Groundhog day

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    Happy Groundhog day everyone! Photographed this guy last summer, from my kayak of all places. Got this image when I was paddling upstream. His burrow appeared to be under the driftwood he's sitting on, in the side of the riverbank. When I came back through later on he was out sunning on his private beach. Definitely a groundhog that knows how to live right.

    1DsIII, 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III, f/5.6, 1/640, ISO 800

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    Shew it is beautifully sharp and I love the detail !! A really challenging comp that I think has been perfectly executed

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Ryan, good call on posting this and great to see a different species here and never be put off that the subject isn't 'exotic' as it's about Wildlife - in all shapes & forms!

    I like the framing and the way the 'perch's' is used as a platform/sun deck, but has a cool sweeping curve which softens things. Is this FF or cropped and if cropped, a little or big, no need to be specific? Kudos if shot from a canoe? I wonder if a bit of 'Fill-in' flash may have helped here, albeit add more to the overall weight.

    The 1Ds MKIII was good camera, but I' can't recollect how good as a Wildlife one, I thought more Studio or Landscape and so based on todays bodies a bit limiting on the ISO/Noise front, so I think you did well in capturing this.

    Overall the image is very 'Contrasty' in it's appearance, with strong Highlights on the bark and then the darks in the fur. Not knowing your Workflow (WF) I would look to addressing the Highlights either in the RAW and or through some Luminosity layers in PS. Backing off on the Clarity, Contrast, Blacks will help, likewise the subject has the apprentice of being a little crunchy, so if you apply the reductions (if applicable) and then back off the sharpening this should help. The Greens are a bit rich in Saturation, perhaps choking some detail and I would reduce the Blue in the eye.

    Ryan the image has a lot of potential I just feel you may have pushed things a bit too far, try the overnight test, it may help, often I process things, park them and revisit days, months later and 'fine tune'.

    Look forward to seeing more and you participation on other threads as it's good to get different PoV on images.

    TFS
    Steve

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Cool species and your title made me think of a movie, and then of another movie which had the same story, and then of another one...
    I think you may have been a tad heavy on the fine contrast here, and it could back off a bit for more clarity?
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Ryan - A very fitting post for Feb 2. Very nice low pov and overall comp. I agree with Steve and Morkel on the contrast, colors and saturation. It's worth taking another look.


    TFS,
    Rachel
    Last edited by Rachel Hollander; 02-05-2017 at 02:02 PM.

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    Thanks for the comments everyone, just getting back to this as I've been down with a stomach bug (the joys of having young children). I went back and took a look in LR, the contrast slider was on 40! I almost never go above 10, but sometimes I've noticed my system lags and will continue to move a slider for a moment after I have released it, going to assume that's what happened here. Should have noticed but I didn't at the time.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    I went back and took a look in LR, the contrast slider was on 40!
    Good to see my original, earlier hunch was right

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    Hi Ryan,the repost looks so much more natural to my eyes especially the texture of the fur,I think the setting and the composition looks really good,nice looking rodent that I have not seen before.

    Keith.

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    Hi Ryan -- I agree with the above , a nice specie to see here and certainly you have done well to produce a nice image , keeping the above suggestions in mind i think you can definitely improve upon this image . Your RP is better than your original post .

    TFS !

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