Dagga Bull Portrait

[Rachel Hollander]

Taken on my recent trip in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa. This lone dagga bull was walking away from a waterhole in the late afternoon light.

Canon 5D3
100-400 II @ 400mm
1/1000
f5.6
ISO 800
HH from safari vehicle, slight crop for comp, curves, color adjustments and sharpened in PSCC.

C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

With something like this Rachel I would have converted it to B/W or thought about toning the file straight away, the tones for me are just all to close and so lacks the punch and where a B/W might have been more striking. May be it's the light/strong yellow, that's perhaps flattened/flooded the coat? In addition and for me this is the main point, 'Dagga' boys (Muddy) are full of character, but the key/iconic element is something you have chosen to crop out - that fantastic horn & skull, why, it's the main element? As presented, going for such a head shot I would like more DoF and to have everything in focus including the OOF curve of the horn, I feel it's all bout reflecting the textures, detail, character, age of these old solo boys and have a cleaning eye, as you are drawing the viewer in.

TFS
Steve

[Marc Mol]

Steve has made some valid points here Rachel, and can only agree that the full boss (fused bone/horns) in all it's glory should be included. You've managed some excellent detail in the hide/fur texture all the same.

TFS

[Gabriela Plesea]

Dearest Rachel,

Been looking at this image a few times over, the light was gorgeous and I like the detail here and especially the eye, background is superb.

Perfect HA, the tongue exposed and torn ear add character. Yet somehow I cannot help but wish for that boss to be included, for the same reasons expressed by Steve and Marc above.

Warmest regards,

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Steve, Marc and Gabriela. I do have another shot of this guy that I immediately converted to black & white that I'll post at some point. For me this image was more about the light, the eye, the tongue and the detail of the fine hairs around the mouth than getting a standard or stock image including more of the boss. I did a lot more experimenting on this trip with techniques and comps in the hopes of capturing something different and, perhaps, a little bit creative. I recognize that some of these experiments might succeed and some might fail and that, with all, it can do both depending on the viewer's personal taste.

Thanks again,
Rachel

[Stuart Philpott]

Hi Rachel,maybe because I'm not so familiar with these guys I don't miss the horns so much I quite like your framing here. The detail and light,the bit of tongue and that wonderful ear all take this up a notch for me.

My only real very small nit it that he looks to have gone past you and i'd have rathered a more forwards shooting position I think

cheers for sharing these guys are so impressive !!

stu

[John Mack]

Sweet Light. Agree with the others about more of the head here. The background is great.

[haseeb badar]

HI Rachel -- I liked the light here and the details. And i agree with the above comments of Steve and Marc and also your reply reg being creative. Things will not be pleasing for everyone's taste but always good to get something different.

TFS !

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Rachel the tongue, the eye and the light make this for me. That gash on the brow adds character & those facial lines and creases. The 'boss' would have been good but this works!

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Stu, John, Haseeb and Sanjeev, much appreciated.