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Image Critiques Wildlife Critiques
1

Fox Staredown-3.jpg
Fox Staredown-3.jpg2048×1366 876 KB

PRH_2575
PRH_25752048×1365 1.27 MB

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.

Questions to guide your feedback

Foxes are pretty fantastic animals already, but on a sunny day with somewhat drab foliage, they don’t stand out as well. I’ve processed this image in the way that I saw the image in my minds eye as I shot it. What do you feel when you see this image? What do you think the Fox is feeling?

Other Information

Please leave your feedback before viewing the blurred information below, once you have replied, click to reveal the text and see if your assessment aligns with the photographer. Remember, this if for their benefit to learn what your unbiased reaction is.

Image Description

I make a living in construction management. I am blessed to live and work in country that supports a lot of wildlife. This Fox was walking up the driveway on a job where I had just pulled up. My camera is always riding shotgun, so I quickly grabbed it and got ready. The driveway has a slight hump in the middle, just enough that if I squatted down, I could both hide for a bit and be ready to catch him in a place where I could blur the background nicely. He complied nicely and popped up in just the right place. I had already pre-focused on the spot where I had wanted him to appear, so there was nothing left to do but push the button! I knew as I waited that I wanted to process it this way, and was quite anxious to get home and get to work on it! Its a dark image, but thats the look I was going for.

Technical Details

Nikon D850
Nikon 70-300 f/4.5-5.6
ISO 640, f/6.3, 1/1600 sec, 300mm

I used several masks in Lightroom to darken the background, enhance the fox and reduce sharpness in the background. I also used a vignette to further darken the edges.

Specific Feedback

Is the processing too dark or is it just mysterious enough? What do you think of a more unnatural edit like this? I like this way of making the fox stand out, but keeping the overall look sort of subdued, although that intense stare is anything but subdued! I included the unprocessed image so you can see how it looked in-person. As you can see, the gravelly driveway is one reason I went with this edit.

Critique Template

Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.

  • Vision and Purpose:
  • Conceptual:
  • Emotional Impact and Mood:
  • Composition:
  • Balance and Visual Weight:
  • Depth and Dimension:
  • Color:
  • Lighting:
  • Processing:
  • Technical:
2

Your edited version is special. I like how you darkened the BG and surrounding areas and warmed up the entire scene. The fox looks curious and intrigued by your presence. The vertical crop is perfect for this comp. Awesome…Jim

3

Wow Paul, you did a nice job with your editing. I really like the warm dark tones in this. Good focus, and nice inquisitive pose from your friend. It looks like it has had a fight or two with its ear torn up like that.

4

First reaction – WOW!! A fantastic photograph with obviously top-notch processing! The fox is so alive and engages the viewer so well! The BG is perfect and seeing the original shows how well you have realized the potential of this encounter! The detail on the fox is gorgeous as is the grass and BG! I would not change a thing!! This is a print and hang!!!

5

Initial reaction is Wow !
You did a fine job ! This is a very good example of how an ordinary image can be transformed in post processing.
Thanks for including unprocessed image, it can be very educating for many of us.

6

@Jim_Zablotny @Ed_Williams @Diane_Miller @JRajput Thanks for the kind words. Somehow the foxes always find me. I have so many fun images of them! It seems that realism is making a comeback in photography. How does the unnatural processing of this image make you feel. I personally love this style, but wonder how it is received by other photographers.

7

I really think that anyone who does not like the processing here is simply jealous that they have no idea how to do it and no vision that they even could do it with their ordinary, mundane “realistic” images. A similar thing happened when digital capture came on the scene. A lot of photographers thought it was terrible that images could be improved over what their projected slides could present at the local camera club. And most of them felt that way because they had no idea how to master the computer skills needed.

3 Likes
8

I really love the darkened background…. And the crop with the fox at the top of the frame looking down on me…. The whole image is striking…

The eyes pop but how much they pop distracted me and it felt almost illustrated with the eye pop

1 Like
9

I see what you’re saying about the eyes. It’s not bad at cell phone size, but might be too much on a larger screen

1 Like
10

First reaction WOWZER!!! It has a beautifully mysterious feel to it, almost like having walked into a fairy tale. I love this image, and would change absolutely nothing. BRAVO!!!

11

I really like this photo. The dark background is maybe a little too dark, but that is up to your vision of the photo. With such a great shot there are many ways to edit.