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Thread: Patrolling Leopard

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Default Patrolling Leopard

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    Needed to revisit some old files, as Jon A inspired me to lookout something. Taken with Rachel we came across this young male Leopard early one morning in Londolozi. What initially bugged me about the shot was some elephant dung that just got into frame, so it has now been removed. Yes, SS was low, but this I think was on a bean bag and with cooperative folk not moving, you can, (when required), not go for higher speeds. Since then it doesn't worry me if I push the techs, the camera can take it and PP has moved on in the last few years and I would rather have a slightly 'noisy' image than a soft one.

    Thanks to those who posted or viewed the previous thread.

    Steve

    Subject: Young Leopard (Panthera pardus) early in the morning on patrol
    Location: SA
    Camera: Canon 1DX MKI
    Lens: 200-400f/4 HH
    Exposure: 1/640s at f/5.6 ISO2500
    Original format: Landscape, almost FF
    Processed via: LRCC & PSCC2018

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    Lifetime Member Ákos Lumnitzer's Avatar
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    I love the 3D feel to this image. It appears just a touch light to me overall, but you know best - as you saw this scene - so I won't say anymore.
    The look-back pose is very nice and you have captured a lot of good detail where needed.
    TFS

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    Steve to my eyes the low for you ss still gives a very nice effect,but what I like most is the composition of thie think it's spot on,nice soft bg with just enough soft detail for interest,I like it.

    Keith.

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

    Wonderful pose from this handsome leopard, he stands out so beautifully against the soft background. I like his hesitant look - as if he saw or heard something, unsure whether to continue on his path or turn around:)

    Frame well composed, colours look good on my monitor and the image overall has this "early morning feel" which you describe in your introduction. Lovely detail as expected.

    Really good of you to revisit those folders, keep looking and I am sure you'll find more! I really enjoyed viewing, thank you so much for sharing

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Steve - I remember this well. I think I posted my similar image (with the dung) back a few years ago. He was such a cooperative subject but not a very good hunter. Having the advantage of also being there, I feel like there's just a bit too much red in the image, especially in the grasses and the leopard. To my memory, they were both more yellow/golden. Not a deal breaker and at this point certainly subject to interpretation.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Good to see some of those gems from the archive, Steve. My first impression on seeing this was that it looked a little bright overall but when I examined the leopard more closely, I don't know that you could have done much better than this in terms of tonal range and detail. If you did play more with this though, maybe deeper in the midtones on the cat and drop the exposure on the background? Like Rachel, I did wonder if the colour was a little 'cold' overall but this was - like my first comment - an overall feel. Very much a matter of personal taste though and a memory of the actual place (which I don't have the benefit of). Great sideways glance and pose on the leopard and good to get a shot on the ground with the animal relatively free of obstructions.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    It appears just a touch light to me overall,
    Thanks Akos, but I just wondered based on 'Tasty' if your new screen might be slightly off on the candelas. I assume it's set at 6500k and 2.2 gamma, but what's it set too on Candelas, just a thought? Let me know and did you say you used Spyder to calibrate too?

    Having the advantage of also being there, I feel like there's just a bit too much red in the image, especially in the grasses and the leopard.
    Thanks Rachel, but I'm OK with the overall colour and in fact it's more Yellows & Orange, reds are not touched and both are reduced in various degrees to balance the colour and there is no 'red' in the Leopard.

    Hi Glenn, I'm more than happy with the Tonal range and don't want to loose the finer detail by pushing any more mid tone (and it all depends on the process of how you bolster that too, it's not using the slider in PS which is rather coarse and clunky to me), plus, being shot just around 7.00am the light was flat and slightly overcast helping the whites, but leaving the vegetation rather uninspiring and any black not that rich.

    Also remember, you too shot Canon, probably with a picture style setting (Standard) and processed in DPP, straight away the image will always be a tad more contrasty & vibrant/saturated, just a thought.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Frame well composed, colours look good on my monitor and the image overall has this "early morning feel" which you describe in your introduction. Lovely detail as expected.
    Good to know as yours is a brand new 4K. Be good to know when you are up and running when you print, how the image compares to the print, what you see and what you get - are they the same? That's the key.

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    Hi Steve -- A very healthy looking specimen , and lovely pose as well. I liked the colours and the details in the subject and that clean BKG is helping it standout against it. All in all a very nice image . TFS !

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Steve, but I'm not sure what you mean when you say "there is no red in the leopard." I'm not using the eye dropper but visually there is a slight reddish tone to the grasses and to the body of the leopard (not a cast to the whites).

  11. #11
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Sorry Rachel I just don't see it, nor is it on any of the 20x16 prints???? Yes the grass will carry some red in it's nature IMHO, as it's not just pure yellow, but traces from the soil elements too, I'm sure you will see the same in your trip shortly to SA.

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Classic pose here and lovely separation from the BG thanks to the elevation on the mound. Nice to trawl through some images again, Steve.
    Morkel Erasmus

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