NikonGear'23

Images => Nature, Flora, Fauna & Landscapes => Topic started by: Peter Connan on August 15, 2015, 08:37:40

Title: Family ties
Post by: Peter Connan on August 15, 2015, 08:37:40

Some large predators work alone, and some in packs.

Cheetah tend to work in small family groups of 2-4 animals. The ties they have are very strong.

Title: Re: Family ties
Post by: Andrea B. on August 16, 2015, 02:59:37

This is lovely. I like that the right cheetah is in focus as he/she leans against the other cheetah, oof. It emphasizes the "bonding" look he is giving. What wonderful animals!

Title: Re: Family ties
Post by: John Geerts on August 16, 2015, 09:24:02

Impressive in color, contrast and emotion.  For my feeling however is the left cheetah a bit too much oof.

Title: Re: Family ties
Post by: Jakov Minić on August 16, 2015, 11:09:28

A beautiful image.
I would have preferred that the closest chetah is in focus.

Title: Re: Family ties
Post by: Peter Connan on August 16, 2015, 18:09:40

Thank you Gentlemen

Title: Re: Family ties
Post by: Gary on August 17, 2015, 05:25:00

Great shot. Touching.

Title: Re: Family ties
Post by: Frank Fremerey on August 17, 2015, 12:00:16

Great example for how we tend to project our own experience on perceived phenomena.

Just because something looks familiar does not even mean it is comparable even within our own species.

Photographically

Yes the sharp one is active and thus the emphasis seems perfectly justified. Alas. You never kiss alone and
thus the unsharp Cheetah might be underemphasised.

Difficult to tell. In the end a question of taste. For my taste it does not add up. I feel disturbed by the percentage
of unsharp actors and area in the composition.

Title: Re: Family ties
Post by: ColinM on August 17, 2015, 22:48:28

Peter, it works for me.
Yes the key is the RH cheetah and for me the LH cheetah just provides the context.

Also, this might work as a portrait format image, with the LH third cropped off. This would give you part of the left cheetahs face and the whole of the RH one dominating the scene.

Title: Re: Family ties
Post by: Jørgen Ramskov on August 18, 2015, 12:30:15

Works well for me, I like that the cheetahs fill the entire image.

Title: Re: Family ties
Post by: Erik Lund on August 18, 2015, 14:03:21

Lovely shot!

Title: Re: Family ties
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on August 18, 2015, 14:21:30

You should work a little extra on the RAW to tame some blown highlights. Contrast is on the low side as well.

The left cat face might have been even more of focus and the impression still would come across, perhaps even stronger.

Title: Re: Family ties
Post by: Peter Connan on August 18, 2015, 19:50:00

Thank you Gentlemen.

Unfortunately, this scene really deserved a more competent photographer.

This was shot at 1/2000 of a second, and since it was a cloudy day, the resulting ISO was very high (2200). This is my "bird mode", and was set up on one of the user modes (manual, f5.6 and 1/2000 s/s with auto-ISO,some people call it "ISO priority"), and I think the high ISO and subsequent noise reduction efforts are responsible for the flatness and prematurely blown highlights.

Just a little bit more concentration required!

Colin, I like your idea and will try it.