What's New Pussy Cat?

Brad,

You truly are the master of modesty... I'm not sure why you think this isn't a great shot. How many photos of cougars in trees @ an EFL of 84mm have you seen? Especially where the face is so out in the open? It is true that a DSLR would have been better, but knowing you, you would have been struggling to change from your 600mm and put on your 70-200 mm and been fumbling lenses and dog leashes and all sorts of things

All kidding aside, this is a really great photo which would have been even better with a DSLR I think in regards to the bokeh and the dynamic range (the water looks a little washed out). I solve the extra camera problem by just always carrying my DSLR when I go for a walk... put on the smallest lightest lens and have the others in my bag.

- Luke

I have never managed to even get a glimpse of a puma. This is a terrific shot. Had you not mentioned, would have never guessed that a point and shoot was used.

I really like this shot Brad, this is a subject that I have only dreamed of finding, in fact when I first went to the Badlands, my original hope was to at least find some signs of mountain lions in the area, but then we found the bobcats, not that I'm complaining. My interest in this particular species of cat was sparked when I first moved into the house that I'm in now, about 8 or 9 years ago. The workers building the house next to us said that they had seen a cougar walking in the small patch of trees behind our house and sure enough a few days later my dad and I saw something large in a tree behind our backyard. When we walked out we discovered that is was in fact a young cougar in the tree. Mountain lions are very rare in this area, but every couple years we get a lone male that comes down. The last one that I've heard of in the area was over 3 years ago.

Congratulations, Brad. I love the angle, which is a complete departure from my own cougar encounter (when I was the one in the tree) and certainly different from most treed lion shots we see.

The reds seem a bit strong on the monitor I'm viewing this with (uncalibrated), but otherwise I think the results are pretty great for a P&S.

Max

wow...just seeing a wild mountain lion is thrilling enough...I have been searching for them here in southern California for 5 years straight now and the closest I've come is the occasional kill or scat remains. It's funny- I've seen tons of Jaguars (which I presume are much rarer than Pumas) but I've never seen a Puma haha.

Nice shot, Brad. You did very well with that p/s because this looks pretty darn good. I enjoy looking at this.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, Wi

Brad,

You are kidding me, this is phenomenal !!! A Mountain Lion is on my to-do list but I dunno where to seek one before it seeks and eats me . Lovely picture even with so much clutter in front of you, the pretty background has given this a studio like feel. . I like how you kept the tail intact and the head away from the clutter, your expertise with the P&S deserves my salutes.

Very good shot for a point and shoot or a DSLR. Just think how you would feel if you saw the cat and had no camera! As far as having a tag-along point and shoot, I have a Canon SX110, which does a good job, especially with close-ups and static scenes, but for wildlife it is a make sure the first shot is good, because you will be waiting for the second!! And if you are using it's flash, find a seat and relax!!. But, there are shots I would have missed without it, and shots I have missed because I didn't have it. Thanks for posting the neat puma photo.

Hi Brad,
I knew immediately when I opened this, that something was very different with this image. This shows how much our tools can change drastically, but a Craftsman will get the best possible result from the tools at hand. Well Done!
Master of modesty, indeed!
Neil

I assumed this was an image of a captive cougar. The cat's pose in the tree is terrific, made even better by your eye-level perspective. Wow.

Magnificent capture. The facial expression of the cat makes me wonder what he is thinking. The photo also shows the environment the cat lives in with the pine trees and turquoise water which really says BC to me.

So that's why you have two big dogs, to chase pussy cats up trees?
This is quite an unbelievable photo Brad! If you would have stated you used a D3s with 24-70mm lens I would have believed you too, the quality and detail on the larger version look excellent. Maybe you do not rate this high yourself due to the clutter and the lack of a smooth bokeh. IMO the way you composed this and the fact that the cats head is clear of any obstructions actually make the clutter of branches a complete non-issue. I also love the DOF used with that lake in the BG. Thanks for sharing this really cool photo and the info on P&S's.

I can only agreee with everyone else, this is a really cool shot and by no means a "record the moment" image... Considering the branches around the cougar and the way you managed to get eye level with the animal - it works really well

Wonderful capture n framing and there's a lesson to be learned too !
This is what a 'point n shoot' can do in the hands of an expert. It it were hands of a point and shooter, I'm sure focus would have gone haywire & tail would have been cut.
Jagdeep Rajput

Hello all,

Holy smokes - I honestly did not expect a response like this to this shot. It's those kitties I guess! But thanks very much!

Besides being posted here this shot is circulating amongst a group of photographers I keep in touch with. The comment that keeps recurring (a few times here, but more from the other group of shooters) is how the shot doesn't look like one of my "normal" shots (but it's not being said negatively). Well, I hope it doesn't look like one of my normal shots! Two things - both related to the equipment I was forced to work with here - influenced how I had to approach this subject:

1. Lack of telephoto lens and lack of big aperture. This image was captured with an 84mm lens (in full-frame SLR equivalency). My normal modus operandi is captured by what has become my mantra: simplify and isolate. But, in this case, with an 84mm lens and without a huge aperture, I knew it was impossible to isolate my subject from the background (and all those branches). So, I took the opposite approach - stop down and create an image where detail is shown throughout the image, included the lake and distant hills in the background. That is, show the cat in its habitat. Thus the f10 setting. Interestingly, several folks have noticed this (like Peter Vaudrey who recognized the region because of that detail), and some have even liked it! Interesting...

2. Thinner dynamic range and less file "malleability". I'm used to shooting with a camera with a very wide dynamic range and that produces files that are VERY malleable, especially in terms of their "friendliness" of pulling out shadow detail without introducing noise. But, with this point & shoot I knew that at ISO 400 (required to get that f10 depth of field) I couldn't rely on pulling back shadow detail. So, I had to expose for the cat and let a little of the highlight detail in the background go. I knew I could bring enough of that highlight detail back to make the image presentable (and Luke noticed it was close to blown). Normally, with my "real" equipment I would have exposed a little differently (i.e., would have used a slight "under-exposure" and made sure I retained all the highlights, knowing that I could always bring back shadow detail).

So...maybe a little more thinking than "point & click" went into this shot!

This is a great capture. You did a good job with the equipment you had at the moment. There are some peolpe out there who wouldn't have a picture half as good as this one with the most expensive equipment. It's the photographer who takes the shot.

Brad, pretty cool story about taking this with a point and shoot. I am trying to picture someone walking by a trail watching that schene. A guy with his dog and a point and shoot taking a photo of a cougar in a tree...lol...kind of funny. very nice work...espceially with that P&S! I have never even seen one of these in the wild.

Excellent shot for what you had to work with Brad, the crop is great!


As for the subject - I've only seen four wild mountain lions in my life and none of them sat still long enough for me to even reach for my camera - jealous is most definitely an understatement...

I really hope you take the SLR with you when walking the dogs from now on...

Wow, what an opportunity. I would love to see one of these cats in the wild. Although you got a nice shot with what you had to work with, will you be carrying a dSLR on future walks? I believe I would.

I believe you were lucky to get a clear view of its face considering all of the branches.

Nice work Brad.

~ja

Good job keeping the tail in the corner!

Brad,

In looking at this again (and again, and again) it looks like it might need a CCW rotation. Judging by the little amount of water that is visible on the left hand side it appears that it's slanted to the right. Sorry.. had to find some nit in this P&S shot

In answer to a few more questions/comments...

1. Vincent...my dogs are small!! Well, maybe medium-sized, but not big (they're Portuguese Water Dogs).

2. Josh, you asked:

Although you got a nice shot with what you had to work with, will you be carrying a dSLR on future walks?

Actually, I take a SLR kit with me probably 2/3 of the time. On this day I was going to be climbing a rocky ridge and was feeling a little lazy and figured I could do without the extra 15 lbs or so! BAD decision!

3. Luke: RE: the rotation. Sorry...you're assuming a straight shoreline - and it's curving around a mountain there. Yank the large image and open it in Photoshop - then pull out vertical guides and line them up on each side of the tree. Yep...it's level (and that tree was as close to perfectly vertical as you can get). Sorry!

That's an outstanding shot Brad. Can't imagine just running into something like this while walking the dogs. You must live in a very special place.

Obviously a DSLR is far superior in this situation if you needed a weapon!!!! Something with more bulk to swing at it in an attack but otherwise this is gorgeous and full of mood in that face.

Ha! I'm envious! Even if you didn't have the proper setup. What an amazing find!
BTW, how did you get the brighter background so well balanced with the darker foreground? It doesnt look at all like HDR.
Thanks for sharing, Brad!

Brad,

Amazing shot. I would love to see one in the wild. You did well with the camera knowing he might be eyeing you as dinner.

Wow !!!

Andrew

Great image! Love the eyes. I know when I have been mtn biking, I wish I had a smaller camera to carry with me.

Hi Rick,

You asked:

BTW, how did you get the brighter background so well balanced with the darker foreground?

Ahh, that would be my proprietary (but totally not-a-secret) exposure blending technique. Two raw conversions (at different exposure settings) from a single raw file, then blended by hand in Photoshop (using layers and masks). Not a true HDR technique - more of an XDR one (Extended Dynamic Range). But my favourite way of blending exposures and I haven't found an "automated" HDR technique that can touch it in the "naturalness" of the result...

If you want more details about the technique feel free to contact me...

Brad

Holy cow, this is fantastic imho. Beautiful composition and a wonderful expression on the big cat. The setting is very cougar country as well. Well done as usual Brad.

Man, what an awesome experience! Sure is a good thing you had that Oly with you, because this is not an opportunity you're likely to get any time soon! I love the habitat of the tree, and getting that while being at eye level sure is unique.

Technically well done, love this. What a great opportunity, your dogs seem to have helped tree this magnificent animal then? Makes a good argument for carrying a good P&S wherever ya go..
My first cam was an Olympus C8080, it was a great cam.
I like the way the tree branches frame the face, and the lake visible in the BG there.
Well done

You really made the most of your opportunity Brad - well done getting his face free of twigs and also squeezing in that long tail.

This is an amazing shot. I really like everything about it. The position of the cougar, his expression, the branches framing his face. I am just glad you had a camera with you, as this photo captures such a neat moment in time.

Laura Stafford

This a very nice shot!