Assateague Ponies

Gallery: WildlifePosted January 8, 2013129 views10 comments

Something Morkel commented about in my first post that I promised I would always try to remember is that the animals must ADD to the photograph. While out on Sunday practicing with my camera I noticed a herd of wild ponies drinking from a culvert since it had rained the night before. I took several shots but when I looked at them I thought they were nice shots but there was nothing about them that stood out to say that they were good photos. I then changed position and zoomed in and waited. I'm not saying that this is a good photo but I hope that in this case the animals did add to the photograph. The only editing is that I cropped out the rear end of another pony.

Any comments or help in improving are greatly appreciated.

D60
1/640
f/8
iso 800
400mm on 100-400L

Don Westbrook
Newark. MD

Comments

10 comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on January 8, 2013 at 8:15 PM

A good tight group shot. I could wish you hadn't zoomed quite so close and kept the bottom pony's nose and mouth in the picture. Also, the mane of the middle pony is pretty bright, probably out of gamut. It could use a little dodging.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Carol Nichols on January 8, 2013 at 8:45 PM

I love this grouping of beautiful horses, but I think the composition would be stronger if there was more room on the bottom (to include the full head of the rear horse) and a bit more room on the top. It would also be nice to open up the dark head of the rear horse so we can see more detail there. I hope you get another chance to photograph these gorgeous animals - they definitely ADD to the photograph!

Registered on November 7, 2007, 161 Posts, 1420 Comments

Comment posted by Don Westbrook on January 8, 2013 at 9:38 PM

Thank you. I totally agree with your comments. I actually had more room above and below the horses but lost it when cropping out the other horse's rear. I will work on learning how to crop something from the image while keeping the other dimensions from closing down. I will also learn more about dodging in photoshop.

Don Westbrook
Newark MD

Registered on January 4, 2013, 11 Posts, 332 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on January 9, 2013 at 12:10 AM

Interesting subjects you have here Don. The long manes, contrasting colours and the fact that several individuals are in the frame, provide a lot of visual interest. I agree with the comments made about the composition and the bright mane (which could use some burning, not dodging). A better method than burning, when bright areas are really blown as what seems the case here, is to revert back to the original RAW file and try to recover highlight detail there. You can then blend that in using luminosity masks or other methods.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Don Westbrook on January 9, 2013 at 3:23 PM

I did follow Vincent's suggestions and I believe it made a huge improvement. Now you can see more details in the manes. I didn't want to overdo it so I left it here for now. Thank you all for helping a wannabe!

Don Westbrook
Newark, MD

Registered on January 4, 2013, 11 Posts, 332 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on January 10, 2013 at 12:10 PM

The exposure looks very nicely balanced now Don, with good detail in both shadows and highlights, well done! It does look like you have lost some of that nice vibrant color of your original post, moreover on the browns (reds) of the pony's; that is easily fixed if you wanted to.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Jenaya Launstein on January 10, 2013 at 2:37 PM

Very nice image, Don! Perhaps more room on the top to include the pony's ears, and more on the bottom to include more of the lower pony's muzzle would help...but that's just my opinion!

Registered on February 8, 2011, 254 Posts, 1302 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Andrews on January 15, 2013 at 5:27 PM

I agree with many of the above comments regarding the crop of the original image, but I was drawn to the colour and lighting, and especially like the back lit halo effect you’ve achieved here Don.

Registered on December 31, 2011, 45 Posts, 222 Comments

Comment posted by Marlise Launstein on January 19, 2013 at 3:46 PM

I like the glow around the ponies! To bad that you cut out part of the last ones chin but it still looks amazing!

Registered on August 31, 2011, 28 Posts, 175 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on February 13, 2013 at 9:42 AM

Good interest in your group shot, I like it overall.
There's always room for improvement, and it looks like you've got some good tips from the others

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments