Hello everyone, thank you for all your comments and suggestions to my previous post , as always much appreciated.
Here is a Leopard image from Botswana. The sun was getting down but the leopard was very nicely perched on a dead tree. I liked the walking pose and the way it was rim lit and also that tongue to add.
Looking forward for all your comments and suggestions be it of any nature.
Hi Haseeb, what was the EV, was it plus as I get the feeling the Leopard is lighter than it perhaps should be? I'm also using the laptop so not ideal.
If the light was from the back I would have gone -2 initially and worked on going more for a backlit/rim light with saturated colours and more of a mood look & feel, however I am second guessing here. I like the tongue being out and the raised front paw. I don't think the angle is too steep, I quite like the 'looking up' approach.
Again, I'm second guessing here, but I think it could do with some simple Curves adjustments, Saturation and Layers just for a bit more depth, learn to use Curves, NOT the presets that's for dummy's and folk who can't use it/process.
@ Steve -- Yes, the EV was on the + side. I tried to under expose but I more preferred/ liked the image when the EV was on the + side. As it still had that rim lighting and the actual feel to the scene which I can recall. But something between your RP and OP might just give more depth ?
will try the curve adjustments and do a RP tonight .
I guess my thinking was, less detail and more 'scene/atmosphere', and don't forget the higher the ISO the less Dynamic range you have.
I have dropped you an email re Curves, playing is the great way to learn & understand about this tool, it's perhaps one of the most powerful tools you can ever use within PS, as it has such a huge range it what it can do. Tethering yourself to presets will not help you, exploring and understanding how it works the dramatic or subtle changes it can achieve to your images will. Using it with Saturation, Lab colour, RGB, Alpha channels, Midtone, Lights, Darks etc... suddenly the world just opens up. The only thing I don't do, is finding the Black & White point with it, it's not something I personally need.
hopefully over a period of time will get a better understanding and implementation of it.
Haseeb, Worflow is a constant movable feast that keeps evolving as you learn and Software gets better and offers you greater control of your images. I have just changed the last step in my WF, simple but it occasionally allows me to achieve a better result, nothing massive, just a move of an adjustment to the last point. Learning what Curves can achieve over time, make mistakes and learn from those can only create a better understanding in what and when to use this particular tool.
I really like the POV here and walking pose from the leopard, let's not forget that lovely focused stare and visible tongue! Framing is great.
Found the OP a little "thin" and thirsty for more colour and "depth" but Steve's RP took care of that. We tend to forget to experiment when a sighting is so special...but you did say you underexposed at some stage, would be curious to see the results?
And yes, Steve is right...workflow changes and we learn new things all the time. Enjoyed viewing your post tonight and looking forward to more...