The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I took this photo from a hide in Botswana and it is the first time I was able to photograph an Eland head on. Even though they are the largest antelope in Africa, they are extremely skittish. When approached in a vehicle they will flee from quite a distance from the vehicle.
On aproaching the water hole, Eland would spend a considerable amount of time waiting for the appropriate moment to take a drink. It was not unusual for them to spend 20-30 minutes of watching and waiting before drinking. I don’t remember what startled this Eland but it made for a nice photo with water dripping from its mouth.
Specific Feedback
Any suggestions for improvement are welcome.
Technical Details
1/500, f/8.0 and Auto ISO at 1600. 24-105 lens at 85 mm.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Vision and Purpose: This is a wonderful, intimate capture of skittish animals. It is a pleasure to share it with you.
Emotional Impact and Mood: There is tension in one but a sense of peace in the other. This is full of action and speaks to the nature of elands.
Composition, Balance, and Visual Weight: The position of the animals and the reflection are nicely balanced. I might consider cropping some of the dark earth at the base of the composition. It carries a lot of visual weight.
Color and Lighting: The values of the greens and blue of the sky are a pleasing background for the tans of the eland. The values have a pastel feel to them, except for the dark foreground. I would give consideration to toning down that area to reflect the browns in the distal edge of the water hole.
A truely special moment nicely pressented. Thank you Richard.
Barbara: many thanks for your comments and excellent suggestion. I’ve posted a re-do in which I brought the foreground mud back to its original tone. I’ve also cropped away a good bit of it as it didn’t add much if anything to the image.
Richard, this is another outstanding image from the waterhole blind. I love the edit you did pursuant to @Barbara_Djordjevic suggestions. The lighter edge on the bottom blends in much nicer into the overall image. The action of the second eland seems to show how nervous they can be around the old waterhole.
Sweet capture of these elusive , wary guys. The low angle is great for the eye contact and drips. The re-post takes this from really nice to excellent, as the dark foreground in the original drew too much attention.
Fine work!
