Scimitar Oryx

[Markel253]

Aperture: F/8
Focal length: 200 mm
ISO: 800
Shutter: 1/1000 sec
Taken from a moving - and bouncing - vehicle
Camera; Nikon D3100
©2011, Mark L. Fendrick

This is just how it came out of the camera ... no cropping and no exposure adjustments. Would you make any?

[Hill Country Hack]

Very nice shot for the situation you were in. The bokeh you achieved helps to highlight the subject.

My personal taste leans to a more contrasty style. I also feel adding some saturation to the greens may do something good, as would maybe a touch of darkening. I know I'm nit picking, but that is all I would do. I would also try a portrait crop just to include the head, horns and some of the shoulder.

Taking a second look, the face of the animal may be a bit soft and the head/shoulder crop may not work. Were you at the full focal length of your lens? I know my kit 70-300 can get soft at both expremes of focal length. I really have to work hard and have very favorable conditions to get a sharp image at the extremes of focal length.

If I remember correctly you shoot in RAW. If that is the case, all RAW images need some work. I equate RAW images SOOC as negatives in the film world.

[Doug Sundseth]

Exposure looks reasonable. I might crop in a bit from the top left. I'd also warm the photo in post, as it looks a bit blue.

[Markel253]

Originally Posted by Hill Country Hack

Were you at the full focal length of your lens? I know my kit 70-300 can get soft at both extremes of focal length. I really have to work hard and have very favorable conditions to get a sharp image at the extremes of focal length.

Yes, I was using 200mm of a 50-200mm Nikor lens.

Valid points about contrast/brightness and saturation. I considered it and decided to stay as is, for a more natural look. Same with sharpening, though if you look on the horns I believe it is sharp, just not focused on the eyes ... though I am still amazed that it is focused at a point even close. (Yes, there were a lot of deleted photos that didn't even make it to my computer screen.)

Oh, and yes there is some work that was done from the RAW file - but it was in the form of lens effect corrections and profile.

Will try your suggestions and see how it looks.

Thanks for the thoughts.

[Markel253]

Originally Posted by Doug Sundseth

Exposure looks reasonable. I might crop in a bit from the top left. I'd also warm the photo in post, as it looks a bit blue.

Thanks for your thoughts.