Came around the bend in the boat, just past the green Heron Chicks when we startled this enormous American Alligator. He was in the 12-14 foot range and not at all happy with losing his warm spot. There’s at least 2 to 3 feet more of his tail in the water on the other side of the log.
Specific Feedback Requested
My biggest concern on this image is whether the greens are too green/yellow, In real time, this is exactly their color but it doesn’t always seem to translate from sensor to post.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
D810 200-500 @200mm (which filled the frame with little spare room for framing), f/7.1, ISO 400, 1/2500
I did two different lights luminosity masks, one for color and one for tonal control. I also brightened up the gator with a darks selection and a matching curve and subsequent color adjustment to try to pull him off the BG.
Nice capture of a quick moment Chris. It looks sharp and shows what is happening.
Interesting to hear what you say about the greens. I have taken a few landscapes recently where I have found myself slightly “toning down” the greens in Lightroom, they somehow looked stronger than they appeared at the scene. I guess that there can be many different variables at play here from sensor type to monitor settings to personal perception. I think that the grasses here look ok.
Ditto the discussion around greens. I find a lot of how they look in the computer is in the base profile - some of my camera profiles amplify greens, while Adobe standard reduces them. Sometimes if I find the greens overwhelming I’ll switch to a natural or standard profile and see how they look. I think you’ve done a good job with them here.
The 'gator is fabulous. I love the splash and the varying colors from black to brown in the skin.
” feel to me. I would want to get out of there fast.