Rodeo (2)

I don't know if it looks better in colours...some PS work to try to

offset the unaesthetical background, result is not really satisfying

me...thanks for your feedback and suggestions to improve.

Good action photograph. Nice sharpness and beautiful diffused background (with shallow DOF, may be due to telephoto action). Lower contrast and saturation may help in diffusing the background further.

Very good picture but I prefer the B&W version as far I remember it.

Excellent timing and action here cher Jean Pierre!

Super blur of the background too! I know you pay very much attention to the composition, but I would like to see more of the left side/space, but that is minor!

 

Biliana

Congratulations on an awesome photo! Perhaps one of the very best I've ever seen. May I ask which lens you used to capture it?

Powerful image! Sharp, great color saturation and composition. The only thing that I find questioning is the soft "halo" around the horse and rider. Did you add a mask and blur to the background to help the image pop a bit and isolate your primary subject?

 

Either way, I think this is a really gret shot!

Dilip : thanks, Dilip...you see, diffusing more the background is not a problem, "the" problem is how to insure a progressive transition between background and foreground, or said differently, how to make the ground progressively blured? If the background is too blured, and the ground(tansition between foreground and background) is too sharp, the picture is not credible, is it?...If anybody can give me a progressive process with a credible result, I will be really much obliged...

 

Norman...thanks for your comment, friend...maybe you missed my comment just below the post : " some PS work to try to offset the unaesthetical background, result is not really satisfying me "...as you see, I am not satisfied either....

 

Tito : technical info : lens Nikkor 80-200mm F2.8 at 80mm, speed 1/2500 (!) F5 (and still, the background is clear...digital is a "damned angel" !)

 

Biliana : thank you girl, I love you (I'm not kidding...and I'm french, as you know, so too romantic...lol)just figure out the speed of this "fury", the minimum lens focal of my zoom, and you'll understand it's just a hard time to make a "compo"...but you're perfectly right, I would have also prefered more space on both sides.

 

Thanks to all of you, and here is the "basic" shot...on which I let you work, very friendly...that's PN community, isn'it?

 

JP

I prefer the colour version Jean Pierre. Great capture of the action and whatever you've done in PS has enhanced the image producing a very pleasing result. Well done. Regards, Neil

Its a good action grab. Regarding the photoshop work. If you add a mask to the layer you can use a gradient of black to transparent on the mask to achieve a good smooth transition from infocus to blur on the background.

Good. I don't like the blur, that you add in. It is obvious that is an extra filter. I like the tight framing. It moves my look off the horses head to his legs. It is a good action shot.

Oui, mon Cheri :):):) When I saw the original,wow.. you have done a great work here cher Jean Pierre, and I can understand the furry of this wild horse!

 

In those circumstances : Chapeau :)

 

Grosses Bises :)

 

Biliana

Hi Jean,

Love your photo.

I see what you mean about the depth of field. If you are good at creating masks in photoshop, I have something you could try. I use this to make cast shadows that get blurrier the farther they get from the subject and for depth of field. I'm thinking it's going to be a little tricky because of the kicked up dirt.

First start with an uncropped image (so you don't end up with any halo around the edge).

Mask off rider, horse, or anything else you don't want blured save in a channel (black with white image).

In new blank channel use the graduated screen tool and start the white to black gradient just below the fence and end it somewhere below the horse's nose. You should have white on top (it's going to get the full blur effect), to black on bottom (no blur).

Load your mask channel in the channel with the gradation and fill with black.

Now load that channel in your layer and try different amounts of blur.

Then you'll probably have to do a little touch up.

Hope this works for you.

 

Brooks

Poster shot! Great capture, powerful action and energy!!

I think this photo benefits greatly from color and defines the lines between horse and rider. I like the crispness and clarity of the shot, at the same time knowing there is so much speed and energy happening.

Thanks to all of you, PN friends...it's warm to share with you !

 

Thanks a lot, Brooks, for the time you've spent to give me this detailed explanation for processing the image...I will try, for sure, but I don't know if I will succeed...thanks again, this is anyway what I wanted to learn!

 

Best wishes friends !

 

JP

Fabulous shot there, friend Jean Pierre ... You have captured a great moment .. Congradulations ..

Jean Pierre, i love this photo. It expresses the strenght of the horse very well.

I was very much inspired by your actionshots of your horses and so i tried to make some myself. Now i know how very difficult it is to get them sharp. Even with a 1/1250 most of my pictures had a motionblur. I went to a Eventing & hippique in my town and i would appreciate it if you would watch my folder and give some comment and / or advice : http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=608686

Best regards from the Netherlands,

Marga

Hi Jean Pierre, i like a lot what you do with this picture and maybe i can help you with my little experience with PS and the blur.

First select the background all the way to the horse and dusts then select the "rectangular marquee tool" place your cursor on the bottom-right corner of the picture hold the "Alt" button with one of your left fingers =) and then click and hold the left button of your mouse while you move it up and left... doing this you are "deselecting" an area from your background... the real tip is: the "marquee tool" have an option named "Feather", you need to play with numbers there... what PS do is a "soft selection edge" =)... after that use the Lens blur filter and find the best "depth field" for your pictures!!!

Hope i can help you with this... and hope you can understand my english!! lol =)

 

many thanks to you, PN friends, for your visit and time

 

Victor : a particular thanks to you for sharing your PS experience...I will try this for sure, thanks a lot !

 

JP

Most Beautiful animal on the Earth. High class Photography.