Milo,
I would consider making a crop that creates a more intimate view of the ram. This suggestion below eliminates the problem of the ram coming in half-way down the frame.
The head angle and soft light are both very pleasing in this image. Lightening the shadow areas on the left side of the ram might also improve upon the image you have created here.
I like the original uncropped version. It gives a feel of space and distance of the BG, plus a nice colour. The red flowers in the foreground add colours to the image with a white subject. I may be wrong, but its what I feel. Fabulous image and a nice specimen!
Hi Milo - A nice capture here, but I must admit I like the repost by David - the result has been to strengthen the composition and brighten the colours resulting in greater impact.
Definantly the original image for me-shows that the animal in its habitat better-crop looks too cramped-you could crop the top to get rid of the light area top left-very nice as is
Excellent image Milo.. I really like the OOF FG colors that are replicated in a subtle way in your BG. Davids crop is nice but it's a completely different feeling image. I prefer it a s presented.
Beautiful image here Milo. I love the OOF fore and backgrounds while the sheep is crisply in focus. I'm not sure which version I prefer but I know that I wish this was my image. Well done!
Lovely image Milo. I prefer the feel of the ram's habitat in the original presentation. Exposure, saturation and pose all make for an elegant portrait.
This is a outstanding image of a outstanding ram, they don't get much bigger than this. I like the cropped version best, but if I was going to submit it for publication I would go with the image as posted
Tim
Thanks for all the comments. I think the crop makes a strong photo as well. The original is posted uncropped so I have plenty of pixels to play around with. When originally shooting this ram, I was at f/8 and even tried f/16 to get more depth. I am so glad I tried wide open as it really created a unique looking photograph... I was pleasantly surprised how it looked, especially sice there was little difference between the f/8 and f/16 images. The other element that I really like is when a sheep (or other ungulate) throws its front leg out when bedded. It gives a really relaxed look.
Hey Milo, Way to go. Both versions have their strenghts. I like both of them. And as you know, I have long been advising "wide open and focus on the eye."
That worked quite well here. Later and love, artie
Milo, this is super. The layering, with stuff extending from near to distant, is effective. I think the foreground out-of-focus works well to help frame the face, and that striking red color is a strong point. Well done.