The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
My son who is an avid sports fisherman had spotted an otter several nights when he was out fishing on my local beach. I decided to set up my camo chair to see if it would swim by in the morning light and I was lucky on my first attempt! Two otters swam by when the pink sky reflected on the water!
Specific Feedback
Most important for me when shooting wildlife is mood in favor of accurate representation. So if I could get feedback on aesthetics and composition I would be very happy. Specifically if you think the inclusion of the ripples above the otters add or detracts from the overall impression, or if a closer crop would be better.
Technical Details
Nikon D750 with Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 handheld
1/160sec, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500mm.
Slightly cropped at the bottom of the frame
Basic raw editing all in Lightroom
Added vibrance and saturation
Presharpening and Lightroom’s AI noise reduction at the preset setting
Calibration: added red +50, subtracted green -25 and blue -10
Local adjustment: Radial filter around the otters and the ripples in the bottom: raised shadows
I love the colors in the image and the softness of the water. I don’t mind the ripples above the otters at all. My only thought is that I can’t really see the otters that well. Could you maybe bring out a little more detail in them? This looks like it was a lovely peaceful morning to be out there.
Thank you, Chris! It really was a nice experience. Having my morning coffee, waiting for something exciting to happen! I have tried to bring out more details by adding texture and exposure to the otters in Lightroom. I am by no means a post processing wizard, so there are probably better ways to go about this! Any suggestions would be welcome.
Hi Inge-Andre, I see this as more of an artistic representation of the scene and I think you have done well in rendering that. More of a painterly, moody image as opposed to detailed representation (as you mentioned). The top ripples don’t add much for me but I see cropping them out as being problematic (coming in too tight to the otters).
This is really nice!
Like others, this has a painted feel and the ripples in the image above the otters are a plus in my view, it shows what I like to call “Peripheral Activity” meaning that the ripples are evidence of another critter just out of frame that’s playing or hunting, of course it could have been as simple as a fish that flopped on the surface going after a bug but it still adds a sense of motion and curiosity.
Just as important as the activity and subjects, I can only imagine how exciting it was for you to get the shot!
This is lovely! Wonderful colours and a lovely story of the otters travelling at sunset. I really appreciate your artistic vision. I agree there is mystery in the rings in the top and I think the negative space on the right is important to the feel and the mood. Thanks for posting…gives me some inspiration.
Thank you, Allen! I left in the ripples for that very reason, and I also like to show some of the environment even if it is just water. Also it was a high dynamic range and the otters were dark, so brightening them and showing all the details would look strange I guess.
Thank you, Mervin! The ripples are from the same otters. They kept diving and coming up to the surface a bit further on in their path! I left them in to avoid the otters to feel to tight in the frame. I like the idea of showing peripheral activity. It makes the viewer wonder. When I sat waiting I first noticed the ripples at a distance and didn’t pay much attention to it. I thought it was fish playing near the surface. But I dropped my coffee cup on the ground when I realized it was otters!
Inge-Andre, otters are always a fun subject. You must’ve been very pleased with this encounter.
The colors are lovely, and are probably the strongest element of this image. Because there isn’t much detail or separation with the animals, I think the strongest approach is to treat this as an abstract scene. As a result, the otters become an extension of the ripples… and therefore I think a tighter crop (losing the bland emptiness of the bottom and a bit of the right side) would help focus our attention more on those lines and the otters themselves. The resulting image doesn’t have a standout subject or defined, dominating shape, but our eyes get to explore the various scattered lines and eventually we figure out what we’re seeing… which is probably what you want from an abstract shot!
Thank you, Max. I tried a tighter crop and you are absolutely right! The otters becomes more of a subject and their negative space that is left has more interest in form of the ripples. This tells me that I probably need to think some more before I make a final decision on my crops!
