Simply sheep

Alex_B · May 23, 2007

... since my gazelle-thread was not very popular, I will try something more simple now :biggrin:

Blairc · May 23, 2007

Brilliant shot! Love how the background is blurred out just nicely - not too much. Excellent how the sheep is looking at the camera.

Top marks!

Alex_B · May 23, 2007

Thanks

And good to hear that from a Scotsman ... after all you are experts at sheep

(this is sheep from the west country though.)

Antarctican · May 23, 2007

Good shot there. Nice n sharp on the sheep and immediate area, nicely blurred background.

I will not engage in any of the one-liners flying madly through my brain

blackdoglab · May 23, 2007

I ban Antartican for baaaaaaad thoughts. Cute sheep, although the background bugs me a bit.

Alex_B · May 23, 2007

blackdoglab said:
although the background bugs me a bit.

bug as in not blurred enough, DOF not shallow enough? or simply the fact of having very identifiable objects there which are not in focus though?

Tangerini · May 23, 2007

I like this one

Very sharp and nicely composed.

Antarctican · May 23, 2007

blackdoglab said:
I ban Antartican for baaaaaaad thoughts.

I am feeling suitably sheepish.

(Oh c'mon, ewe had to know that would be my comeback)

Peniole · May 23, 2007

I like the capture and DOF, but I agree that the background does bug me a bit. The DOF is right on, it's just the background that doesn't help. Trees to sky and back to trees, no matter how blurred the background is, it still takes a bit of the attention from the foreground. Maybe a tighter crop would work, sheep on the right taking most of the height of the frame? That would still leave a less distracting green background with a few sheep out of focus and of course the fence.

On the other hand I like the in focus (grass?) and the rock on the right, just cropping the top a bit may work too.

blackdoglab · May 23, 2007

bug as in not blurred enough, DOF not shallow enough? or simply the fact of having very identifiable objects there which are not in focus though?

Every time I look at it, I have to take off my glasses, clean them, rub my eyes, and try to focus. What if you darkened the background a bit?

cherrymoose · May 24, 2007

Sheep are so cute. :mrgreen: Great shot, I love the bokeh!

abraxas · May 24, 2007

Iconic.

Steph · May 24, 2007

I like the picture but as mentioned by previous posters I think there is something not quite right with the DOF. To me the blur looks a bit unnatural; the sharpness seems to stop too abruptly after the sheep. Did you add the blur in Photoshop or is it the fact that the sheep is standing on top of a hill that gives this feeling? On my screen the highlights on the right side of the sheep are slightly blown out but I guess it was a compromise to keep details in the black head.

Alex_B · May 24, 2007

Steph said:
I like the picture but as mentioned by previous posters I think there is something not quite right with the DOF. To me the blur looks a bit unnatural; the sharpness seems to stop too abruptly after the sheep. Did you add the blur in Photoshop or is it the fact that the sheep is standing on top of a hill that gives this feeling? On my screen the highlights on the right side of the sheep are slightly blown out but I guess it was a compromise to keep details in the black head.

I got no highlights really blown out visibly on my screen ... gets a bit bright though I agree.

DOF is all natural f/4 and yes the sheep was standing on a small hill, as you can see from the other sheep visible but blurred being very far away.

I never blur in photshop.