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Wild stag
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I can’t begin to tell you how hopeless I am at nature photography :( But as bad as I am at photographing wild animals, I just can’t seem to nail the processing. It always looks over cooked, or under cooked… just completely off.
Recently I managed to stumble into a stag of a wild red deer. He was in a group roaming completeky wild and I got a few shots of him. But none seem to have the WOW factor that I’d liked to have gotten. And the fact that I can’t process it, doesn’t help. So, how would you process this?
The original (converted NEF) jpg is displayed below. This is sized down for the web.
And my crappy attempt at making a shot is here:
I just had a go at the JPG myself… I couldn’t manage anything better. I think you’ve sharpened it well and the colour is good. I would’ve cropped the same way too. It is pretty good shot. This might just be one of those wildlife photo moments…. you can shoot hundreds of shots and maybe only have a few stunners.
Hi Ciaran,
Have to say I think you’ve done a pretty good job on this. If you think it’s crappy then I’d love to see what you consider perfect under the circumstances. You’ve done a perfect crop and the sharpening and leveling look pretty spot on to me. Great shot and a hell of a lot better than I managed to get on the Glendalough Trip.
Terry
I think the crop you gave this shot works nicely, Ciaran. You’re too hard on yourself – a perfectionist I presume.
Very nice shot Ciaran, great composition! Good job catching him looking straight at you.
I have PM’d you my edit to take a look at.
Nice shot Ciaran. I am no great processor and it looks really good to me. I have been around quite a few wildlife purists in my time (and have had many of my nature and wildlife pics shot down in flames by them too) and I know that one of the things they would have like to have seen in a shot like this was all 4 legs. Thats the only thing I can offer in the way of constructive criticism. Personally I think the antlers more than compensate!
A fourth leg :!: I knew it was missing something :shock: It’s amazing, I didn’t spot it until you pointed it out Dave. I guess that rules this one out from competitions.
Thanks for the comments. Steve, I’ve posted your edit below (hope you don’t mind). For me it’s a little too saturated, but I’d be curious to hear what other people think.
The sky in Ming’s version spoils the image imho…… :( although the saturated green in the grass is fine. Maybe mix his grass with your sky? :lol:
i think its a good enough shot Ciaran, the stags pose sits well in the picture
from what i can tell the light doesn’t look good, which is probably why the shot lacks punch
Mings version doesn’t do it for me, it gives the sky a nuclear lookI’m up for a challenge – email me the original RAW file, and I’ll see what I can come up with…
(If you want me to, that is!)
Tim
I wonder what Steve’s edit would look like it you destaurated it in photoshop by -40 to -50. I’ve been trying a technique lately (some of my recent zoo shots) where I over saturdate the RAW and the last step in my TIF processing was to just do a massive basic desaturation.
The light on the day was awful, in fact the weather was atrocious when I took this. Winds in excess of 120KPH :shock: (hand holding a 200mm in those conditions is no easy task) and it was biucketing down rain.
Tim, it’s not the RAW, but the original JPG is here if you’re interested http://www.thewonderoflight.com/misc/stag_original.jpg
ciaran wrote:
Winds in excess of 120KPH :shock: (hand holding a 200mm in those conditions is no easy task) and it was biucketing down rain.
What?
only one of these :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
Putting on a coat and going out in that,
would be no easy task for me-j
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