Thank you for your comments and suggestions on my previous post .
Here is an image of Topi doing what it does best, i.e. keeping an eye for the predators. Tried to capture a wider perspective against the dark clouds and hence opted for a BW conversion. I doubt whether the image qualifies for this months theme, as the subject is looking towards the camera but due to the exposure on the field and then the conversion, has resulted in lack of eye contact but i am not adding the theme prefix and leaving up for the moderators to decide. I would have liked some more space at the foot of the frame ( already added a slightest bit of canvas) but then it is what it is .
DPP 4.5, CS6, exposure +1, clarity , shadows , highlights , levels, curves and BW conversion , cropped from the top and rhs .
Canon 5D MK III, Canon 500mm f4 IS II with 1.4x t.c., bean bag.
Haseeb very interesting this image,I'm so so sorry it isn't really working for me,and you already know why, I feel. One just needs more at the base to balance and add weight at the base of the frame. Mate I love what you went for,I can see the image you were pondering in my minds eye. The Topi stance just rocks, I love it, especially as it's taken up this vantage point......but as a whole ,and this is hard for me Haseeb, the balance just doesn't feel right to me.
Love the B and W and I don't much care for these (as a rule), love the sky,but just can't get past that need for more at the base. It's not the size in frame here Haseeb that doesn't bother me it's that perception as a viewer of the topi not being locked into land I think?
It's a great concept this one Haseeb very well seen and I have no problems with the execution,just the framing I suppose.
Hi Haseeb,base bit covered but when it comes to the content of this image it's wonderful,the pose of the Antelope and that menacing sky really make this for me,just grab a little more of that rock that the beast is standing on and it's a winner for me.
Hi Haseeb, I feel I want some more FG in shadow stretching across the frame. As presented I feel it's a bit lost in frame, therefore not really working for me.
Haseeb, love the clouds in the image. I am the same as most however, I feel a little bit of ground would bring so much to the image. The fact that I can see bits or grass means I know its close by :D
I like what you are trying to do. As others have said, I think a bit more of the pinnacle of rock the topi is standing on would actually enhance the enormity of the sky and the solitude of the Topi.
Hi Haseeb i do like the idea behind this image , but think the execution is not in my favor.
I think more FG is needed and i might give the sky more tonal structure , overall to flat for my taste .
But always great to see different approaches ....rather than straight forward.
Hi Haseeb - I agree with the others on it needed to be higher in the frame with either more termite mound or perhaps a strip of the land. I also think the sky can use some more detail and agree with Andreas about the tonal structure. Sorry, but I also don't think it qualifies as a theme image for this month. At least I don't think silhouettes qualify, especially because we have a separate silhouette theme.
Thank you everyone ! Your opinion matters a lot and certainly will help in my composition techniques. I completely agree with what everyone has to say but purposely broke the rule , infact i added slightest of canvas coz even i felt it is quite odd down their but wanted to try something different . Thank you once again !
I am so late with my comments - my apologies, I was away for a few days and had no laptop with me.
I can see what stirred you at this sighting. And I do like the idea of the Topi standing at the edge of the rock, it is meant to inspire the viewer to think of the subject's relationship with nature. My concerns are those visible blades of grass (which indicate there's more below), the lack of balance (due to subject being positioned very low in the frame), and also the pose ( I am not sure the subject is hesitating or just uncomfortable). When it comes to those kind of shots I expect to be moved in a way that my receptivity to the scene lasts more than a minute. I want to be carried away by beauty and proportion. The space you allowed here is a bit overwhelming, at the same time I do like the darkness of the sky, its vastness and emptiness suggest the kind of power I think you were looking for.
Love the fact that you are experimenting, and also inspired by what lies beyond your eyes, beyond your lens. I certainly look forward to more from you, thank you so much Haseeb.