Results 1 to 19 of 19

Thread: Cheetah

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default Cheetah

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Another from my 2009 trip to the Sabi Sands. Taken on the morning game drive just as the cheetah surveyed his territory from a termite mound.

    Canon 50D
    100-400 @ 400mm
    1/640
    f9
    ISO 400
    HH from safari vehicle. Cropped to remove foliage and part of leg from bottom. Levels and sharpened (final sharpening for web with action posted by Morkel) in CS5.

    C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

    Rachel

  2. #2
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in Africa
    Posts
    3,723
    Threads
    251
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Great light and smooth BG. Some of the best IQ I have seen from you...A bit too much open space on the right hand side for my taste.

  3. #3
    Ken Watkins
    Guest

    Default

    Rachel,

    IMHO you have perfectly illustrated the major problem with capturing Cheetah images, it is very difficult to capture a full eye or in this case two eyes, due to their skull structure.
    On my monitor (recently calibrated) it looks a bit bright I would just drop it down a bit in curves.

  4. #4
    BPN Viewer Tom Graham's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Southern California, Orange County
    Posts
    1,116
    Threads
    33
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Techs and such all fine. But for me a (another) portrait that lacks interest to bring it above the average animal head shot.
    Tom

  5. #5
    Co-Founder James Shadle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Valrico, Fl
    Posts
    5,108
    Threads
    1,419
    Thank You Posts
    Blog Entries
    11

    Default

    Agreed on the techs.
    Interest is in the eyes of the beholder. As someone fairly new to the Wildlife Forum found the image interesting.

    What I found particularly interesting was the healed scratches on the cats face. Not always an easy life.
    The fine details are visible because the subject(cat's head) is fairly large in the frame and the image is both sharp and well exposed.

    I do agree with Ken, perhaps a slight curves adjustment.

  6. #6
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Nacka, Stockholm, Sweden
    Posts
    433
    Threads
    43
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Very nice portrait. I think the stone or mudd just behind the back of the cheetah is a little disturbing. Otherwise I like the composition.

    /Gregor

  7. #7
    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Nova Scotia
    Posts
    12,731
    Threads
    910
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Rachel,

    I would crop this image in tight-maybe even a square crop- to really show off this beautiful guy or gal. The IQ is good and nice BG, just too much of it on the right.
    Gail

  8. #8
    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Somewhere else in the World
    Posts
    4,797
    Threads
    708
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I like the BG and lighting here Rachel, all crits mentioned.
    TFS


  9. #9
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Rachel, nice light in the eyes and colour looks good, difficult sometimes to get right. Would agree on cropping some off the RHS. perhaps a third?

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

  10. #10
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Some good suggestions given above, Rachel.
    IQ does look very good, as does colour. I like the portrait as presented, and it's tricky to get good mug shots of these guys in good light at the best of times, so for me the image has interest .

    Here's a repost in which I applied some highlights toning with a luminosity mask, and also tried a different crop which removed the mound...WDYT?
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  11. #11
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks for the comments and suggestions everyone, much appreciated. Morkel - I like the crop and repost. Thanks.

    Rachel

  12. #12
    Robert Amoruso
    Guest

    Default

    Rachel,

    Morkel captured my feelings on the image well.

  13. #13
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Auranagabad ( MS ) India
    Posts
    12,833
    Threads
    766
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    terrific image Rachel , loved re-post by Morkel
    TFS

  14. #14
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Phoenix AZ
    Posts
    644
    Threads
    85
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    You nailed it Morkel.

  15. #15
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
    Posts
    1,058
    Threads
    101
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stan Cunningham View Post
    You nailed it Morkel.
    I have to agree. For me the intial nit was the distracting rock in the BG. But apart from the nit this is awesome and I love the moody stare.
    Last edited by Jamie Douglas; 11-28-2011 at 11:58 PM.

  16. #16
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks Robert, Harshad, Stan and Jamie.

  17. #17
    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Centurion, South Africa
    Posts
    21,360
    Threads
    1,435
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Rachel, I really like the head turn, and the light has brought out the 'honey eyes' nicely. Colours look spot on, and a lovely clean BG. Comp wise, I do prefer more space than less space, but I also like Mork's repost. Believe it or not, I have still to date, never seen a cheetah in the wild.

  18. #18
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Stuart - thanks. Sorry, but you'll just have to spend more time in the bush so that you see them in the wild . I have been fortunate to see cheetahs in the wild on each of my 3 trips to Africa. I did not expect to see any in the Sabi Sands but was pleasantly surprised with 2 sightings. I understand that one of the better places to see cheetah in S.A. is in Phinda.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel
    Last edited by Rachel Hollander; 11-29-2011 at 03:34 PM. Reason: typo

  19. #19
    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    5,444
    Threads
    444
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nice colors, detail, and pose here Rachel. Its a nice simple image. Like your wider original comp but would remove the rock if mine.

  20. Thanks Rachel Hollander thanked for this post

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics