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ctfchallenge | all galleries >> Challenge 136 - Delicate >> Challenge 136 - Eligible > Delicate Touch
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24-JUN-2007 Lonnit Rysher

Delicate Touch

Nassau County Fair, Long Island NY

Such gentle giants these giraffes were.
They'd take the carrots from people's
hands with such gentleness. Such a shame
though for these stunning beasts to be
kept in these small pens.

Canon EOS 5D ,Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
1/90s f/2.8 at 70.0mm iso200 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time24-Jun-2007 17:55:18
MakeCanon
ModelCanon EOS 5D
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length70 mm
Exposure Time1/90 sec
Aperturef/2.8
ISO Equivalent200
Exposure Bias0.50
White Balance
Metering Modematrix (5)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programaperture priority (3)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto
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ctfchallenge02-Jul-2007 22:02
You're easy to amuse too, being that we can tell you the same joke every day and you'll laugh like you've never heard it before! LOL! And also, we can tell you the same joke every day and you'll laugh like you've never heard it before! But we could tell you the same joke every day and you'll laugh like you've never heard it before too! LMAO!

Oh, and for the person nice jobbing Jano, it's not Jano's pic, it's mine! LOL! ~ LOnnit
ctfchallenge02-Jul-2007 02:44
I like the offset of color and the comp - Nice job jano
Rod 01-Jul-2007 00:59
I really don't bother about the rules as you say but if a shot isn't working for some reason when I look at it then I might try to figure out why. If I look at a shot & it works for me I don't then analyse it to see if it conforms to any rules. When I shoot I just look for what seems to be working & don't worry about thirds etc. The red in this shot overwhelmed me on first viewing & does detract our eyes from the narrow band of focus on the hand & snout so me eyes do seem to be concentrated on the area above the nose to the eyes which isn't the focal point. It seems every time I go out to shoot I never consciously refer back to other shots I've taken to apply what made them work to what I'm looking at through the viewfinder. Every day seems a brand new day to me, maybe Alzheimer's will have no affect on me:-)
ctfchallenge30-Jun-2007 21:09
I too would have preferred more DOF, to have the eyes in focus, but that simply did not happen here. I was at f/2.8 - fine for a human face, not so for a giraffe.

No, Rod, it's just that you decided to forget about rules for a moment and let yourself wander the image uninhibited. Ironic as it is, that you are the one always lecturing about setting oneself free of the rules, and yet you are tripped up by them! Always absorb the image without bias, then think about the rules only if something feels wrong and you're trying to figure out why, or, if you want to have a better understanding of why the image works, so you can repeat such things in your own work. :) ~ Lonnit
ctfchallenge29-Jun-2007 19:54
I love the composition and the use of color here, Lonnit, but I wish that more of the giraffe's head was in focus.
--Mary Anne
ctfchallenge29-Jun-2007 19:34
Is it my eyes or with the shallow DOF is the only part in focus the lower portion of the face? CJ
Rod 29-Jun-2007 17:41
I did as you said & now I want to vote for it.............Isit a trick, am I now in your power:-)
Yes the triangle of nose & eyes was my gaze pattern too.
ctfchallenge29-Jun-2007 14:49
I don't know... I am drawn up to it, but it doesn't fight me all that much to flow back down. I do believe it does keep the eye moving through the image, but I don't think it fights so hard that it is a complete distraction.

Ok, I just stared a bit more and I am finding that I jump around the triangle that is formed by the eyes and mouth. Relax your eyes, look at it for a few moments and tell me what your gaze pattern is. ~ Lonnit
Rod 29-Jun-2007 10:09
It's a stretch to think that intense red will let go of the eye to let us look at the hand Lonnit:-) .....Know wot I mean.
ctfchallenge28-Jun-2007 23:05
I think I can get away with it though, b/c the red acts like a leading line from the corner of the frame down to the hand. Thanks for commenting. :) ~ Lonnit
ctfchallenge28-Jun-2007 22:21
That is a great example of a delicate touch Lonnit! The background seems a little bright but does outline the giraffe's head nicely. CJ
ctfchallenge28-Jun-2007 17:11
Thanks, guys. Ugh, cookies to a wild animal! Aren't we killing people fast enough with additives? These guys can pack in carrot sticks like they're bottomless pits! It was so funny to watch the tongues - they can barely reach down low enough to grab them, with the gates in the way. They stick out their trembling tongues and strain to reach the carrots. Same thing every time, even on the ten billionth carrot! ~ Lonnit
ctfchallenge28-Jun-2007 04:37
Nicely done. Like the PS treatment in this one. -COAmature
Guest 27-Jun-2007 23:49
Great shot Lonnit! Love the compostion & colors. When I was a kid we fed them 'Nilla Wafers' at the zoo. No feeding now except special events & well supervised. Looks like these guy like the healthy carrots as much as wafers. And yeah, their tounge's are amazingly gentle.
ctfchallenge27-Jun-2007 23:12
Thanks, guys. What other angle is there to shoot a giraffe? ;) LOL! As for the color, I thought the bright juvenile palette supported the fun-ness of giraffedom, with that silly looking face. I was absolutely giddy when I turned to walk into the tent and caught sight of this pair. I just adore giraffes. Perhaps I relate to their stature! LOL! OH, to have the opportunity to ride one! Can you imagine being astride that incredible lope! It is amazing how gentle these guys are, considering their enormous size. They were very difficult to shoot. I took a couple dozen frames but none really thrilled me. ~ Lonnit
ctfchallenge27-Jun-2007 23:01
There is a visual competition between the desaturated colors of the giraffe and the very intense red and blue background, esp the red. It wants to jump out and consume the animal. Interesting and powerful effect contrasts with the delicacy of taking the carrot. -tv
Guest 27-Jun-2007 21:49
Great Shot! Love the detail and angle.