Grooming...

Gallery: WildlifePosted January 4, 2010279 views21 comments

This image was among the best "gifts" I received over the holiday season of 2009. During the holidays I was browsing through my RAW images taken during a trip to the Canadian tundra in 2004 when I found this image sitting in my collection in RAW, unprocessed form! Bonus! I'm not sure how I missed it the first 20 times I went through the image collection, but I was very pleased to find it. Surprisingly, when I re-discovered this image I immediately recalled all the details of the very memorable situation under which I captured it (which makes me wonder even more about why I had forgotten about the image!).

Anyway, this is a shot of yearling polar bear cub cleaning its fur while nestled up against its mother (the mother is the band of fur along the upper portion of the left edge of the frame). We encountered the free-ranging bears out on the tundra (exactly in the middle of nowhere!) and they allowed close approach with no outward sign of alarm or stress. This cub seemed particularly concerned with removing a few specks of dirt in the lighter undercoat of its fur (just visible in the lighter portion of fur near the bottom of the frame). After firing off the obligatory first few "record the event" shots, I sat back and waited until the very gentle cub gave me a composition where its very dark eyes and nose were clearly visible and stood out in contrast from the muted and soft tones of its luxuriant coat.

Subject: Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) cub cleaning its fur
Location: Cape Churchill, MB, Canada
Camera: Nikon D2H
Lens: Nikon 200-400 mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR lens (@ 4000mm - EFL of 600 mm) - handheld. VR on and set to "Normal" mode.
Exposure: 1/80s at f8. ISO 200. +0.67 stop compensation from matrix metered exposure.
Crop: Very minimal - this is about 95% of original image

All the gory details behind this image (field notes, all camera settings and processing details, conservation, etc.) can be found at:

http://www.naturalart.ca/galleries/mammals/bears/detail_61.html.

All comments welcome - I'd be particularly interested whether you prefer the B&W or the colour version of this image (I'm really on the fence myself). As always, probably best to have a peek at the larger version before commenting...

Brad

Comments

21 comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on January 4, 2010 at 2:07 PM

And here's the B&W version I was referring to above. Details about the raw conversion can be found here: (under the "At the Computer" tab below the image):

http://www.naturalart.ca/galleries/mammals/bears/detail_62.html

Cheers...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Sally King on January 4, 2010 at 2:18 PM

You are always giving us such difficult choices. I prefer the color version but just by a bit. The slightly off white color of that richly captured fur gives the image a warmth that the b & w doesn't have. Of course when you were taking this shot there probably wasn't much warmth so that might be an arguement for the b & w. Love the eyes and the messed up fur where it has been grooming. Do you ever feel unsafe getting this close to a polar bear? I have heard much about their reputation but obviously have never encountered one myself.

Registered on December 2, 2008, 416 Posts, 4450 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on January 4, 2010 at 2:23 PM

Awesome re-discovery Brad!!! Excellent comp and sharpness. Personally I prefer the color version.

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by JACK NEAL on January 4, 2010 at 2:33 PM

Great shot! But way too close! I now know the secret to your great bear shots! You get up close and personal and have lots of patience!

Registered on September 26, 2009, 131 Posts, 554 Comments

Comment posted by Basil Greber on January 4, 2010 at 2:47 PM

Amazing capture. And: Color, definitely.

Other than that, I'd suggest adding a bit more contrast. Your shadows are very far away from black, and I think a polar bear's nose is quite close to black in reality (so, it's not like you'd boost contrast to unrealistic levels). No further nits from me.

Registered on November 8, 2005, 219 Posts, 1340 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Richins on January 4, 2010 at 3:20 PM

Color for me. The blue in the snout and the browns in the fur say polar bear. If this were more abstract (excluding eyes and nose), I'd say BW, emphasizing the textures and patterns.

Registered on March 6, 2008, 113 Posts, 1009 Comments

Comment posted by Graham Brown on January 4, 2010 at 6:50 PM

Colour version for me it looks more natural and gives it a bit more warmth and feels more lifelike. Lovely detail in the fur it looks as though it's really soft to the touch. Graham

Registered on November 20, 2007, 275 Posts, 1365 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on January 4, 2010 at 7:50 PM

Given the story, I really like seeing those flecks of dirt in the lighter whorl of fur. You already know..."superb composition." I, too, was thinking this might benefit from a black point. All a matter of taste, of course.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Cam Held on January 4, 2010 at 8:38 PM

Wow Brad! This is fantastic! It's a hard choice, but I think I have to go with the color version. I think the warmth is really beneficial. I love his expression and the patch of fur that is messed up. I'd agree with Lon that some more contrast or black point would help. Great shot!
-Cam

Registered on November 12, 2009, 59 Posts, 398 Comments

Comment posted by Hali Sowle on January 4, 2010 at 9:13 PM

Wow that is incredible and what a fabulous present to give to yourself! The color one does it for me only because of the monochrome loses all that rich warmth that you see in the fur and you lose some of the subtle shading from the white on its snout to the creamy color of the rest of it's head, but the b&w brings out some more of the texture in the fur. Such a difficult choice! I'm in awe you got that close.

Registered on January 9, 2008, 36 Posts, 582 Comments

Comment posted by Marsel van Oosten on January 5, 2010 at 7:01 AM

Great shot, very pretty. I agree that the blacks look too grey, but that's an easy fix. I'd be tempted to tone down the ulc, but that's not a nit.

I much prefer the color version for those subtle pastels - the bw version looks too grey to me.

Registered on March 9, 2004, 285 Posts, 2277 Comments

Comment posted by Jorne de Bruin on January 5, 2010 at 8:43 AM

lovely image Brad, I wish I found such little gems in my old collection

. I slightly prefer the colour version, but that might change if you darken the blacks in the b&w (as of now I find the b&w image to be slightly 'flat')

Registered on June 26, 2008, 178 Posts, 2136 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on January 5, 2010 at 1:10 PM

hello all,

Thanks for the feedback. I was leaning towards the colour version myself and your comments confirm it.

Some specific responses/feedback:

1. Sally - you asked: Do you ever feel unsafe getting this close to a polar bear?

I was safely up on a an outdoor viewing platform on the backend of a tundra buggy. One of the "tricks" of capturing this shot was to wait until the cub assumed a position where it was angled such that it was mostly perpendicular to ME (as I was shooting down on it). Because when I shot this the cub was leaning against its mother it was at the correct angle for me to capture it without it looking like I was looking down on it. Waiting for it to do this was what required the most patience (and made me unpopular with my tundra-buggy mates who didn't have my level of pickiness).

2. RE: the contrast. I intentionally backed off the contrast on the image (and consciously lightened the nose) to make the image appear "soft" (and gentle). Nonetheless, I may have gone a little too far in reducing the contrast (who says I don't listen to others?!) - I have slightly (as in very slightly) bumped the mid-tone contrast on my master and brought back some of the darker tones on the nose (but I won't touch those eyes!). I've posted the tweaked version on my website here:

http://www.naturalart.ca/galleries/mammals/bears/detail_61.html

Thanks again...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Roger Hayden on January 5, 2010 at 1:54 PM

Very pleasing angles, textures and curves that combine to make an intimate portrait.

Registered on November 21, 2009, 41 Posts, 201 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on January 5, 2010 at 4:30 PM

Wonderful close image of a polar bear and the composition really tells the image story. I also prefer the color version. A pleasure to view, well done.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by denise ippolito on January 5, 2010 at 10:23 PM

Outstanding! I love the OP. Very nice work!

Registered on December 17, 2009, 202 Posts, 1529 Comments

Comment posted by Ant on January 6, 2010 at 1:16 PM

Splendid ! I much prefer the color version, and would hang a poster version of this picture in my house ! I really love it, the composition, the details of the fur and the intimate feeling...

Registered on April 13, 2009, 27 Posts, 474 Comments

Comment posted by Neil Rossmiller on January 6, 2010 at 3:45 PM

Hi Brad
Not much time for participation these days, but I knew that either you or Stan over at WC would get me off of the viewng sideline and into comment. Turns out you both did.
I prefer the color because it gives a greater sense of depth to me, shallow as it is.
The B&W lacks your normal "POP" IMHO.
Best to you in 2010!
Back to work,Thanks for the break.
Neil

Registered on October 30, 2009, 156 Posts, 749 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on January 6, 2010 at 11:46 PM

Really like the tight crop and the details in the polar bear. Like how you can see a little white in the eye as well.

Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on January 7, 2010 at 11:40 AM

Website version =

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Lorna Taylor on January 3, 2011 at 6:08 PM

Wow you must have felt like you had won the lottery when you came across this image in your files, I love the warmth of the colour version of this image. It adds more warmth to the moment!

Registered on November 12, 2010, 254 Posts, 3083 Comments