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Thread: Looking for Trouble

  1. #1
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Default Looking for Trouble

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    Hello Everyone,

    While looking for a Theme image to share I came across this cheetah cub I had the pleasure to observe and photograph in December 2017. Mom and two other siblings were present at the scene, and at times the little ones played so hard that it was difficult to see who was who - they were rolling around and biting each other so much that bits of fur were flying!

    Unfortunately the grass was high and the cubs being quite small often disappeared in surrounding vegetation, I had no choice but to wait patiently until one of them stood upright and then pressed the shutter as fast as I could.

    Nikon D5
    Nikon 500F4
    ISO 800
    F8
    1/1250s

    Kindly note this is a big crop, about 50% of the frame. Also, I had to carefully remove a blade of grass running across his body. I would have offered you "the bigger picture" if it wasn't for a number of rather overwhelming bushes. Nevertheless I thought you might find this face quite adorable - I have images of him with tongue sticking out and mouth open but found this serious look quite attractive.

    Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week,

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Gabriela I love this one it really jumps out at the viewer ,I don't mind bits of vegetation in fact I like there inclusion,only thing I might change and this is been critical perhaps tone down the green of the vegetation stems just to the left side,but would be just happy with the way it is.That face is lovely.

    Keith.

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Thank you so much dear Keith, just know we've been missing you around here - any baby mice in the "pipeline"?

    Shall look into the plant issue, thought it balanced the frame a bit but maybe it's too much, wondering what the others think...

    Looking forward to hear from you again, and hope you have a great rest of the week,

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela - What a cutie! I do love the face and the light hitting the closer eye. I do find the blades of grass along the left edge of the body to be drawing my eye a bit. It's too bad you had to crop so much. I hate to throw away that much data.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Hi Gabriela, A cute little one indeed. The blurred BG and the nice light makes this image for me. Techs look good and nicely processed as well. TFS.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela, a real cutie and I like the way you are shooting slightly up.

    I also like that the cub is looking away, but just get too close as they carry a nasty bug in the fur!!!

    Personally I think it looks a bit sooty, just easing back on some of the stronger MT's just opens up the subject. Reducing some Contrast, adding a bit of saturation i think helps the punch, also just tweaking the Tonal curve too. The LH shrub is a bit dominating, you can address that, need you to do your 'homework'.

    Just to illustrate my points, hope it helps.

    TFS
    Steve

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Whoever said Blue and green should never be seen, like the contrasting colours here and steely gaze of the cub Gabriela, nicely seen.I like Steve's RP here, but only for the BG and prefer the OP on the cub, just looks more natural to my eyes.

    TFS


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    HI Gabriela -- What a beauty ! And are you sure this is a 50% crop ? The details are very much there , infact looks very good to me. I really liked the colours and the greens and blues are making it so pleasing. I liked the subtle changes made by Steve in his RP. For me the leaves/shrub running on the lower portion of its body are a bit distracting. Everyone has different perceptions for a distracting element here. But a fantastic image.

    TFS !

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Lovely image Gabriela I like it very much, the weed on the left would be easy enough to subdue a little. I like the punch in your image but I note that Steve has brought out detail in the darker parts - the nose is especially easy to see the increased detail. I do feel however it is a shade too pale for my taste and would suggest somewhere between the two images would be ideal.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    I do feel however it is a shade too pale for my taste and would suggest somewhere between the two images would be ideal.
    Jon, is it worth cranking back to 120 and then seeing the image?

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    Jon, is it worth cranking back to 120 and then seeing the image?
    Steve settings are 6500, 120, 2.2 (Average Delta E <1)

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    Very nice. Really like the green/blue is the background the compliment the cheetah very well. The comp is nice with the cheetah looking into the frame.

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

    First of all, thank you Steve for RP - made me go back to the image in LR and figure out what I had done wrong: forgot to change to "Neutral"

    Jon, will reprocess and I gather it will look very close to Steve's. Was away for two days but back now and will have a look as soon as I get chance.

    Err...and I'll deal with the plant as well, thanks so much everyone once again for your input

    PS Yes it is a 50% crop Haseeb

    Warmest regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela what a cutie ....love it.
    I do like the overall image as presented in terms of crop , framing and the colors , lovely greens. I just wish the darker tonal range is not as heavy as presented .....
    I personally think Steve´s RP is a bit flat and thin ...but a matter of taste for sure . So up to you what you like ......and how you see the image.

    Hope all is well on your side .....Little Sister .
    TFS Andreas

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Hallo Boetie Andreas, great to have you back!

    And thank you so much for your input, I so appreciate it.

    Like I said above, I made a big error during PP (to be more precise, in LR) and I plan to fix it, just did not have the time tonight. Steve had to probably go back on contrast and lift those blacks, had I sent him the RAW the result would have been different.

    Give me a day or so and I'll come back with an RP, the blacks are a bit heavy and there's a crunchiness I dislike.
    Otherwise all well on my side but I am swamped with work as usual, just not enough time to do the things I love and it's a bit frustrating Taking some time off in October though...tell you more soon:)

    Have a lovely evening, Big Brother
    Gabriela Plesea

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