One of the greatest challenges for me in terms of photography has been to convince you as viewers to abandon your usual perspectives and consider for a moment how the natural world and its widllife looks through my eyes. I tend to sit for a long time in front of an image before sharing, wondering whether you will find it interesting or inspiring at all. I am passionate about wildlife, felines are at the top of my list when it comes to taking pictures but I assure you I never ignore the other creatures - I seek long and hard for everything that is hiding out there in the bush, whether it has a tail, fur or feathers and whether it eats roots, grasses or flies. Every breathing thing on this planet fascinates me. Even those most travellers typically ignore, registering them only out of the corner of their eyes and having little or no appreciation of what they are up to or what they want.
Such is the case with the wildebeest - the species is found just about everywhere in the Kalahari so people tend to overlook it. I hope you do not find this image too boring and that you might contribute with ideas on how to improve it. A colour version was posted some years ago, in it the orange dunes and vegetation helped create quite a dramatic effect therefore the frame was generally well received. Here I would like to know whether you'd like the vegetation to be more prominent, or you think the presence of the animals in a barren looking landscape is sufficient? Does it bother you that the subjects are not perfectly aligned? And would you prefer a more pano version?
Kindly let me have your thoughts, be it of a technical nature or otherwise. I really appreciate you taking the time to view and comment.
Good choice in framing and DoF here Gabriela. Not 100% on the conversion, just a personal taste, I wonder if the blacks are a fraction too dark in the shadows?? Like the dust being kicked up.
Hi Gabriela - I much prefer the rp and the sort of high key treatment. The bit of reddish toning in the op isn't working for me. It's great that the wildebeests cooperated and lined up so nicely for you
I'm going with the OP on this one for the BG tones, but prefer the RP for the darks on the wildebeest! I think the whites are just too start on the RP, but its one of these personal choices calls for which there isn't really and firm answer.
These conversions are such subjective things and the differences of view emerging on this one are evidence of that! What I think would work for me in this is closer to the original post but I would aim to have some lovely rich tones across the wildebeest, not dissimilar to the way the tones are rendered on some of Andreas' recent bison shots. At the moment, the animals are too contrasty for my taste but I wouldn't like them looking very light either. Rich tones and detail. Emphasising the dust more would be nice too but that would require a lower key background, or at least the part of the frame where the dust is evident. At this stage, I'm still unsure about the high key look but hard to judge without seeing the animals a bit richer in tone. Hope that simply doesn't add to the confusion Gabriela.
Hi Gabriela -- I liked the scene and the mood attached with it. Loved the feel of a harsh setting and the wildebeest travelling in the dry and dusty atmosphere. Your RP is much better than the OP but all in all i really liked this image with that highkey treatment to it.
Hi Gabriela reminds me about the time at Polentswa .....
Love it ... great procession of the very often overlooked Wildebeest , if not much is going on , wait for them to arrive or stay with them !!!! Many times you will be rewarded .
To me all does look good !!! The wildebeest almost jump out of the frame for me.
If you have the tree in the URC fully in the frame would be better .....
Good work , Gabriela
Thank you so much dear friends, appreciate every word.
Andreas, I have the tree This was taken between Rooiputs and Kij Kij. BTW... I might have some images of you in a cloud of dust with WB fighting nearby
Gabriela i knew it was not shot at Polentswa ....as Polentswa looks different , just the habit of the WB was the same when we spent that hot day there........
I like it...
I like very much b/w for wildlife and expecially when the composition of the shoot help it...In ths case the more dark of the wildbest and the sand make perfect the conversion.
Better the rp
Thanks
Having considered all the opinions written above, I think I am still going to go for the Original post - although, perhaps not with the colour seeping through since I don't find it contributes enough to the animals.
I think it is that I prefer the darkness and contrast of the WBs against the dry burnt out grasses.