Fetch the Comfy Chair

Gallery: WildlifePosted November 29, 2011362 views11 comments

I do hope I have not posted this before, I am pretty sure I have not.

The title is lifted from the Monty Python Spanish Inquisation sketch.

We had a marvelous early morning sighting of this youg Leopardess playing in a dead tree (no leaves

)

The light was not overly helpful with little sun and largely grey skies.

EOS 1D MKIV

500mm F4 IS hand-held from open game viewing vehicle

F7.1, ISO 800, 1/1000, EV +0.33

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Patricia Brundage on November 29, 2011 at 6:54 AM

Love the perch, pose and subject. The color seems to be leaning toward the green hues.

Registered on March 23, 2006, 1111 Posts, 6531 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on November 29, 2011 at 7:00 AM

Lovely, cute pose. Might benefit with some selective brightening of the leopard, and correction of the bluish (Patricia thinks it is green) cast, in my opinion.

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on November 29, 2011 at 12:16 PM

The straight-on view is great. I too noticed a bit of a cool caste, btw.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Suzanne Huot on November 29, 2011 at 3:30 PM

Unique composition ,love the mixture of textures between the Leopard 's coat and the tree branch .Lots of cute factor too.. would suggest some more contrast and saturation and maybe tone down the green/blue colour cast perhaps by changing the temperature in camera raw.Love the image.

Registered on December 28, 2010, 32 Posts, 240 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on November 30, 2011 at 12:56 AM

Thanks everybody, I have had consistent difficulties with processing this one, the light was very poor and the RAW is amazingly dull.

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on November 30, 2011 at 8:17 AM

HI Ken,

I think I'm pretty much with the others - I like the pose and composition, but the colour and lighting aren't working that well for me. If this were mine I'd probably experiment with "reversing" the lighting a little - basically tone down the background and brighten up the subject (and tree), along with likely increasing the contrast on the subject. But this is being said without knowing how much you've already "massaged" the original raw file (and your comment above makes me think you've worked it quite a bit already) and perhaps it has already been pushed as far as it can go?

Cheers...thanks for sharing this...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on November 30, 2011 at 11:48 PM

Love the pose and the simplicity of the composition. I agree with other comments about color shifts and hope you can tweak it somewhat as suggested.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on December 1, 2011 at 3:30 AM

Brad & Lon,

I have tried yet again, believe it or not starting with Siver Efex Pro, did it work any better?

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on December 3, 2011 at 8:41 PM

This is much, much better, Ken! Although, the blue sky has been rendered almost white now!

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on December 3, 2011 at 11:19 PM

Ajit,

Thanks for your comment, that was actually the "real" colour of the sky it was mighty dull and overcast that morning

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Joe James on December 8, 2011 at 8:45 PM

Love the second one Ken! I like how it looks almost posed while being 100% natural. The almost white sky really gives a clean background so the focus is on the leopard. Must have been a treat to see one without all the usual foliage in the way. I also like the dead on stare, makes you wonder who's sizing up who.

Registered on November 20, 2009, 89 Posts, 808 Comments