Buffalo sunrise.

[Marc Mol]

06.45am Masai Mara.

D3s 500VR ISO3200* 1/5000s@f/4

*ISO3200??:o by the time I realised this, the big old boy had trotted off, so my best comp of him was at this ISO.

C & C most welcome

Cheers
Marc

[Harshad Barve]

Looks very clean at ISO 3200 , glorious , glorious light and super pose by animal , excellent image
TFS

[Grant Atkinson]

Hi Marc, nice light on the buffalo, and the horizon line in the BG is blurred enough so that I barely noticed that it ran through the buffalo's head. Loved the light on the bufs right eye, and the ring of light on his wet nostril. Don't care for the balloon, unless you are including it for a reason...
At this size the high iso doesnt seem to show any serious noise...I also like the layered effect of the grass, OOf BG and sky.
cheers
Grant

[Marc Mol]

Thanks Harshad & Grant

Don't care for the balloon, unless you are including it for a reason...

Yes, it was included for a reason, but at times in the Mara between the hours of 6.30-7.30am it's all too hard to keep the things out of frame .

[Grant Atkinson]

Hi Marc, thanks for that...makes it clearer. I can understand the charm of going up in a balloon, I just think there are many other scenic places where it could be done without getting bothering wildlife. Same for me with helicopter flights over wildlife. Find them a bit intrusive...
Keep the good shots coming..
cheers
Grant

[Rachel Hollander]

Marc - I'm going to respectfully disagree with Grant because I think the balloon adds something here. I might crop some from the lhs. I too like the light hitting the eye and nostril. I find the patch of darker green grass in the fg slightly distracting but it's nature. Well spotted and composed.

TFS,
Rachel

[Ken Watkins]

Marc,

I am sure you would expect me to dislike the balloon and I do.

Apart from that and considering the high ISO it is very interesting with great detail for such a "high" ISO.

Grant,

I agree about the baloons being a nuisance but at least they make far less noise than those pesky helicopters in the Delta. Apart from spooking the wildlife the noise on video is terrible, how could you pretend to be in the wild with this in the background.

[Todd Frost]

Well done Marc. I am in the camp of liking the comp as is, balloon and all. Only with the D3s can one overlook the iso setting like this and come up with a winner.
TFS
Todd

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Marc, good light & some rich colour with some nice 'mud' detail (?) on the Buffalo. I like the placement of the animal, plus the balloon as it can work with or without.

For me though, I'm just not sure about the slightly darker bits in the FG to the rhs, it breaks the cleaner side of the lhs.

TFS
Steve

[Stu Bowie]

Marc, Typical buffalo pose, with good eye contact. Lovely light with a perfect perspective. IMHO, I dont believe the balloon adds anything.

[Marc Mol]

Just as an exercise only here's one for the NO balloon camp.
For me, I also prefer this, but as I said it is IN for a reason.:D

[Steve Canuel]

Impressive looking bull. I like the simple comp. Prefer the OP (even with the balloon).

[Paul Taylor]

Definitely with balloon for me. Works good without, but for me the balloon gives it a certain balance and also a sense of place and time. I wouldn't like to see balloons in too many shots for sure, though. Great looking buffalo.

[Robert Amoruso]

The image with the balloon in the OP shows Marc's good compositional eye. The buffalo in the FG balances with the balloon very well.

[Harshad Barve]

http://www.eturbonews.com/18869/tanz...-national-park

Something to read about balloons