Stalker on the move...(B&W)

[Morkel Erasmus]

This has to be one of my favourite shots from our recent trip to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

We spent a wonderful 2 hours with a female Cheetah called Elena and her 2 adolescent sons Simon and Garfunkel. They were absorbing the early Kalahari sun in what was quite a crisp morning breeze. This one (let's say it's Simon - couldn't tell them apart) was lying on this calcrete ridge basking all morning, but once his mom and brother walked up to the ridge from where they were lying next to the road, he got up and joined them.

With inviting cirrus clouds drifting by behind him, I immediately cashed in on the scene at various focal lengths.

I know many of my friends on the forum will bay for a colour version, hence I will post the colour version as my next thread, simply because I feel the colour and monochrome versions are almost 2 entirely different photos.

Techs:
Canon 7D with 100-400mm L IS USM @ 105mm
f8.0 @ 1/1600 SS @ ISO-400
Exp +0.3

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Morkel, in the conversion to B/W have you added film grain to the shot, as the foreground (scrub) looks quite crunchy? To me, a combination of both sharpening & adding grain? Just curious.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Hi Steve...I added some grain in the process of getting to this look, but mostly due to film settings in Nik Silver FX...but boosted contrast and structure as well for this look. In sharpening for the foreground after downsizing I might have overcooked it slightly? I like it as it is, though :)

[Marc Mol]

Loved the composition and thought behind this Morkel, but to my mind the foreground over sharpening & contrast has detracted from this to a degree.
TFS

[Harshad Barve]

Holy cow , Man , Mark my words , this will look grand in colors , Can't wait to see color version
TFS

[Steve Kaluski]

I guess it just comes down to personally preference Morkel. Just a thought, but if there are things like this, perhaps you could add it into the text so we know what you are trying to achieve and the rational behind it, it really helps :-)

Steve

[Morkel Erasmus]

thanks for the feedback Marc, Harshad & Steve...

Sorry Steve...will try to elaborate more on my thinking behind processing :)

Bhai - colour one will follow shortly!

Here is a slight rework in which I took the high res file and after resizing sharpened the cheetah selectively and only put one round of sharpening on the foreground.
Your thoughts??

[peter delaney]

HI Morkel, love the sky... very dramatic adds to mood...love the light falling on cheetah... I would have just waited a fraction to get her in that small opening area. You do seem to like the structure slider in EFEX bit over done as mentioned already. The sky seems to have some artifacting probably due to resizing.... has the makings a lovely print...

[Morkel Erasmus]

thanks Peter...yes I do like that slider hehe

I thought when posting today that I should have waited for him to be in the open, but I do have that image - just zoomed in a bit...I was shooting at various focal lengths during his entire walk on the dune...so will probably post another one at a longer focal lenght :)

[Steve Kaluski]

I only mention it Morkel as it really does help the viewer/reader in making any comments & feedback.

Peter has raised further good points, but I do find the repost better.

[Alfred Forns]

Great thread ..... repost looks very good I think the original was just over with sharpening !! Mighty fine Morkel !!!

[Marc Mol]

Repost a definite improvement Morkel, will await the colour version.;)

[Hilary Hann]

Hi Morkel, I've had no power for 24 hrs so only now am getting to look at the recent posts. Excellent feed back and comments on this image which makes the forum so valuable. Love the composition and the striation in the clouds has reproduced really well. The pose on the cheetah is priceless and gives the image a great deal of anticipation. I prefer the repost for all the reasons posted already, but sometimes we need to run with an idea and stay focussed on what we are trying to achieve. I'm sure you'll get the Nik silver structure slider in the 'sweet' spot eventually! :) Look forward to seeing the colour version, but I think this is such a nice b&w that it will be hard to beat.

[Morkel Erasmus]

thanks for the feedback Hilary, Alfred, Marc & Steve :)