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Thread: True to Nature

  1. #1
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Default True to Nature

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    Hello Everyone,

    Did not think you could stomach another lion from me... So here is a leopard image I took in February last year. I sincerely hope you do not find this too offensive or gory. After all, it's only Nature...

    This young leopard female was feeding on a springbok kill mom made that morning. I saw her struggle to catch her own food the previous morning. But mom delivered, ever so often. This image was captured at lunch time, the sun was harsh but the scene occurred under a tree that offered some shade. I spotted this youngster walking in the open towards the kill - those images were such a pleasure to capture. (I do remember sharing some in this Forum last year). But overall this has been the most challenging sighting for me in terms of photography, not because of lighting conditions but because of the number of cars that eventually surrounded the scene. Unable to move the vehicle one inch, I ended up leaning against the front seat and almost upside down, in my quest to frame better and avoid a number of tree trunks and roots and branches lying on the ground. It almost felt as if I was back in the Kruger Park...

    Nikon D4
    Nikon 500mm F4
    ISO 2000
    F9
    1/1600s
    Metering mode: pattern

    Thank you so much for your contributions to my previous posts, I really appreciate it. Critique and RP's always welcome.

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela - I very much like the pov and the pose with the claws visible and the tongue extended. Not gory at all imho. Where was the FP? The claw and nose look sharper than the eyes. The tones are cool but consistent with the shade you described.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Hi Gabriela, this is a great capture. The POV works very well and is all the more impressive considering the traffic jam you described. I like the tongue here and how at ease the leopard looks. The little fly is also cool. Really nice sighting

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela, the low POV and angle of the subject works well. The 'rasping' tongue and exposed claws adds to the capture. Personally I might come in a fraction on the LHS to loose the bit of leg, but just not sure of the overall colour on this one?????

    TFS
    Steve

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    HI Gabriela -- I would love to have something like this in my collection. Great low POV which all the more enhances this frame. The colours to me doesn't look ideal, especially the whites and in the leopards , definitely not the ideal monitor right now but as i remember seeing this on my calibrated monitor back at home and i thought yellows and cyan are a bit dominating.

    As far as fighting to get better positions amongst a crowded sighting is always challenging and I feel you need to visit India sometime, to a Tiger reserve, to get accustomed to such situations. You have done very well inspite of all that.

    TFS !

  6. #6
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Thank you Rachel, Alex, Steve and Haseeb,

    I just briefly want to answer your questions, Rachel I think the FP is on the leopard's left eye, this is where I usually aim but I have not checked.

    Steve, I will re-crop and see what it looks like. May I drop you an email regarding colour, this looks ok on my big screen but not on my laptop which is a little strange. I seem to have this colour issue lately, you pointed it out on a number of occasions. So not sure it is me or my old Apple which I just calibrated not long ago?

    Haseeb, as I said above I will look at the colours and do an RP. And I would love a tiger image very, very much, but I do not do crowds very well because I work with people every day... lots of them:) Even three vehicles are too much for me - for this reason I go back the Botswana side of the Kalahari year after year.

    Once again thanks everyone, your feedback is much appreciated!

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela i think it is a very cool frame you captured !!!!
    Love the low POV and the crop / angle you made out of this .The curled tongue is a super duper addition and brings life into the frame.
    Not sure about the overall color and tones .....does look overall kinda flat and lifeless , too cool in WB for my taste . Why are there no shadows and overall more contrast .... i would expect that if i follow your description of the time of shooting ?

    Well just my 2 cents ....

    TFS Andreas

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Thank you so much Boetie Andreas,

    In all honesty, all images I have of this leopard at this particular scene have been quite difficult to process. I have hundreds of them, BTW:)

    A couple of things:

    1. I found the light colouring of this young leopard rather unusual but wanted to maintain it to some extent

    2. the green grass was so bright and vivid, I had to "tame" it quite a bit to help the subject "pop"

    3. scene occurred under one of those large trees on the side of the road going to Mata Mata, as you can see there was some light but not enough

    4. tree branches got in the way and therefore I had to crop quite tight, especially from the RHS

    I have so many versions of this, not sure you want to see them all. But here is another one. The others are much cooler and the blood on the face is not so evident.

    Kind regards,

    Hope you have a wonderful rest of the week, chat soon Boetie,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela looking " offline " at the RP on my MBP .....so not ideal.
    Sorry to say that I think it is still somehow flat overall and I am not sure about the overall tones and colors ....just my take .
    I am not able to make an RP as I am away .
    Lets see what others think ...
    Cheers my Sis .....Andreas

  10. #10
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Not to worry Andreas, and thank you Boet.

    I am swamped with work ( Easter time is a busy time for my pharmacy and it is also financial year end) so I did not manage to look at this again and RP, will do so in a few days' time when things get back to normal.

    Chat soon, have a lovely evening,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Very intense image. Totally appreciate the hordes of people surrounding the scene, as you describe it. Great job framing to avoid people/vehicles/etc. and getting that nice neutral background. The details - especially the cat's tongue - are incredible. Love this one.

  12. #12
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Thank you so much David, appreciated

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Gabriela the traffic jams sound horrendous,you have done really well to concentrate on getting this fine shot ,tec bits well covered but I do like the stare and of course that tongue.

    Keith.

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