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Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Best of 2006 (Advanced Editing V*)
Collection: Favorites - Ribbons
Camera: Canon EOS-20D
Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS
Location: Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, FL
Date: Apr 21, 2006
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 400
Shutter: 1/200
Galleries: Humorous, Animals
Date Uploaded: Jan 11, 2007

Yes, I know the shot has been in my portfolio for a while, but not like this! I finally ran the darn thing through Photoshop, and it turned out much better. I think these little guys are a hoot, and the shot is certainly unique. Hopefully I won't get clobbered by people who've already seen it.

Yes these are real meerkats and no, I didn't retouch the smiles or arm. They were grouped together at the zoo, and I had my daughter shake a water bottle which had a big chunk of ice in it. The odd sound got their attention and made them all stare at me. The arm around the shoulder makes the whole shot. ;-)

Processing: Why yes, lots of it. Slight crop, Levels, USM, Dodge & Burn all over, Channel Mixel for saturation, blur and darken the background, Noise Ninja, desaturate the cyan on the rocks & noses, and darken some white specks on the background wall. Hope you like it!

Statistics
Place: 113 out of 712
Avg (all users): 6.4189
Avg (commenters): 7.6170
Avg (participants): 6.3865
Avg (non-participants): 6.5227
Views since voting: 2313
Views during voting: 562
Votes: 370
Comments: 61
Favorites: 13 (view)


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AuthorThread
02/08/2007 04:47:08 PM
This should have finished in the top 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/28/2007 10:43:34 PM
hahaha - brilliant!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/26/2007 10:38:15 PM
I just had show this one to my daughter and then add it to my favorites. Now I have something to look at whenever I need to smile. This is hilarious, and I agree that the arm just makes the shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/26/2007 12:19:50 PM
this is so funny, and unique, great capture!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/26/2007 11:14:08 AM
no tricks?? hmmm are they live meerkats? they come from here ya know.
(with a name like that)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/26/2007 08:13:16 AM
This is one of the most hysterical animal shots I have ever seen! Fantastic!!! Nice framing too. :o)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/26/2007 07:31:19 AM
And they would pose just for you.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/26/2007 07:09:22 AM
Man, this is so funny! Great shot :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/26/2007 03:47:43 AM
haha I love these little guys. Cant believe they posed for you like this.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/26/2007 02:01:54 AM
Shannon, your versatility astounds as always. Congrats on another great shot!

I wonder whether, in all your spare time, you could put together a tutorial and show the original?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/26/2007 12:59:16 AM
Meerkats, ok. Under-rated! The catchlight in all their eyes really underscored their relationship.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
01/25/2007 08:28:45 PM
This is just the most amazing pose. Couldn't be anymore darling. Good Luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/25/2007 11:14:47 AM
they are extremely cute! almost like humans, great "poses" and expressions!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/24/2007 10:14:15 PM
1, 2, 3..."awwwww, aren't they cuuuuuute" kinda hard to knock an image like this, because, well, they are just too darn cute.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/24/2007 05:54:10 PM
Beautiful!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/24/2007 12:55:26 PM
What a cute bunch. It looks like all of them are even smiling for you. Great capture!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/23/2007 06:51:57 PM
Great title.
Meerkats are so photogenic and fun to photograph. Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/23/2007 12:30:15 PM
cute
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/23/2007 01:46:24 AM
I love photographing this animals. This looks like such a natural family portrait pose.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/23/2007 01:33:35 AM
Hysterical the way these lemurs pose. Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/22/2007 11:18:36 PM
It's like an actual family portrait! So cute! I really love it! If I stare at it long enough...it just amazes me and makes me laugh! What a lucky shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/22/2007 08:50:19 PM
really cute, nicely executed
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/22/2007 07:12:31 PM
Charming. It looks like you arranged them for a Christmas card family shot. Nice colors.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/22/2007 04:51:28 PM
What sweet creatures perfectly captured.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/21/2007 09:01:16 PM
This is really one of my favorite shots. I love the arm across the right fore critter. Nice dof. Great texture. Very nice exposure.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/21/2007 07:43:58 PM
You've made me laugh. I love the one with it's arm around the other.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/21/2007 06:09:45 PM
they were totally posing for you... thats hilarious!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/21/2007 11:51:36 AM
Made me chuckle. Beauty shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/21/2007 05:33:41 AM
I seem to recall this one (but I'm old and senile, so I can't remember who's it is.) Absolutely delightfully wonderful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/20/2007 06:59:49 PM
OMG, they are posing!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/19/2007 09:30:01 PM
All smiling!! This is such a delight! I hope you make it a print!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/19/2007 10:46:10 AM
Amazing how they are all posed for a family photo :) 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2007 09:11:33 PM
These expressions and poses are just roll-on-the-floor hilarious! Great title too!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2007 07:32:52 PM
Awwwwww! How cute! Back to bump you up to 8 for a sweet, clean, well composed shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/17/2007 08:18:39 AM
Awwww sooo cute great capture 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/16/2007 09:52:21 PM
What a wonderful capture! Bonus points for the arm around the pal's back!

Quite incredible how you got the subjects in focus and the background blurred.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/16/2007 08:13:08 AM
:o) what a great family portrait!! funny.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/14/2007 12:25:06 PM
This is just to cute!! They all smiled and posed for you! neat capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/14/2007 11:54:20 AM
very cute
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/14/2007 01:26:56 AM
WoWw!!! they posed for you!!!
congratulations.. great Pic!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/14/2007 12:28:29 AM
It really looks as if these guys were posing for a family portrait. I lovce the smile on the one at the front of the group and the "arm" around the shoulder of the one on the corner. Wonderful capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/13/2007 10:45:29 PM
Too funny! Their expressions are priceless...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/13/2007 07:11:07 PM
What a capture of their personalities! 9!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/13/2007 04:35:28 PM
Very very cute! Why do they pose like this, I wonder?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/13/2007 06:18:02 AM
wish my family posed as well, Incredible composition, Love it-10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 10:33:11 PM
Cracks me up.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 08:30:39 PM
these things are hilarious. cute family portrait
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 08:05:28 PM
I had a Lemur shot I was considering. Very photogenic animal
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 07:29:26 PM
nice catchlights in the eyes! & detail in the fur...8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 07:07:07 PM
Meerkat Manor... Great catch lights.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 05:25:09 PM
These guys make such great subjects. Excellent shot and good luck!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 02:44:33 PM
Nice capture. Did you direct them to stand that way?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 01:41:56 PM
Best: The arm wrapped around is priceless
Worst: zoo setting sets it back slightly
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 11:13:48 AM
AHHHHHHdorable!

and

AHHHHHHH the dreaded back-focusing issue. Might have been a bit tricky to pull this off with a deeper DOF due to available light, its hard to tell.

Other than that, it's extremely well done. the expressions on their faces and the arm over the shoulder is pretty damned close to priceless.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 10:01:38 AM
HAHAHA, perfect ... excellent , funny .... 8 from me for Merkat family
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 09:16:30 AM
sweet little guys. love these animals 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 08:42:52 AM
I love how they are smiling!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 08:22:27 AM
Very sweet capture and it pleases me very much.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 03:09:32 AM
sooooooooooooo cute! good timing. and theyre all smiling :))))
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 03:06:16 AM
The cheeky bastards are posing...and smiling!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2007 12:29:54 AM
ha! Looks like they're posing especially for you!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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