Incoming Muskrat

Image Critiques Wildlife Critiques
1

Incoming Muskrat
Incoming Muskrat1377×1200 424 KB

Image Description

Muskrat seen yesterday at my neighborhood lake.

Type of Critique Requested

  • Aesthetic: Feedback on the overall visual appeal of the image, including its color, lighting, cropping, and composition.

  • Conceptual: Feedback on the message and story conveyed by the image.

  • Technical: Feedback on the technical aspects of the image, such as exposure, color, focus and reproduction of colors and details, post-processing, and print quality.

Specific Feedback and Self-Critique

Wondering how well this image works overall. Focus seems to have hit mainly on the nose with shallow depth of field behind.

Technical Details

Canon R7, Canon 400mm DO IS II, 1.4x extender III
ISO 640, f5.6, 1/1250s

2

Muskies are fun. And kind of easy to sneak up on so you can catch them doing secret muskrat stuff. :laughing: I like the heading right for us aspect of this even if it’s soft. The bigger issues for me are the heavy cyan cast and the low contrast, so I had a go with it in Photoshop for your consideration -

Muskrat
Muskrat1377×1200 419 KB

One correct color cast action in the TK8 pane wasn’t quite right, so I used the second method on top of it and then just added a curves layer and pulled the opacity back to about 80% then put a black mask on it so I could paint it in the center of the photo, leaving the background less contrasty.

Hope you don’t mind. Fun shot even if it isn’t perfect. Sometimes it’s just better to go out and enjoy just being with them, but I’m glad you caught it.

3

@Kris_Smith
Hi Kris, I like what you did here. Basically tamed the afternoon light for me. I’ll give this a go and see if I can come up with anything suitable.
Thanks!

4

@Kris_Smith - here is a new version I worked up using Viveza 3 (correct color cast preset), Photoshop, then Topaz Denoise. Not quite as bold as your version but it’s getting there.

Muskrat edit
Muskrat edit1319×1200 314 KB

5

That looks mighty better! Cute critter, too. Ours are all still in their dens or hanging with the beavers in their lodges.

6

Allen, this is a good catch, with the sharpness where it needs to be (always a challenge when a critter is heading right at you). The redo is nicely improved both in color cast and in noise.