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Thread: Patience

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Default Patience

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    This bear was one of the ones at Brooks Falls that likes to fish by catching the salmon as they jump the falls. He was perched at the top of the falls waiting but the fish had only just started jumping and there wasn't as much activity as either he or I had hoped. Taken in the evening.

    Canon 50D
    100-400 @ 400mm
    1/1000
    f7.1
    ISO 800
    Can't remember if hh or tripod, luminosity mask, levels, curves, slight s/h, selective color adjustment and sharpened in CS5. Also cropped from left and above for comp.

    C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

    Rachel

  2. #2
    Ken Watkins
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    Rachel,

    I thought this was a very interesting pose, so I have done a repost which I hope you like.

    Just fiddled with Nik filters applied some warmth and sharpened very little.

    Perhaps it is a little too light I am not familiar with Bear colours (except for Polar and Sloth)

  3. #3
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Ken - Brown bears/grizzlies can be many different colors from blond to cinnamon to dark brown, so given that I took this 18 mos ago probably either can be correct. I think I tend to like my images slightly cooler than most others seem to like. This was taken late evening though the sun doesn't set until around midnight in early July and it was overcast.

    Thanks for the repost.

    Rachel

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Rachel, good call on the crop.

    Would look at reducing the Reds & magentas in the water, giving it some brightness and perhaps a hint more USM, but with water 'frozen in frame' it can look too sharp. Might look also at trying to open up some of the darker areas, again, just a wee bit. Sadly the rock exposed in the water near the nose is not ideal.

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

  5. #5
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks Steve. I had reduced the reds and magentas selectively on the bear and probably needed to do it slightly to the whole image instead. I agree that water can look too sharp at times and I tried to avoid that.

    Thanks,
    Rachel

  6. #6
    Ken Watkins
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    Rachel,

    Thanks for your response I am bewildered as to where the reds and magentas are in the water biut I can see a bluey green strip running out from eye level, the small amount of rock does not bother me either

  7. #7
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Default Repost

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    Here's a repost with the reds and magentas reduced a bit in the water, the midtones opened up a bit more and a bit more sharpening. Ken - the red/magenta in the water was most evident in the upper right quadrant.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    Rachel,
    if this is the same bear I've photographed there the last 4 summers he's more on the red side, but late and overcast can certainly change things and your right that both are in the normal range of colors for Alaskan brown bears.
    I want to congratulate you on how you reduced the shadows. The hardest thing with bears is too get enough light where the eyes are, primarily due to the shapes of their heads and you did really well here. Especially with not overexposing the water.
    Tough shot, pretty, and sets a mood for me. I don't care about the rocks and don't see much color tint either but I'm on a Mac at work.

  9. #9
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Looks much better Rachel, with more detail coming through now, well done.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  10. #10
    Robert Amoruso
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    Rachel,

    I like what Ken did in his repost. The added mid-tone contrast/sharpness has a nice affect IMO.

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    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
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    Rachel,
    Somewhere between Ken and your repost would hit it for me. I like your comp and how the edge of the falls cuts that diagonal across the frame.

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    Rachel,
    I like Ken's repost best. Your repost has some of the water too bright (on my laptop screen). I do not see a magenta problem. Too bad photographers can't get lower at Brooks falls (I have been there too). Lower would have helped.

    Roger

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    The story makes the picture and vice-versa. It's easy to imagine a patient but rather disappointed bear. I like it.

  14. #14
    Ken Watkins
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    Robert and Roger,

    Thanks very much for your comments on my repost, I am afraid I was concentrating on the Bear and did not really notice the casts in the BG,

    I have used Nik for more years than I care to remember I think I found out about it from a German photographer, I find that it is by far the best suite of "manupulation" software, although it needs to be used carefully, however I do not find the sharpener to be as convincing as Focal Blade

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    Superb Rachel, also like Ken repost but love the tight composition and pin sharp bear well done.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Thanks all for the kind comments and suggestions. Roger - I see the highlights in the water that you mentioned.

    Thanks again,
    Rachel

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    I liked what Ken has re-done here , excellent image
    TFS

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