Gorilla in the Forest

[Markel253]

I am new here, and I hope I am doing this right.

Here is a picture I took last summer. What would you have done to improve it?



Aperture: F/8
Focal length: 200 mm
ISO: 800
Shutter: 1/200 sec
Camera; Nikon D3100
©2011, Mark L. Fendrick

[windrider86]

Please be sure to read the guidelines/rules for info on what to include in your posts. Thank you in advance for doing so and editing your post!

[Markel253]

Originally Posted by windrider86

Please be sure to read the guidelines/rules for info on what to include in your posts. Thank you in advance for doing so and editing your post!

Hope my edit brought me in to compliance. Sorry for any broken rules/guidelines.

[Hill Country Hack]

I'm sure Windrider was referring to having a specific question vs "what ya'll think".

For me, I generally like the image. Too bad the beauty did not look at you.

It seems a bit underexposed and the eyes are too centered for my liking.

I like how you maintained the focal length/shutter speed at a 1:1 ratio. I may have shosen a more open apeture to create background bokeh to aid in allowing the subject to stand out more. An added benefit would be increased shutter speed or lowering the ISO to reduce the potential for digital noise in your image.

My personal taste requires a bit more saturation of the colors.

[Markel253]

Originally Posted by Hill Country Hack

It seems a bit underexposed and the eyes are too centered for my liking.

I like how you maintained the focal length/shutter speed at a 1:1 ratio. I may have shosen a more open apeture to create background bokeh to aid in allowing the subject to stand out more. An added benefit would be increased shutter speed or lowering the ISO to reduce the potential for digital noise in your image.

My personal taste requires a bit more saturation of the colors.

You are right, it is a bit underexposed. Actually the gorilla itself was quite underexposed, but I did a bit of work in Photoshop on the RAW (NEF) file to bring out what I could. I did bracket, but the sunlight was so strong I couldn't see the LED, so didn't know that I didn't bracket quite enough.

Ideally, I would have liked to use a more open lens for a narrower depth of field, but it wasn't practical at the time ... but I agree with you on that. Ideally here the open aperture would have been my choice over reduced noise.

Also, ideally I would have liked to avoid blowing the background out, but there was very bright sun and he was in deep shadow. Any suggestions for that situation?

[Hill Country Hack]

I'm not too sure on good suggestions. ND filter, set exposure to the subject and center weighted, change perspective, shoot sillouette. I guess what I'm saying is try mutliple things and maybe be willing to live with blown background.

[karen_s]

Originally Posted by Markel253

I did bracket, but the sunlight was so strong I couldn't see the LED, so didn't know that I didn't bracket quite enough.

Just wanted to add this about reading the LED in bright sunlight. I had that problem too and decided to turn on the "blinkies" and even use the histogram at times. So if you are not familiar with the blinkies, here's a link to a page on Nikon's site on how to use them.

Learning How to Use Your Camera's Histogram from Nikon

And, midday with a black subject and bright sunlight is a very tough battle. You did well in shooting RAW and balancing the two.

[Markel253]

Thanks Karen! I am very used to using the histogram (worked as a graphic artist for magazines for years) but have never used the blinkies.

Thanks for the kind words.

[Candomagic4u]

Is that a Silver Back? I really like these massive animals as they
are beautiful creatures and I think your shot has a lot of potential.
The fact that you have enhanced it makes me wonder what the
original was like.

Now, I'm no expert, but I personally would have attempted to lowered
the iSO in hopes to emphasize the fact that this Gorilla is a silver
back. Or I would of zoomed in on the action of him/her picking their teeth.
As that is what it looks like from a distance. One last thing, is that
it looks like the branches in the foreground got the focus rather than the
subject.

I hope this helps but I'm just a beginner, but this is what I would of done.

[Markel253]

Originally Posted by Candomagic4u

I hope this helps but I'm just a beginner, but this is what I would of done.

Thanks, but don't apologize for being a beginner. Your view is worth just as much as anyone else's. The nice thing about photography/art is that so many people can see it in a different way ... and there really is no right and wrong.

You make some valid points. Here is some background on the shot. I was moving from one location to another and had to grab this very quickly. The camera was set for the shoots before and after, with very little time to make any changes. There are many things I would have done if I had time. In addition, although I have 40+ years of SLR usage behind me, I am a beginner myself in the world of the DSLR and all the controls it offers me. Changing ISO (ASA in the old days) would have been impossible and I am just now getting used to the fact that I can change it as I would any other setting. You couldn't do that with film.

However, the viewer doesn't want to know all that - all he/she wants to see is an exciting picture. So you take what you have and do the best with it.

FYI - yes this is a bachelor silverback. In the original shot he appeared very underexposed and you could not see any of the silver or the brown color at all. Of course, balancing the overexposed background with the underexposed subject causes a tricky situation.