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Staring You Down
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Simms


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Fill the Frame III (Advanced Editing V)
Camera: Canon EOS-5D
Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Location: Epping Forest, Essex, England
Date: Aug 24, 2007
Aperture: 3.2
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/200
Galleries: Nature, Animals
Date Uploaded: Aug 25, 2007

 Hopefully at least a 6.5 - I really like this shot.

Post challenge:

Its been a long week waiting for this challenge to end, but so glad its over now. FYI, when I woke up on the first day of voting my image was at 5.8 with 14 votes and gradually climbed up over the week, it hit a peak of around 6.9 at one point. Thanks everyone for the votes, I dunno if its just me, but I win ribbons with the lowest of scores. I admit I viewed the challenge history for the last 15 or so challenges to see if I could judge where it would come, I was figuring a top ten. I think the fact a lot of voters were voting down other great shots for not totally meeting the challenge helped me along - I didnt take the chance with not filling the frame as I know how fickle the voter can be.
Anyway, in post processing I did the following.

Desaturated slightly in Lightroom (LR)
upped the blacks and changed the overall hue a wee bit.

In PS I sharpened the base image, duplicated the layer, desat the new layer, set to overlay, gaussian blur the new layer and then drop the opacity slightly.

Cropped, add border, add slight vignette. I think I tonemapped slightly as well, cant be sure though.

Thanks everyone! As someone who isn't a proflic ribbon winner its still a massive thrill to see ones image on the frontpage.


Statistics
Place: 1 out of 285
Avg (all users): 6.8896
Avg (commenters): 8.9500
Avg (participants): 6.8851
Avg (non-participants): 6.8947
Views since voting: 9032
Views during voting: 255
Votes: 163
Comments: 63
Favorites: 17 (view)

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AuthorThread
 04/24/2009 04:35:24 AM
I hadn't seen this one before... and I was missing out. This is like the cow-porn equivalent of the rugged cowboy shot. Gritty. Excellently done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/07/2007 05:49:20 AM
** Warning: This post has been hidden as it may content mature content. Click here to show the post.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/06/2007 04:59:16 AM
Excellent capture, congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/05/2007 05:58:33 AM
I was in fact about 7 foot away, but did use the 200mm end to get the detail up close. I made sure I had an escape route available, although I am built for comfort not for speed, therefore seeing this fatboy run whilst pursued by a ton of pissed off beef would of been amusing to any third parties.

Originally posted by adrian45:
I think this is very nicely focussed on the end of the horn - making a point of it, in fact? However, it contrasts nicely with the fuzzy coat that to my mind makes the beast a sort of cuddly-rug type creature.

So, it makes me aware that 'this cat got claws', as it were. I wouldn't like to be in the same field as this, so you got courage in my eyes - I bet you used the long end of the 200mm though - sensible!

Congrats, anyway!
09/05/2007 03:58:09 AM
I think this is very nicely focussed on the end of the horn - making a point of it, in fact? However, it contrasts nicely with the fuzzy coat that to my mind makes the beast a sort of cuddly-rug type creature.

So, it makes me aware that 'this cat got claws', as it were. I wouldn't like to be in the same field as this, so you got courage in my eyes - I bet you used the long end of the 200mm though - sensible!

Congrats, anyway!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/04/2007 10:52:52 PM
unbelievable
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/04/2007 10:45:43 PM
WELL DESERVED
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/04/2007 10:04:57 AM
;p
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/04/2007 07:31:02 AM
Originally posted by exclamationjay:
ide say great photo butttt you once said the only challenge someone from Liverpool could win was a hub cap robbing one

so yeah focus seems abit off :D


I said that? Surely I would of accused scousers of stealing the whole car, not just the hubcaps.

yeah, focus is a trifle off.

:-)
 09/04/2007 07:17:49 AM
ide say great photo butttt you once said the only challenge someone from Liverpool could win was a hub cap robbing one

so yeah focus seems abit off :D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/04/2007 06:36:38 AM
Congrats on a wonderful image and your blue,

Jack
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 09:38:17 PM
congrats. well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 06:15:00 PM
Great first place mate - Well done - I love the tones - Love the composition.

Message edited by author 2007-09-03 19:52:56.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:25:22 PM
lovely shot, great crop, congrats on the ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 11:49:47 AM
This was one of my favorites. Congrats on blu :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 11:11:59 AM
Hey, what do you know...one of my top picks actually won! Congratulations on winning the blue ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 09:16:02 AM
Congratulations on your blue Mark! Great photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 09:12:12 AM
And you were hoping for just a top ten....lol. Congrats and its a great shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 08:43:25 AM
What a FABULOUS photo! As soon as I saw it I knew this one was the one. Congratulations. It's always so refreshing when the voters get it so right :)

  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 08:23:20 AM
Beautiful! Deserved blue! Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 07:14:39 AM
Congs. My guess was correct you won blue. I did not vote on this image, but its very good pic all the way.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 05:13:34 AM
congratulations mate. nicely done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 04:22:15 AM
great shot! congrats on ur blue
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 04:07:19 AM
Sometimes I'm right.. Mr BLUE strikes again.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 03:22:58 AM
Another great shot from Essex! I'd given you an 8 for this, the DOF and framing are perfect. Great work
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 02:46:49 AM
Congrats on the blue, fabulous close-up that perfectly meets the challenge
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 02:44:16 AM
I'm glad to see this do so well. Great composition and colors. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 01:49:13 AM
I figured this one would do really well. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 01:22:08 AM
congrats..this is a wonderful shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:50:08 AM
Well done Mark...is blue the only colour you win ribbons in?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:44:03 AM
Congrats on the blue, Mark! Excellent image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:43:51 AM
Originally posted by david_c:
Perfect DoF...great grey tones. Top 5 image.


Ok, top 1. I stand corrected. Congratulations, I love this image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:40:05 AM
Excellent shot here..... well done.....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:18:48 AM
Congrats. I figured your score was going to land you a ribbon and since you don't win anything except blue it had to be that one.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:15:12 AM
Congrats on this awesome portrait.
Nothing but blue for you !!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:12:02 AM
Sooo, when are we havng the Bar-B-Q? ;-) Nicely done. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:09:20 AM
You really like this shot? pffff...seems like EVERYONE really liked this shot. Forget the 6.5, 6.88 is a whole lot nicer, especially with that nice blue ribbon. Good work!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:08:29 AM
Marvelous, Mark! Big congrats on your new Blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:07:50 AM
congrats! the shot is a great fill the frame. Woo!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/03/2007 12:01:06 AM
Congrats. Way to go.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
09/02/2007 07:55:20 PM
The square composition really works for me. The processing is very nice as well. The horn totally makes the shot in my opinion. 9

Message edited by author 2007-09-03 18:30:31.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/02/2007 04:29:07 PM
Great shot and I really like the way you have cropped it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/02/2007 01:43:50 PM
This is fabulous. I hope it does well for you.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/02/2007 12:00:33 PM
Great photo, nice colors, lighting and detail, great composition as well, 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/01/2007 01:37:35 PM
Very nice DOF, I like how you took a single-subject filled frame and still managed to have a distinguishable foreground and background. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/01/2007 01:42:36 AM
wow this is great in many ways, detail,dof,tones and textures...nice
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2007 10:42:33 PM
Perfect DoF...great grey tones. Top 5 image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2007 10:38:21 PM
I like the composition, this is a great shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2007 08:48:20 PM
I get the point!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2007 04:12:38 PM
top 3 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/30/2007 02:58:26 AM
great color and use of focus 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/29/2007 08:48:32 PM
I like the composition and texture. Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/29/2007 12:25:13 PM
Top notch photo! The tones, the texture, the composition are all great, but I think that bull may be upstaging the photographer here! ;-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/28/2007 02:27:37 AM
excellent composition and DOF...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2007 10:49:01 PM
I like it. Good color values. Best of luck in the challenge. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2007 07:49:45 PM
love the crop....nice job all around 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2007 07:36:50 PM
the tones and colors really make this photo - the focus so completely on the animals face and the shallow DOF to blurr out the fur on the hind section work extremely well
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2007 05:07:45 PM
nice capture 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2007 03:41:54 PM
Love that horn!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2007 02:05:02 PM
WOW ! I love this shot. 10 and adding it to my favorites
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2007 01:06:27 PM
beautiful
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2007 12:08:54 PM
A lovely shot and a full frame, excellent:)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2007 02:21:46 AM
great composition, with great dof
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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