Botswana - morning stroll

[davidedric]

Hi,

I was trying to do several things here:
- avoid a simple elephant portrait shot, and show some of the environment
- allow lots of space for the elephant to move into
- create a diagonal from the saddle billed stork at the bottom left and up through the main picture

What do you think works? Maybe a tighter crop would have more impact? Any other comments most welcome

Dave

[Mike Buckley]

I think you accomplished your first two objectives very well (in addition to all of the other unstated basic objectives of any keeper.) As much as I love the use of diagonals, this image doesn't display one for me and that doesn't lessen the quality.

If your original allows you to show the entire bodies of the two birds in the foreground, that would be an improvement for me. Doing so would also give more space to the reflection of the elephant, which would enhance this nice image.

[Geoff F]

Yes I agree with Mike. A good shot but I would be willing to lose a little from the top to get a fraction more at the bottom.

[davidedric]

Thanks for the feedback, gentlemen. Do you think this crop makes for a stronger image?

Dave

[Geoff F]

Now that really is a prizewinner.

[Mike Buckley]

I am planning a trip next year to South Africa and I would be very pleased to come back with an image as nice as this. The revised version works much better for me.

[terrib]

I love the revised image too because the birds are not cut off. Beautiful photo!

[botspur]

Hi Dave, well done and I like the second image, and as you say shows the Elephant in its environment, which to me looks like Moremi? You've got some good colour and lots of interest with the Egyptian Goose and Saddlebill (shame he had his head down) plus the water and lillies. It's difficult to gauge when a tight crop works for some animals; but personally IMO there has to be good eye contact.

[davidedric]

Thanks Clive, and everyone for their nice comments since it's my first post in this forum.

Yes, close to Moremi, but actually one of the community owned areas adjoining the main reserve. We had an earthquake while we were there - interesting experience - but camping on Kalahari sand is a pretty safe place to be! Yes, shame about the stork, but 'twas an immature so the colours weren't that great!

[Ken Curtis]

Here's my two cents worth ... I would crop the left side off to the left of leftmost bird's head and then use Photoshop to content aware fill (or clone it yourself) to get rid of head. Next, I would crop a little off the top as the sky does not contribute much. Sometimes you have to let go of objects in a photo that you like in order to have a better overall composition. Of course, having said that, you may disagree and that's OK.

[davidedric]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your suggestions. I agree that if I cropped of the poor bird's body I would also crop off some sky - and it would indeed be a better composition. The strange thing is, I would happily clone out a power line to improve a landscape, but I don't want to get rid of a bird that was actually there. How illogical is that! I'm new here, but I imagine that what is a legitimate PP manipulation is a bit controversial.

Thanks again,

Dave

[Geoff F]

Yes, I was also thinking about a little crop of the sky.

Possibly try losing the bottom left corner bird as it is barely visible and doesn't add much in the way of balance or creativity.

I was worried about putting the rear end of the larger important left hand bird too close to the edge but reducing that distance by half would probably still work.