Desert Bighorn Sheep Nursery - With Extra Images

[Ed_Williams]

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

While waiting in the traffic line with a hundred thousand of my closest friends at Zion NP last week we spotted this little nursery of big horn sheep kids and one frazzled nanny on the rocks up above the roadway. It is amazing how busy these little guys were on those rocks. This was about a mile East, up the road above the tunnel. I will try to figure out which weeks are going to be spring break next year. It was crazy crowded in both Zion and the Grand Canyon last week. Bryce wasn’t quite as bad, but it was freezing cold for a SoCal boy. . .

Specific Feedback

I selectively lighted the area nearby and the sheep. Then I specifically selected and further lightened the sheep. I also tried to do a bit of an overall vignette without overdoing it. I’m still not sure if there is enough definition between the sheep and the BG. I wanted to keep the rocks to show their habitat.

Technical Details

Canon 7DMii, f11, 1/2500 sec, iso 800, -0.7 EV, 100-400/1.4TC at 140 mm. Small crop mostly off right side of this image.

[Max_Waugh]

Ed, it’s hard for me to pick a favorite here, but probably 1 or 3, as I feel the strongest element in this scene is the pattern of the rocks (emphasized best in those two images). The sheep are sort of secondary, but I suppose the one upward glance of that lamb is necessary in making them stand out a bit more in the last two shots.

I do feel that the scene’s a bit dark overall (perhaps the vignette you added), but because this speaks to me more as an abstract graphic emphasizing lines and patterns, that isn’t a huge drawback… and perhaps even enhances it in that regard.

[Ed_Williams]

thank you @Max_Waugh, I appreciate your thoughts on these.

[Ed_Williams]

Thank you @JRajput for the EP!