Doomed Surplus

Image Critiques Weekly Challenge
1

Doomed Surplus_MET8556-CR2_DxO_DeepPRIME-20230604-BW-TGx4std-202306041201.jpg
Doomed Surplus_MET8556-CR2_DxO_DeepPRIME-20230604-BW-TGx4std-202306041201.jpg1333×2000 435 KB

Critique Style Requested: Initial Reaction

Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.

Questions to guide your feedback

Do the infant’s hand and muzzle lack sufficient detail?

Other Information

Please leave your feedback before viewing the blurred information below, once you have replied, click to reveal the text and see if your assessment aligns with the photographer. Remember, this if for their benefit to learn what your unbiased reaction is.

Image Description

A mother baboon holds her albino infant. The baby will almost certainly die, as nearly all albino baboons do because they are such easy pray for predators.

Technical Details

Canon 7D Mark II, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 241mm, 1/500th, f/5.0. Processed in DXO PureRaw, Lightroom, and Topaz Gigapixel.

Specific Feedback

Interested in your aesthetic, emotional, and technical feedback.

Critique Template

Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.

  • Emotional Impact:
  • Mood Creation:
  • Composition:
  • Balance and Visual Weight:
  • Depth and Dimension:
  • Textures and Patterns:
  • Use of Color:
  • Lighting:
  • Subject and Genre:
  • Post-processing:
  • Technical Aspects:
2

NO WORDS NEEDED !!! This image speaks for itself BEAUTIFUL IMAGE !!!

3

Wonderful!!! And sad about the baby’s prospects for survival. It evoked poignancy before I read the description.

I would do anything to recover the blown highlights – have you tried a linear profile? I don’t know DXO but LR can use one. If you don’t have one for the camera, you can download it from Tony Kuyper’s website.

The noise reduction also feels clumsy – I think it is worth comparing Topaz Denoise.

4

Very sad portrayal as most new life fails to make it to adulthood. Comp is excellent, but more needs to be done with the highlights, which are too strong. Some features are waxy due to heavy noise suppression. Tinker around with your post-processing and this image will be more than outstanding…Jim

6

My thanks to you all Gill, Diane, and Jim. Thank you especially for the advice on the highlights and noise suppression. I’ll work on those today! Diane, I’ve never worked with a linear profile. I’ll pursue that, and I may need to ask you more about it. Thanks again, everyone!

7

Here’s everything I know:

It does give you more headroom for blown highlights, which many of the raw camera profiles blow even further to try to give a punchy image.

8

Thank you, Diane!