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Thread: Early Morning Hunt

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Default Early Morning Hunt

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    I am just returning from a trip to the Sabi Sand and Timbavati Game Reserves in the Greater Kruger area of South Africa. I was fortunate to see one of my favorite leopards, Nthombi, a 13 year old female in the Timbavati. I also saw Nthombi in 2012, 2014 and 2016 and have posted images of her in the past. We found her at 7 a.m. and were fortunate to follow her in some nice early morning light as she patrolled her territory and unsuccessfully hunted for breakfast. I will try and catch up on some of the posts I missed over the next few days.

    Canon 5D3
    70-200 II @ 115mm
    1/1500
    f4.5
    ISO 3200
    HH from safari vehicle, slight crop for comp and to remove brightest area in ulc, curves, selective color adjustments and sharpened in PSCC. I wanted to maintain the ethereal, soft feel of the backlit first morning light.

    C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

    Rachel

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    Hi Rachel, lovely morning light and ambience in this image. The mood is so well displayed and the back-lit subject stands out nicely. Nice techs as well. TFS. Look forward to more from your trip.

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    I like it Rachel, I think you have captured the ambience very well indeed. I bet you were a little frustrated she was walking slightly away from the camera but nevertheless a fine image.

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Welcome back Rachel,

    Always special to see a leopard and I am sure you felt great enjoyment realising she was one of your favourite subjects, one you have known and photographed for a number of years. I find it quite interesting here how the light gives the leopard this ghostly appearance and I love the decadent, almost fluorescent yellow glow in the background as well as supernatural feel of the scene.

    Techs look great and this is well exposed and processed. I really like the arty feel of this image, just thinking perhaps it would be nice if the FG was a bit "cleaner", for this reason I would eliminate those bright grasses in the FG (either by cropping tighter or by other means).

    Cannot wait to see more from your trip, you mentioned having experimented quite a bit so I look forward to some eye-openers Thank you so much for sharing!

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel, sadly these type of images leave me cold, as they always appear unexposed and washed out, albeit that it's faithful to the scene. Like Jon, I also find the fact the Leopard is going away from you which not ideal, and so I would have moved the vehicle so the Leopard is coming towards you rather than away, makes for more of 'engaging' image IMHO. Perhaps cropping an inch off the foot would remove the brighter HL's as I know you don't like to clone.

    Glad you had a good trip.

    TFS
    Steve

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  10. #6
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks everyone. Steve - easier said than done to reposition because she was constantly weaving between the bushes not walking on a road or in a straight line.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
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    Rachel, I really like the soft backlit ambiance you have captured. Makes me want to be there. I agree a bit of FG cleanup might help, and certainly a little head turn in your direction would have been icing on the cake, but to my eye it's a handsome image I would love to have.

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    I have recently developed appreciation and liking for this kind of moody images and this is a very good example of the same. I am headed to Kenya next month and am hoping to capture such moody images. Loved it. TFS.

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    Love how the whole image glows. You must have been pretty close here. The composition is nice. Cool you got to see her again.

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