Another leopard! C&C welcome

[davidedric]

Going through some pictures taken in May in Zambia. I like this because I think it suggests movement. The downside is that she was moving, it was getting dusk, so it's not pin sharp but the best I could do. Any suggestions for improving the image very welcome.

[Geoff F]

Yes, real action there, Dave.

Have you tried a little extra selective sharpening just on the leopard not the background?

[davidedric]

Have you tried a little extra selective sharpening just on the leopard not the background?

Thanks, Geoff. Not exactly. I use LR and I've done some masking during sharpening, which I think helps with the background, but not with the sharp grasses in the foreground. I suppose my options are to use the Adjustment Brush in LR and paint over the animal, or to export to PSE and attempt to draw around it (which I'm not very good at!). I'll give things a try

[Geoff F]

What I sometimes do with insect photos, Dave, is to roughly draw around the subject with the freehand lasso tool. You don't need to be exact as long as you are just outside of the required edge.

Feather the edge by around 10 pixels. Apply the sharpening to this selection. The feathered edge prevents any noticeable hard sharpening edges.

Not the correct method of using a duplicate layer which is sharpened then given a mask which can be edited as required; but it is sometimes simpler and quicker. And the feathered edge usually doesn't show.

Although the duplicate layer method does enable sharpening to be varied a little more accurately by adjusting the mask opacity where necessary. For example, sharper eyes.

ps. I also often use a little blur on oversharp foreground areas. Either using the Blur Brush or another job for the duplicate layers, etc.

[davidedric]

Thanks Geoff - just the kind of experienced hands-on tip I need. I'll give that a try over the weekend

[Bobobird]

Very nice shot and more then up to a bit of mutilation.

[jprzybyla]

Beautiful image showing the beauty and magnificence of the cat.