More birds...and Apes (for C& C of course...)

[IzzieK]

1 I have a funny feeling this is a cormorant...correct me if I am wrong, please...
F9 1/640 ISO 1100



2 Duckbills on the tree F9 1/250 ISO 800



3 Duckbill on the water below F9 1/400 ISO 1400



4 She loves me, she loves me not...she loves me...
F5.6 1/250 ISO 11



5 Hey...knock that off. It's your turn to take care of your kid! nag..nag..nag...
F5.6 1/2500 ISO 800



6 What are you looking at? I will take care of my kid but get the wife off my back...
F7.1 1/320 ISO 800



All images wasn't sharpened at all...not even in Photoshop nor Nik's Sharpener. The last one was overexposed on the side as I was having a hard time trying to shoot in another area where there were no people at all along a trail.

Any comments will be appreciated.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[chauncey]

Would like to see more of the great apes.

[NorthernFocus]

Looks like you were having fun at the zoo, Izzie. That's definitely a target rich environment for photography. Yes that is a cormorant. A pied cormorant I believe. Gorillas really lend themselves to B/W. Maybe I feel that way because all of the gorilla and chimpanzee photos that were published when I was young were B/W. I think they shot B/W for the film speed and so they could develop the film/prints easily in the field.

That last shot of the silverback is the best of the set IMO. I'd convert that one to B/W also. Plus see if some localized treatment could heal that one hotspot.

It's pretty amazing that none of these were sharpened. Goes to show what plenty of pixels and no AA filter can do.

Well done.

[Geoff F]

A pity about the distracting background in #1, Izzie. Otherwise, a good shot. I wonder if a bit of adjustment with cloning and toning down would work.

#3 is good. Would it be possible to clone out that shadow line?

I'm not over keen on the apes in B&W because there are too many similar grey shades; they look much better to me in colour.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Izzie,

It seems the zoo inhabitants were not too helpful with their poses

#1 - I would crop the vertical part of the brown tree trunk away if this were mine, it doesn't really contribute and cropping gives the subject more space in front.

#2 - You couldn't get them to face you I assume

#3 - Looks like you had to shoot (down) through some bars, that being the case, you have placed them as well as you could when taking the image. If mine, and with enough time, I might even try cloning/dodging to remove them.

#4 - #6

With the gorilla shots, it looks like the sunshine and enclosure have combined to cause massive exposure problems which have resulted in very crushed shadows in addition to the straw patch in #6 that blew out and hasn't responded well to attempts to restrain it.

#5 and #6 both feel too tightly cropped at the bottom, if I were to guess; that'd be because there's more over exposed areas down there you didn't want to spoil the pictures.

I'm thinking you were distracted while shooting these and if that was by Anika, that's fine - and I hope you didn't let the desire to produce shots for us to get in the way of quality time with her.

HTH, Dave

[joebranko]

Nice shots all Izzie. The gorilla shots were impressive!

[IzzieK]

Nice series.

Thanks John...

[IzzieK]

Would like to see more of the great apes.

Unfortunately those are the only three I have...sorry. I will go to the zoo here in St. Louis at the Monsanto Insectarium for some bug shots I will try to pass by the Apes' enclosure...I am not promising. So much is happening this month and next I might forget...Thanks for commenting.

[IzzieK]

Looks like you were having fun at the zoo, Izzie. That's definitely a target rich environment for photography. Yes that is a cormorant. A pied cormorant I believe. Gorillas really lend themselves to B/W. Maybe I feel that way because all of the gorilla and chimpanzee photos that were published when I was young were B/W. I think they shot B/W for the film speed and so they could develop the film/prints easily in the field.

I have some chimpanzee but I feel getting tired of my zoo shots...need a bit of diversion from the zoo. Maybe some building shots before Dave H mentions it again...my UWA need the exercise...

That last shot of the silverback is the best of the set IMO. I'd convert that one to B/W also. Plus see if some localized treatment could heal that one hotspot.

It's pretty amazing that none of these were sharpened. Goes to show what plenty of pixels and no AA filter can do.

Well done.

Thank you Dan ... I shied away from sharpening after my last fiasco with the bird shots...now I just got a feedback from Rudi how to do it, I might try some and see how I go...appreciate your comments and suggestions.

[IzzieK]

A pity about the distracting background in #1, Izzie. Otherwise, a good shot. I wonder if a bit of adjustment with cloning and toning down would work.

I will try that...I like that shot very much, I just forgot the name of the bird until I went to vote in the mini competition and someone has a bird there like mine...

#3 is good. Would it be possible to clone out that shadow line?

Will do...I forgot to do it before I submit it...

I'm not over keen on the apes in B&W because there are too many similar grey shades; they look much better to me in colour.

Oh well, there's only three of them so you do not need to look at them again. Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I always try to look forward to what I can learn from you..

[IzzieK]

Hi Izzie,

It seems the zoo inhabitants were not too helpful with their poses

#1 - I would crop the vertical part of the brown tree trunk away if this were mine, it doesn't really contribute and cropping gives the subject more space in front.

I tried that Dave but I lost the corner twig it landed on...so I put it back. Perhaps just bluring the trunk more will do...

#2 - You couldn't get them to face you I assume

Darn things doesn't understand my accent! And I got some funny looks from the other visitors when I tried to instruct them how to pose...you see, I talk to my subjects when I take their photos...If I got a good one, I say thank you. If not, I tell them to disappear.

#3 - Looks like you had to shoot (down) through some bars, that being the case, you have placed them as well as you could when taking the image. If mine, and with enough time, I might even try cloning/dodging to remove them.

Got that one through forgetfulness before submission...

#4 - #6

With the gorilla shots, it looks like the sunshine and enclosure have combined to cause massive exposure problems which have resulted in very crushed shadows in addition to the straw patch in #6 that blew out and hasn't responded well to attempts to restrain it.

I wasn't able to get good shots through the glass enclosure on the other side so when we walked further down the trail, we stopped because Anika decided to play up and run away. When we stopped, we were at that part where we can just barely see them from under some branches. I just did the best I could.

#5 and #6 both feel too tightly cropped at the bottom, if I were to guess; that'd be because there's more over exposed areas down there you didn't want to spoil the pictures.

If you will noticed in #4, the male gorilla has his male organ exposed. Darn thing didn't wear shorts at all so I converted that to B/W so it is not noticeable much. Then in #5 because he turned a little bit, his thing was fully exposed, so I cropped it just right there. Circumcision? Is that the right term?

I'm thinking you were distracted while shooting these and if that was by Anika, that's fine - and I hope you didn't let the desire to produce shots for us to get in the way of quality time with her.

HTH, Dave

Nope. Her mother got her and Bill decided to walk behind us for more security if she plays up again. She thought it was fun running away from us because she saw another boy did it to this parents. We stayed with the boy till his parents was within sight.

Thanks for the detailed comments and suggestion. 'Always look forward to your response to my posts.

[IzzieK]

Nice shots all Izzie. The gorilla shots were impressive!

Thank you, Joe...for commenting. I am glad you like my images.