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Thread: Eye to Eye with my Girl

  1. #1
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Default Eye to Eye with my Girl

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    Image captured in January this year, one of those wonderful and relaxed moments with my girl

    As you can imagine, the bushveld is not always a scene of vast numbers of animals and in fact most of the time it is just emptiness and silence...We often follow animal tracks hoping for signs of the passing of various species and every now and then we are lucky to find predators like lions or leopards.

    Lions are both diurnal and nocturnal, often found in prides. A lioness with cubs is highly protective of her little ones and one should be careful during such encounters - when feeling threatened, the prelude to a charge consists of the tail lashing up and down as well as a roar with flattened ears.

    This old girl is very confident and quite relaxed in the presence of humans, I must say I have never experienced any uncomfortable situations when close to her or her cubs. We keep a healthy distance from them so she is never stressed.

    Hope you enjoy this image, it is quite special to me. Errr...you'll get to see the cubs at a later stage

    Nikon D4
    Nikon 500mm F4
    ISO 2500
    F6.3
    2/3 EV
    1/1600s

    Processed in LR and PSCC - a very tiny crop, the usual PP, no tricks and no additional software. Hope to hear from you, comments and critique welcome as well as RP's.

    Have a wonderful weekend,
    Gabriela Plesea

  2. #2
    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Another lovely image, the pose is very appealing and normally we would complain about extraneous elements like the grasses behind her but I like them in fact she is very nicely framed by grasses too!. The look she is giving you seems to convey I've seen you but you are of no consequence... but I have you there in my sites! I am always looking at the marks they accumulate in their coat, there are quite a few.
    Processing looks good and there is adequate DOF.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Lovely relaxed pose Gabriela, you are so lucky to have these encounters at your door step, looking for great things in the coming months.

    Nice detail in the lioness, I just think the FG just needs a tweak to bring more of that layering effect. Your call, but the grasses on the back could go???

    TFS
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  4. #4
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Thank you Jon and Steve, very much

    Yes she has quite a few marks Jon, among them a small scar on the nose which makes it easier to ID her straight away.

    Steve I think darkening the FG would be good, wasn't sure about the grasses so I left them

    Glad you both like her, I think she's so awesome and beautiful
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Gabriela, this is beautiful. The stare, perfect depth of field and detail, lovely color, pure background. To me it is perfect but to Steve (perfectionist) he sees improvements that could be made. Now saying that I have to say he has driven me to be the photographer I am with comments and suggestions. A wonderful place you live having these cats and knowing them by name. Thank you for sharing...
    Joe Przybyla

    "Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams

    www.amazinglight.smugmug.com

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Such kind words, much appreciated dear Joe
    I too feel the same about Steve, who has been there to help and encourage me for the past seven years - thank you Steve
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    I too feel the same about Steve, who has been there to help and encourage me for the past seven years - thank you Steve
    Hi Guys, thanks for the very kind words, but it all stems from those who wish to, listen, learn and progress, some move on, others may go round in circles not knowing which direction to take, but it's simple. We only make things difficult because like cooking, just because we have all the ingredients we feel we have to add them ALL in, rather than being selective and adding only a few.

    Have fun guys and in those immortal words from Hill Street Blues - 'lets stay safe out there' (showing my age Joe)!!!!

    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Gabriela, this was were I was going, but you were there and now far better the overall colours.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Gabriela ... she is looking relaxed , your friendly lady .
    Nicely isolated on the elevated spot , with a pleasing backdrop . Processing looks good to me , for sure always room to interpret things differently on that front .
    Glad to know that you have this in your backyard .... I have some birds at times , feral cats and a hedgehog which I see sometimes at night .

    TFS Andreas

  10. #10
    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Thank you so much Steve, much appreciated. Seems I tried to extract too much from this lioness, your version does look so much better...and much cleaner... without the grasses

    Andreas, thank you too, glad to hear from you As you know I used to have cats and all sorts of domestic creatures around the house when I lived in town, as well as noisy neighbours... but no more. No time to explore my beautiful wild surroundings at the moment but hopefully soon. I do enjoy the peace and quiet here and the occasional sighting on my way to work
    Gabriela Plesea

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    A nice low angle and a nice job with the framing. A nice relaxed looking lion. I would take either version.

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