Siblings Cavorting

Image Critiques Wildlife Critiques
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Melanistics.jpg
Melanistics.jpg1608×1079 664 KB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

I’ve been fortunate to photograph a local pair of black squirrels which are rare (one in ten thousand worldwide) but there are population concentrations here and there. These siblings were playing tag here. It was a challenge getting both of the right. One is jet black and the other is more mottled gray/black.

Specific Feedback

Cropping? Also, is that strip of grass at the bottom okay?

Technical Details

Z9, 180-600 lens, Nikon 1.4 TC, monopod, 1/3200th, f 8.0, 570mm, ISO 11400, cropped to 3387 x 2272.

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1 Like
2

Hi Dave! You captured a cute moment here with these little guys :slight_smile: Where was this taken? I would love to see them someday.

If I’m reading your description correctly, it sounds like processing the image was a challenge to get the fur tones right for both. I think you succeeded if so, because I can definitely tell the one behind is solid black.

I wonder if focus/DOF is a bit of an issue – a bit hard to tell with the NPN dimensions, but the body of the front squirrel does look quite soft to me. (I don’t consider myself a wildlife photographer, but I’ve tried it enough to know that pointing this out is completely unhelpful at this juncture :stuck_out_tongue: )

Re your question about cropping, I personally would probably crop out the grass on the bottom. I think it could work, but it feels a bit disjointed given that it’s heavier on the right and in my head it conflicts with the slight diagonal of the cement/grass above.

Thanks for sharing your image with us!