LC Boros  


Untitled by LC Boros

January 2021 - Untitled

January 2021 - LC Boros

Original

About the Image(s)

This shot was taken back in April of 2014. We stopped off in Katherine and hiked along the river. The area is home to Flying Foxes. These very social creatures are difficult to get clear shots of since not only are they high up in the trees but they are constantly moving about
Slight work with the levels and exposure to even out the background and make the bats visible. Image was then cropped and flipped horizontally with a small mask to lighten the faces of the top and bottom bats.(CaptureOne)
Gear:
Canon EOS 5D MarkII / Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM @ 400mm
Settings:
ISO 200
Shutter 1/320s
F/5.6
Attached is worked version as well as original for comparison.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
6 comments posted




Mike Cohen   Mike Cohen
I like bats a lot and I think you did a good job bringing out the detail of the individuals close to the trunk. I do like the two that are leaning out from the trunk as they have a cleaner background. Possibly the dynamic range for those two was too extreme?   Posted: 01/09/2021 15:58:55



 
Your crop brings our attention exactly where it should be. You have done an admirable job of changing the exposure so the bats are easy to see and enjoy. The bats' eyes have good catch light. I suggest dodging the whites in them to bring out that catchlight. I think the image would be improved if you isolated the bats on their branches and raised their exposure only slightly using a levels layer.   Posted: 01/10/2021 09:00:49



Pamela Hoaglund   Pamela Hoaglund
You did a good job dealing with a very contrast composition and bringing out the detail in the bats or flying foxes. I'm bothered a bit by the nose at the bottom edge of the image. I don't know if cropping it out would put the bottom bat too close to the edge. I agree with Mike in that I would like to see what could be done with just the two bats on the left side in the original image.   Posted: 01/11/2021 15:46:46



Sharon Prislipsky   Sharon Prislipsky
Shooting up into trees with a bright sky is always a challenge. I think your processing has helped to overcome a good bit of that. I would like to see the faces brightened up some. I agree with Mike and Lisa about cropping to focus just on the two bats who are leaning out. Personally, I always tend to prefer simpler compositions and such a crop would make a cleaner image in my opinion.   Posted: 01/14/2021 10:55:10



Ally Green   Ally Green
Certainly an interesting image of which i don't see many of...bats! Not an easy task to photograph these by the sounds of things so kudos to you for your originality and patience.
For me i prefer a more simplistic image...this has got alot going on which you have captured well but i am in agreement with Sharon about focusing on just the 2 bats leaning out and taking out a bit of the foliage. You have done a good job with the light on them.   Posted: 01/14/2021 19:03:34



Judith Lesnaw   Judith Lesnaw
What interesting creatures! As others have suggested, I would explore the two bats with sky in the background. However, I also like showing subjects in their native environment. It would be fun to try to selectively brighten the two bats against the tree trunk, and then in the same image work up the bats dangling against the sky to generate a hybrid image.   Posted: 01/18/2021 12:26:39