Hello everyone. Thank you for all your comments and suggestions to my previous post, as always much appreciated.
Tiger luck was shining bright yet again after a very long dry spell starting from Oct 2018. I sighted a few tigers but hardly any photography opportunities, but things finally turned around on my recent trip to Bandhavgarh.
I also tried using the 24-105mm lens as capturing the vibrant summer colours and landscape of Bandhavgarh was high on my list this time around.
Here is a female tigress known as ' Spotty ' posing on the mound before contemplating to cross the stream but decided otherwise and sat there before going back in the bushes.
I am posting two versions, one without any crop and the second one cropped from the top for more of a pano feel and avoiding the sky at the same time. Would like to know your opinion for which crop looks better. And importantly whether the wide perspective works or not.
Delightful scene I like the mood, the landscape is absolutely stunning (and yes, Spotty is gorgeous).
In terms of crop I prefer the second version as it is more balanced, so to speak. The pano also helps the tiger stand out a bit more, in the first image my eyes were drawn a bit to the red leaves of the tall tree.
Cannot think of anything you could do to make this better, I think it's such a lovely image and well processed too. So much to look at, I am really enjoying this. Love the refection of the vegetation in the water, the light, the colours - wonderful work Haseeb, thank you so much for sharing!
Great idea Haseeb - I must remember this when I go!! I enjoyed both images, I feel I want to say I prefer the first but in fact I think the second has it. An alternative might be to crop the RHS but include the river. Colours look good just wondering if you applied curves and brought the brightness down just a little bit WDYT?
Hi Haseeb, what a wonderful image! The setting is lovely with the vibrant forest with the stream and hesitant pose of 'Spotty' all working fine here. Of the crops I like Jon's the best. Wish I was there!! Nice one.
Hi Haseeb .... well a good idea in general and i quite like the setting for the tiger !!!
I would have chosen a slightly different placement of the tiger ..... does look a bit too much " cornered " to me.
Crop wise second for me , tonal and color wise ... Jonīs RP .
Always good to do something else .....well does .
Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions , much appreciated.
@ Jon - -I liked your version , it has some nice tones and I too had processed it on that lines but then slightly backed-off on curve adjustments.
Well, if you are going in winters , this particular area will be high on water levels, and much more vegetation , a different sight than this but surely a beautiful one. And if everything goes right then Spotty might well be having small cubs until then.
@ Andreas -- Reg the placement , I feel it was the best available spot for the tiger to pose as the lack of vegetation and brown soil provide more visibility to the Tiger. Also, I was hoping that she might come down for a drink or cross the river but nothing of that sort happened.
Hi Haseeb, nice encounter and choice in going for the wider aspect. I think 5.6 would have been fine because of the scale. For me it's the OP as you don't crop the central tree, looks a bit odd cut off. tonally you need more in the trees, they are rich and vibrant, I'm guessing early morning? The water also needs some depth and so the saturated colours in the reflection come out.
Thank you Steve . I feel the colours were somewhat more in line with my version as it is summer time now and even though the leaves are vibrant but not to such extent. Agree on giving some more depth to the river as the early morning light was not hitting the water and also the shade from trees was making it appear a tad darker .
Crop-wise I like both versions , something I am not able to make up my mind yet. Slightly more towards my OP for the reasons mentioned by you.
Last edited by haseeb badar; 05-16-2019 at 12:53 PM.
Well Haseeb and Steve .. matter of taste i guess , i do really like what Steve did more impact . On the other hand i am surprised Steve .... as we do see that much color not very often in your own creations ... i might be wrong .
Just think the darkening of the upper part of image is not my taste .
I personally never use that technique .... on camera or at the computer . Looks like a gradual filter
Last edited by Andreas Liedmann; 05-16-2019 at 03:58 PM.
On the other hand i am surprised Steve .... as we do see that much color not very often in your own creations
For me Andreas it's all dependent on the capture and overall image. 99% of the time, (as you know) I will not allow Adobe to manage the colour, partly down to what it puts in with these ridiculous filters that makes everything 'Walt Disney' and moves the whole capture away from the 'actual' scene from recollection, but also IMHO nature isn't always so saturated in both Colour and Contrast, however... Here the OP appears flat and adding in some colour and tone the image to me 'comes to life' and from my own experiences in India recently, so it's about making those 'Judgement calls' on occasion and the rational behind our thinking. Images indeed are oh so personal and it does come down to our own interpretation and finally how we wish to portray the image to our audience.
Tiger-Scape Bandhavgarh !
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I like the mood, the landscape is absolutely stunning (and yes, Spotty is gorgeous). 
... i might be wrong .
