Bull-Dozer

Gallery: WildlifePosted March 11, 2011154 views4 comments

This is another one of my Banff Elk shots from last week. My dad and I woke up early to look for wildlife when we saw two bull elk through the trees that were bedded down. We "waded out" 500yds through almost three feet of snow

and took lots of pictures as we waited for the sun to break over the mountains. Finally the bulls got up and started to dig through the snow for breakfast.

I know this isn't a "normal" pose, but I really liked this angle. After looking at the pictures later, I was so excited to see that you can clearly see the frost on his eyelashes, face, and the hair on his ears and neck. I also like how his eye looks and his leg position.

I would love to hear what you think of this crop and composition, or if there is any way to improve the image. We do have room on all sides (this is about 80% of original) but after a half-dozen different crops this was far and away our favourite. We decided to crowd the top of his back to leave more room at the bottom to emphasize the deep snow. The overall image just seems much stronger this way.

Nikon D300
Nikkor 300mm f/4 AF-S with 1.4x teleconverter
ISO 200
1/1250sec @ f/5.6, -0.3EV to preserve detail

Comments

4 comments

Comment posted by Johan Malmros on March 12, 2011 at 4:30 AM

The larger image adds a lot.
Nice low angle and beautiful light. The color management is spot on for me. Very natural but still strong.

Registered on January 6, 2011, 20 Posts, 154 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on March 12, 2011 at 5:52 PM

The sharpness is exquisite, especially seen in the larger version. I really like this kind of "daily life" shot, but I wish this guy was angled more towards you.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on March 13, 2011 at 3:50 AM

Jenaya, IMO this is a good behavioral image. The techs also look excellent. I like the low shooting angle, but the angle of view of the bull and the composition does not work for me. If only he had co-operated a bit and faced you!

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on March 13, 2011 at 5:04 PM

The techs are great here, Jenaya. The real question is the comp all right. I would have preferred a view where we could see more of the side of the head. When I think of it, maybe the main reason is that, for the image as posted, I did not immediately realize what I was looking at. Perhaps if the antlers were not truncated this reaction would be reduced and the comp allow a more instantaneous recognition of the subject. Anyway, regardless, this is certainly a fascinating look at elk behavior.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments