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Giraffe, and the spider?


Giraffe, and the spider?
Photo Information
Copyright: Rob Nicholls (nixpix) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 67 W: 26 N: 121] (444)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2003-08-15
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon D60, Canon EF 300mm f2.8 USM IS
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/1250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2005-07-24 22:57
Viewed: 6964
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Taken in the beautiful South Luangwa National Park while I was staying at Chichele Presidential Lodge. South Luangwa is an awesome park and boasts a rich diversity of game and bird species and some beautiful vistas. The park is famous for its leopard sightings. Chichele used to be the private lodge of President Kaunda in days gone by. Today it is a top quality safari lodge operated by Star of Africa.

This giraffe has a passenger. It is difficult to tell for sure but I think its a spider hanging from a web strand just below the giraffe's jaw, directly in line with the eye. It could be a flying insect of sorts but the form, although very small, suggests it is a spider. Giraffe spend a lot of time with their heads in acacias and other trees browsing and I guess this would be a perfect opportunity for a spider or other resident to catch a free ride to another tree, either intentionally or unwittingly.

The photograph was taken from the back of a landrover using a 300mm lens and a 2x converter. This enabled me to get close and eliminate the acute upward angle at the giraffe's head way up in the sky. Sadly the skies in the area often tend to be a bit dowdy due to crop burning in the areas adjacent to the National Park.

The image has been cropped to a square format and a little sharpening and saturation adjustment applied.
manyee, chiliu, Janice, ellis49, marhowie, sway, PDP has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To marhowie: Giraffenixpix 1 07-26 09:04
To sway: Thanks & giraffenixpix 1 07-26 06:28
To fario: Awfulnixpix 1 07-25 18:23
To marhowie: Thanks and sharpeningnixpix 1 07-25 18:20
To chiliu: Thanksnixpix 3 07-25 01:58
To gerhardt: Thanksnixpix 1 07-25 00:57
To chiliu: Thanksnixpix 1 07-25 00:39
To manyee: Thanksnixpix 1 07-25 00:28
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Critiques [Translate]

Wow, Rob. What a gorgeous profile of that giraffe (and of the spider too). Sharp details, warm colors, clear image, good composition. Very attractive shot. Well done! Thanks for sharing, and a warm welcome to TN. : )

Nice portrait!
The colour and details are great, good composition.
TFS!

Hi Rob, Welcome to TrekNature. You set a high standard with your opening post. The capture has that "magical light" is very sharp and the spider adds a nice touch. Your note makes a great read and given all the destinations you visited I can't wait to see the rest of your portfolio.

If you don't mind me saying: "This is not a kak shot" ;)

That's certainly getting up close at least optically. I lived in Kenya for a while and never got quite as sharp a close-up of a giraffe as this. I like the spider.Well done.
John

You start with a very nice picture, Rob
I like the POV and composition. Very good details and colours.
The spider is an extra bonus.
Very well done.

Welcome to TN.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
  • [2005-07-25 2:04]

Welcome to TN Rob, What a great portrait of this Giraffe. Good lighting and colours, and he is clearly seen. The spider is a bonus too. Well shown, thank you.

Good picture, i have sharpen in workshop, you like it?

Henry

Wow Rob, this is a very nice picture. I really like the portrait shot of the giraffe, it is a good composition. It does look like a spider. :) Well done and thanks for sharing.

Jan-Hendrik

  • Great 
  • sway Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 305 W: 85 N: 319] (1276)
  • [2005-07-26 5:54]
  • [+]

Great Photo. He looks so sad though, even his eyes look sad.
I love his whiskers on his chin!
Lovely colours and use of light.
Perfect focus.
Great use of DOF.
Wonderful shot.:)

Hello Rob, This is great. The title is a great lead-in to this unique capture. Excellent photo quality..I think the "dowdy" light may have helped you in making this tiny spider more visible? I've got a giraffe titled "Nose Picker's Profile". Check it out if you have time...

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2005-07-29 17:02]

This is a great shot! As a portrait it's great as it is but the inclusion of the spider really gives it something extra! Excellent composition and colour, I love it!

Very well done.

  • Great 
  • optic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 322 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2005-07-30 21:12]

Hello Rob,
i like this great portrait, nice colours & razorsharp details, dof & pov are perfect very well composed, tfs & welcome to Treknature.

Regards,
Christian

I love the spider hanging there, it really adds to the scene, the giraffe looks so calm, and peaceful. The golden glow on him from the light is very nice, well done. I like the diagonal angle in the square frame.

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