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Wild Thing, You Make My Heart Sing...

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Wild Thing, You Make My Heart Sing...
Photo Information
Copyright: Radu Xplorator (Xplorator) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 727 W: 58 N: 1537] (7596)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-09
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Nikon CP 8800
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-02-23 3:42
Viewed: 2562
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 32
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
"Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and live by what they hear; such people become crazy. Or they become legends." One Stab – Legends of the Fall

Another shot of the oversized, smoky amber girl that drove me nuts in a wild chase...
This fine “shadow-theatre effect” I should call it, can be produced with fine careful metering and composition. Metering the sky near the sun will get you a picture perfect underexposed of a front silhouette; lock exposure and refocus for a crisp front plan and hope for the best, also try a little underexposure (meaning go to minus on the EV number)... The aperture mode would be your safest bet to control it!
Again, I have to mention that my upbringing to this type of creations was entirely inspired from the art of Wayang, the Balinese shadow puppet theatre, where a light (the sun here) is placed behind the main character or puppet (here, the giraffe); there is always well defined ground line in first plan; to add realism and beauty there are decorations on prime plan (bush branches) well defined, on secondary plan (mountains) and even a third plan (see the “African shadows” photo and look at the distant row of mountains ,,disappearing,, in the horizon).
Here is a link to a photo (not mine!) that will help you better understand the ,,Wayang,, Balinese theatre : http://www.emp.pdx.edu/htliono/images/wkulit1.jpg .
My advice is to always lower your position, even dug a hole like I did at times and shoot from the lowest elevation possible in order to capture large portions of your subject against the sky light. Sunset is incontestably the best time for that if need to mention at all that!
I have no doubts all of you recognize here an adult reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), , it was the leader of a pack of three, very cooperative from a safe distance, it was amazing to see and capture this giant walking at sunset.
This image is taken with my Nikon Coolpix 8800, at full optical 10x Nikkor zoom, from a lowered point to emphasize the posture and size of characters. No sharpening was done as the camera behaved impeccable.
Friday, liquidsunshine, manyee, hummingbird24 has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To evanrizo: ReXplorator 1 03-01 05:18
To Pesky_Polecat: Speaking of favouritesXplorator 1 02-23 16:12
To naimonetti: Re:Xplorator 1 02-23 16:07
To Toucadoo: Wanderer & wondererXplorator 1 02-23 16:04
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Critiques [Translate]

wow ,

what a great and a story telling picture. I dont know what to say !! i am dumb stuck, the tones are excellent

TFS
Goutham R

BRAVO!!!

Excellent compo, great silhouettes, soft colours, TFS and best wishes,
Elena

Fantastic image! Interesting POV and colours, excelent comopsition! Thanks for sharing,
Laila

Hi Radu,
Excellent capture with brilliant composition.
TFS!

could see this one was cool right from the thumbnail
its africa with a capital A
mood is terrific...and tones sufficient to support the silhouette and not be too contrasty

Excellent silhouette shot the different tonal levels are really cool too. Well done Radu. :)

Very nice photo- useful note is very much appreciated so others may learn how you exposed and metered this for this type of shot.- Thanks

One of my favourite shots on TN...

Absolutely wonderful silhouetted image. Thanks so much for the note on how you did it!

ps

I was looking at your great photo a second time and slid the image on my monitor over just to cut out the sun but leaving three leaves. Just a thought. It seems to put all the attention on Mr. Giraffe rather than the sun grabbing your eye right away. I know it puts the giraffe right in the center but sometimes rules are meant to be broken. I love it however it is cropped. Just great.

Fantastic capture Radu,
Good detail and sharpness.
Composition and lighting are good. Good POV. Very nice shot.
Thanks for posting, enjoy the rest of the week.

Wow! Awesome picture! great colors!
Good going!

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3085 W: 231 N: 5879] (19530)
  • [2006-02-23 20:47]

This is beautiful, Radu. There is poetry, there is artistry, there is sensitivity, gentleness, and purity in this shot. The way you framed the sun to come through the hole in the palm fronds is brilliant (no pun intended). The color tone has such a soothing quality to it. I love this!
P.S. Your notes about your inspiration from Balinese Shadow Puppets were very interesting, and your technical hints very informative. TFS. : )

This is an image that is very much a pleasure to gaze at.

Not only for the superb technical aspects of it, but also for the soothing calm and wonderment that it inspires.

Thank you Radu, another great contribution to this site.

  • Great 
  • optic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 322 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2006-02-28 7:38]

WONDERFULL IMAGE!
You did a fantastic shot Radu, i love the composition & warm colours VERY well done.
TFS,

Regards,

Perfect, I do not have words to say my feelings I have when I look this photo.Or I do not know how can I start.
Bravo

You are quoting a line from a song by the Troggs.....either you are into nostalgia, or you are of my generation...
Great mood shot in a perfect setting.
Cheers
Otto

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