Grevy's Zebra

[Eric Patdu]

Hello,

Haven't posted here in a while. Anyway, I was able to save my gear from further hibernation last July 9 when we went to The Wilds in Ohio.

Here is a photo of a zebra. C&C are most welcome.


Grevy's Zebra
Shooting Info: July 09, 2011, Canon XSi + 300mm f/4L IS + 1.4x TC, 420mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec, ISO 200, hand-held

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Eric,

Welcome back, stay awhile please. Thanks for sharing this picture and would crop from the right (and a tad from the top as well) to support rule of thirds and remove brown patch on ground. In fact, probably a clone job might eliminate this if you so desire. On work monitor so cannot comment on colors. Background is natural and flows with the subject providing balance IMO. Was the sun over his right side, seems like a shadow on subject's lens side. Maybe lighten or move around if possible.

[Eric Patdu]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the comments. I tried cloning the bare ground and warmed it a little. Yes, the sun was over the right side and the lighting was harsh on that day.

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Eric, was it not possible to get around to the right of the zebra for this shot? The entire animal is in shadow with just a few edges having some light. Also, the animal looks out of context here and if you had been able to get to the right you could choose a background that was more generic, if that makes any sense. I appreciate your composition, but I would prefer to see more of the zebra and less of the environment in this particular case. The repost looks better, but the cloning is a bit noticeable. The secret to good cloning is to use source material from different areas in the image so you don't get the repeating patterns that give it away.

[Eric Patdu]

Hi Kerry,

Thank you for your comments. It was not possible for me to choose my shooting position for this one as I was riding an open type bus on a safari tour. I was at the mercy of where the driver stops. The zebra is really out of context in this photo as this was taken in Ohio and not in Africa where these animals live. Thank you very much too for your tips on cloning. I'll keep that in mind.