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.
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How might you improve on the composition, how else would you have tried to get my thoughts across?
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Image Description
My wife and I were on the first day of a planned 4 day stay in Amnboseli National Park observing elephant behavior. We were picked up at the landing strip and as we were being transported to our camp, this herd of elephants were approaching us. This was one of the first images I took on the trip. I believe it shows how elephants travel led by the matriarch and are so protective of their young.
Technical Details
Sony RX 10iii camera (24-600 mm fixed lens @ 220 mm), f 5,6, 1/2000 second, ISO 400, processed in Photoshop and the Nik Silver Effex Pro.
Specific Feedback
Does this image convey what I tried to accomplish in understanding an aspect of elephant behavior?
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Paul, I like this a lot! What a great introduction to your trip!
The elephants are mostly in great positions and the dust adds a lot. Many eyes are visible - excellent.
I especially love the avian hitch-hiker!
You likely didn’t have much - if any - time to change positions, but a few steps to the left might have offered a better view of the little one. Not sure what the triangle “spike” is on the top, but it might be cloned out.
A pano crop, with less vacant sky at the top, would also work very well.
Really fine work here!
Appreciate your critique. Being in a vehicle with 3 others and a driver left little rom to maneuver and capture this moving group. Some of my friends have called this image The Herd And The Bird, with all the cattle egrets.
Hi Paul,
Thanks for submitting this image and congratulations – what a cracker it is. Certainly hard to think of a better way to start your safari. I really like the processing – dramatic and eye catching but not too over the top. I still use Nik Silver Effex Pro myself and find it always delivers good results. Again a lovely travel photograph that evokes an immediate sense of place. The ‘hitchhikers’ really add to the image – the way they’re all facing into the frame is great as well – it’s these sort of details that really make the difference.
I agree with Sandy, I think it would be good to remove the trunk (think that’s what it is?) between the left elephants ears as that’s a little distracting. Compositionally I like it with just enough space on both sides of the frame. With this kind of image you’re always looking for separation between the subjects where possible, though I appreciate it’s nearly impossible whilst shooting from a vehicle and with such a large herd.
Not necessarily better as I like the negative space in the sky – but I think it would also work well as a 16:9 crop depending on how you wanted to present the image.
I really like that though, one to be proud of.
Thank you for your kind and constructive comments on both of my images. We went to Amboseli specifically to observe elephant behavior. These majestic animals rewarded me with several memorable photographs. I will be tweeking the images based on recommendations by you and other participants in the network. Paul Hetzel
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Hi Paul, nice shot of one of Amboseli’s typical scenes… happy herds of elephants! I hope you have a whole series of them, because the ‘composition’ of the herd changes continuously. If it is a B&W conversion, I would try to see if I could get a bit more structure out of the shadows to reveal more of the elephants’ skin. Other than that: nice shot and I’m going to now read your specific question and the others’ reviews 
Grt, Ingrid.
Right, after reading all that I would repeat my previous comment and recommend to look at your series to see if you have any other ones of this scene that might not have the bit in it that is being recommended to clone out. If you have one with the matriarch up front, visibly leading the herd, that would be magic. I also recommend Silver Efex Pro to get the most out of your B&W images. I hope you enjoyed Amboseli!
Grt, Ingrid.
Ingrid- are you referring to the image of the elephants in a single file or the herd of elephants headed toward me. Want to be sure before I tinker. Paul
Hello Paul, I meant an image of the elephants in a single file. Hope you’ve got one! Best, Ingrid.
Ingrid- here is reworded version. I do not have a version where e the matriarch is in the lead. Sometimes you just can’t get those wild animals to cooperate. Paul
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Haha, I know, there’s always one that thinks it’s a nice touch to ruin the shot 
Nice one, though! Grt, Ingrid.
