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Thread: Too tempting

  1. #1
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Default Too tempting

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    Like any young cub, to be presented with something that moves and grabs your attention right in front of your face is just too tempting, therefore it must be a toy, or requires further investigation.

    I spent almost three days with Mum (Mom) and two, three month old cubs (boy & girl) who gave unprecedented accessinto their lives, albeit it brief, from feeding, nursing, playing and of course, posing.

    This was taken very early in the morning, where both cubs and mun were located high up in the trees as two hyenas were strolling about, intrigued by the smell of what we discovered was an Impala wedged in the fork of the tree and the additional smell of the previous nights kill, a Civet. As Mum looked on, her tail gently swaying the male cub was intrigued and occasionally lunged at it with either his paw or mouth, causing some hilarity at our end, although Mum took a dim view at times.

    Steve
    Subject: Leopard cub playing with tail, early morning, in tree (Panthera pardus)
    Location: Botswana
    Camera: Canon MKIV
    Lens: 500f/4 - HH
    Exposure: 1/500s at f/4 ISO1000 +1/3 stop compensation
    Crop: Slight crop (original capture horizontal)

    Small area of Chromatic Aberration removed
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    Default

    Tells a great story here Steve, don't mind the high perspective with a nice diagonal line for comp with mum's tail tip. The light on the cub's face is special as well.
    TFS


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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Marc, if you had seen the incline the jeep was parked on too, to achieve the shot, Land Crusier might have used it for advertising, LOL.

    Cheers
    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 Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    The DOF here almost makes it seem like a "macro" shot, Steve...
    I like the moment here and the oodles of detail. Might it stand a bit of selective lightening?

    Anxious to see more of this sighting...
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Default

    Steve - huge cuteness factor here and great intense stare of the cub. I too like the diagonal line. Maybe darken the oof foliage in the lrc.

    TFS,
    Rachel

  6. #6
    Ken Watkins
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    IMHO the IQ of this is not up your usual standards, was the shutter speed enough for a hand held shot?

    Whist the leopard is quite clearly cute the BG and mums tail over its ear is just too distracting for me.

    Hope you could not smell the civet.

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Watkins View Post
    was the shutter speed enough for a hand held shot?

    Whist the leopard is quite clearly cute the BG and mums tail over its ear is just too distracting for me.
    IMHO 1/500 with VR/IS on is plenty SS for a HH shot...

    I fail to see how the BG could be "too distracting"?
    The tail is part of the story, and doesn't overlap the cub's ear in a way that obstructs the viewer's vision of what is happening IMHO.
    At best, for the worst critic, the OOF patterns in the BG can be construed to be "mildly" distracting. To be frank it does not capture my attention at all - the cub has it...


    Anyhow Steve - had a look at the image again and thought the colour overall was a tad "green"? Here's a repost - just a suggestion/option?
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Co-Founder James Shadle's Avatar
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    Default

    IMHO 1/500 with VR/IS on is plenty SS for a HH shot...
    Agreed - the zone of focus is tack sharp.
    I fail to see how the BG could be "too distracting"?
    The background is slightly distracting, not "too distracting" IMO

    The tail is part of the story, and doesn't overlap the cub's ear in a way that obstructs the viewer's vision of what is happening IMHO.
    I agree 100% if judging as presented. That why it is important to include your goal or explain your vision when posting. It's equally important for the person offering the critique to offer it based on the original photographer's
    goal or vision.


    At best, for the worst critic, the OOF patterns in the BG can be construed to be "mildly" distracting. To be frank it does not capture my attention at all - the cub has it...
    I do find the background "mildly distracting", however the cubs eyes quickly draws me back.

    Anyhow Steve - had a look at the image again and thought the colour overall was a tad "green"? Here's a repost - just a suggestion/option?
    I've never seen this cat in the wild so I can't say 100%, but the subtle change in the re-post's color/colour looks more natural.

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    A very very cute picture. I think we all know that moment from our housecats. I also think the repost is a slight improvement. Very good work.

    P.S. Would be nice to se sequenced pictures - what happens next...

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    IMHO the IQ of this is not up your usual standards, was the shutter speed enough for a hand held shot?
    Firstly I cannot see any issue shooting at 1/500 HH, the image is pin sharp where it needs to be and looking at the hi res file at A3 I have no issues with the hi ISO, sharpness/clarity and would consider shooting even below 1/500 with the MKIV hand held, 1/500 was certainly enough for this image.

    Whist the leopard is quite clearly cute the BG and mums tail over its ear is just too distracting for me.
    The whole focus/story is on the cubs face, that is your focus point, having the tail OOF and in motion conveys the story behind the image, slight movement in the tail and clipping the tip of the ear all adds to reality of the moment.

    Hi Morkel, no problem with a rework, the image as I said was shot very early in the morning, so no chance of any real warm light as the sun had just started to surface, plus what little light there was breaking through the canopy was very limited, hence the high ISO, so the image temperature was probably more on the blue/green cooler side. Certainly adding a tad more warmth in the ear and nose/mouth areas could help, whilst still retaining the more cooler surrounding elements, cheers.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    I have looked at this several times and tried to come up with an opinion. I think Morkel picked it up nicely, the green (Olive) tones stood out, now I feel the red added is a bit much, maybe it should have been done selectively on the cub. I feel that the only thing going for the image is the cuteness factor otherwise the cut off tail for me does not add at all. You have on several occasions said to me to watch my NR but I feel the NR you have used is also too strong looking at the trunk and tail. IQ is good.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    I feel the NR you have used is also too strong looking at the trunk and tail
    Actually Dumay I limited the NR to 20% over the trunk, as the DOF blended a lot of the detail out of the image as you will see sharpness has already tailed off from along the front paw, 35% over the BKG & tail, perhaps the tail should have been as was prior to any NR applied?
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
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    Hi Steve,
    I, too, am not loving this image. The cub rocks the cuteness chart and I wish the tail didn't touch the cub's ear. My main issue is the amount of tree trunk visible. To my eye, it really weighs the image down and I find myself looking at the tree trunk more than the cub.
    If this was mine, I would crop from the bottom to the cub's elbow and crop right to midway on the third spot on the tail
    Gail

  14. #14
    Ken Watkins
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    I really do not wish to enter into a debate about the qualities or otherwise of this image so if it is OK with everybody else I have chosen not to respond to the "points" raised by Morkel and Steve, I will just say that I generally agree with Dumay and Gail.

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    Steve ,

    Great image and I liked it most as posted
    TFS

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    We all have our own opinions and they vary quite a bit. But the face and EYES are great. And I like that I kind of have to "look over the trunk".
    It gives me the feeling of seeing something rare or unique, sometimes that's better than every thing being perfect IMO.
    The intensity of the eyes and facial expression spell mischievous, and it's location in the wild go beyond "cute" to me.
    I too look forward to seeing more.

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    Cute image Steve and even with a case of mild ADD I don't get distracted by the BG

    I do like Morkel's repost but feel the end result may be somewhere between the original post and the repost. The ear and RHS foreground leaf is a tad vibrant on the repost IMO.

    Jamie

  18. #18
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Default Vertical Crop

    Steve - I still like the op but also thought this might work as a vertical. It still has the cuteness factor and may address some of the other comments. WDYT?

    Rachel

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Thanks Rachel, good call.

    cheers
    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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    Co-Founder James Shadle's Avatar
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    That was a slam dunk re-post!!
    I think it emphasized the positive elements of the image and eliminated those that had been considered distracting.

  21. #21
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by James Shadle View Post
    That was a slam dunk re-post!!
    I think it emphasized the positive elements of the image and eliminated those that had been considered distracting.
    Ditto! Super repost, Rachel...well thought out!
    Morkel Erasmus

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