SANParks.org Forums

Hi

I would appreciate some feedback on my pics I posted in recent sightings thread.

See link:

http://www.sanparks.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3419

I don't want to post them again, for server space.

Thanks
DvZ

My personal meaning...

The running hippo:
Nice photo!, maybe if possible you could have used your flash, if that is a big enough one. That would give the hippo some detail in the head and shoulders.
I assume that you had your zoom on maximum, so you are allowed to crop a little, at least according to my rules. In that case I would crop it so that you lose a piece on the right and bottom. Keep the stone in the foreground. That way the hippo is less centered, but more the subject.

Hippo's playing:
Plenty action, nice setting sun reflection in the cheek.
I would crop away a bit of the foreground so that it looks more like a panorama photo.

The sunset:
How did you get the bottom of the sun in front of the trees? Or did you use a filter that reflected the sun?
I love the colors. One little minuspoint, my monitor is leaking a lot of water now... You have the horizon at an angle...

The baboon:
This is a family forum! But jokes aside, I love it. I would personaly crop away a bit from the right. That means that you will have to crop from the top and bottom as well, but you will lose the jumble of distracting branches.

Thanks for the feedback DQ.

Firstly, they are hippo's not rhino's...........

The story with the sun....... ????? I think it is a reflection on the lens. I did not have sun in picture when I took it. My intention was the refelction. I also did not notice the horizon at an angle. I know the landscape was sloping down. However I will keep the straight horizon in mind.

Cheers
DvZ

Just found out.... Photoshop CS2 has a very nifty new little tool, called the red eye tool. I used it yesterday on a photo recently made and was astonished at the ease and accuracy of it. Just click in the red bit of the eye, wait a bit (probably depending on machine speed), and it is done. Little highlights are kept, edges are perfect.
You can find it in the toolbar under the clonetool (J).

@DQ and Callie

Only see your responses now. Since asking I've played around with Photoshop and it's bit of a hassle. Then I updated my Nero DVD writing software and got an imaging program with. It's got a Red-Eye removal tool. You just select the area you want fixed, select the colour you want it changed to and Viola!, it's done.
Have also in the meantime bought the Photoshop CS upgrade, just haven't had time to install yet. Will try that tool next time.

Thanks for help guys.

This is a tough one. The WB looks out, and the DOF is way too deep. Also, avoid centering the subject like this. Here's an attempt at fixing the compostion, I altered the WB, added some saturation, sharpened it USM 350, .02 (twice). Background is very important for "wow" photos. DOF as well, so you want some bokeh, but not too much, as you want an idea of what the surroundings are like.

I think the photo of WTM's should be cropped even more....

Go easy on the cropping. As a rule i dont go past cutting away more than 1/3. Otherwise the holes in the pixels get to big and the image looses sharpness. Gets a bit blurred.

This also depends on the camera. A 22MP MF picture can be cropped by 60% and still be a 6MP image. A 5MP image from a typical P&S has no such leverage.

I hear what you say bert, but think it depends what you want to do with your pic, print it and if so how big, etc........ agree you cant crop too much if you want to print in bigger sizes.

I need some help with this one please. Spent hours trying to get rid of the Jeep and the jockeys but my PS skills are not there yet.

Anybody want to have a go?

As per the rules of this thread - here is the small pic



and the link to larger jpeg
http://static.flickr.com/39/116364890_4febd35456_b.jpg

If the quality is still not up to it I can PM or email the real thing.

Going to have a go at it. It is asking for some creative cloning...

Avon, this is such an awesome sighting, I think you should just forget about getting rid of the jeep (at least there's only one jeep ). @ Duques, be careful what you achieve, next round Avon's going to ask you to remove the tar road as well.