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Thread: Wildebeest Trudge

  1. #1
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Default Wildebeest Trudge

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    Since Peter bemoaned the lack of B&W postings of late .

    This is from our recently concluded Kgalagadi trip. I came to a point with a low POV down the Auob riverbed one morning and saw a herd of Blue Wildebeest sauntering towards me. I liked the scene and immediately saw the potential for this image...and I knew it would probably be a B&W. I shot wide open on the aperture to create the mood I was after.

    Keen to have your honest thoughts, as usual!

    Techs:
    Nikon D3s with Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II + 1.4xTC @ 700mm
    f5.6 @ 1/2500 SS @ ISO-1000
    full frame left to right, cropped to pano, converted to B&W manually using PS
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    I like the strong tonal contrast in this one Morkel, and with their heads down, it does convey that 'trudge' look. I just wonder if a small amount of NR would help blend/gel the BRG more? Crop works well.

    TFS
    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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    Lifetime Member Marc Mol's Avatar
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    The low slung heads are nicely depicted Morkel, good B&W conv/tonal range , agree on a touch of NR on BG/heat haze.
    TFS


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    BPN Viewer Tom Graham's Avatar
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    Not so sure this shallow DOF works best here. Think I'd like to see some higher f stops with more DOF as comparison, like, one at f4, f5,6, f8, f11 to compare. It's the band of sharp mid-way that I think bothers me. That is, foreground being soft then into a distinct band of sharp then going soft as going into background. Not sure about that. Would like to compare it with sharp foreground into subject then fade soft off into background.
    Tom

  7. #5
    Ken Watkins
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    Morkel,

    I am with Tom on this one, somehow it just does not convey the Gnu's lethargy.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Morkel - I like the pano crop here and agree on the NR for the bg. I'm not so sure about the very bright areas closest. While I understand the need for a tonal range for effective b&w, I find my eye drawn to the very bright area.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Cool image Morkel but I can't help but think this would look better flipped horizontal. Just my thoughts.

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    BPN Viewer Tom Graham's Avatar
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    Just to continue a bit more thinking on my above reply. When you saw this scene (with no camera) did you see a band of sharpness midway into it? I think our eye/brain would bounce over the scene and if focused on the WB would not notice "see" such distinct band of sharpness all across the scene. Not that we don't use the camera to present and direct the viewers attention to parts of an image. It just has to (for nature) resemble what our real experience has been.
    Tom

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    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
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    Hey Morkel,
    I like the differing degree of OOF'ness of the animals. Also like the clear spot in the BG trees. For me, it provides a lane that the animals came through (whether they actually did or not).

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks for the honest critique, folks...

    Tom, I see your point, maybe I should've gone to f8. I could also try to crop a bit more from the bottom to remove the OOF grass upfront so the "band" isn't as pronounced?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Watkins View Post
    Morkel,
    I am with Tom on this one, somehow it just does not convey the Gnu's lethargy.
    Ken, I'm not sure Tom's comment had anything to do with how I conveyed their lethargy??
    Morkel Erasmus

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    BPN Viewer Tom Graham's Avatar
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    With a 700mm equiv lens I'm not sure how you would set f stop AND focus. To get foreground and leading WB fairly sharp and then softening off going back. Landscape photographers would know. A learning opportunity . But I do know I'm not carrying a 500mm lens .

    Tom
    Last edited by Tom Graham; 03-18-2012 at 08:57 PM. Reason: coreted syntax

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