Playful kits

Gallery: WildlifePosted September 8, 2011214 views9 comments

This is from the spring when these kits were found in the evenings lounging around their den. I was able to approach these quite close and take off the teleconverter (which rarely happens for me).

Nikon D300s 300 f4 HH lying down
f/4
1/640s
ISO 800
-.67 EC

Cropped to 57%, sharpened subjects and ran noise reduction on the background

- Luke

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on September 8, 2011 at 10:40 PM

Beautiful, Luke, as all of these have been. Very special opportunities you've had with these little ones.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on September 8, 2011 at 11:25 PM

F4 did a fine job for you in minimizing the business of the brushy background. Cool poses! I like both facial expressions.

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

Comment posted by Russell Colletta on September 9, 2011 at 12:49 AM

Cute kids Luke. Like the way you have shown them in their environment.

Registered on October 31, 2009, 114 Posts, 1008 Comments

Comment posted by Roman Kurywczak on September 9, 2011 at 10:58 AM

Nice image of the cubs Luke! The environs form a nice frame w/o being overpowering. Looks good for a large crop too!

Registered on November 20, 2009, 56 Posts, 748 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on September 9, 2011 at 2:03 PM

Precious poses!!! I like the yawn and the double eye contact as well as the clear eyes. The light was a bit flat unfortunately.

There is one thing I don't understand Luke; you took the TC off because you were too close and next you crop the image to 57%

. By the way more FL would also have helped blur the busy BG even more.

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

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on September 9, 2011 at 3:01 PM

Vincent,

You raise a good point which I should have made clear. I always wonder when people shoot something with a 200-400 @ 250mm and then crop the image, it never makes sense. In this case, I took the TC off because I needed the increased SS (f/4 instead of f/6.7) because there was little light availble. Additionally, there were a total of 3 cubs here (one was not in the frame) so I needed the 300mm to capture all the cubs in one shot. Some images (like this one) would have benefited from the TC (though I would have had to increase my ISO) but most of the shots wouldn't have been possible. Sorry for not making that more clear.

- Luke

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on September 9, 2011 at 9:57 PM

Good choice on your DOF to isolate them with that BG Luke. I miss photographing these little ones and didn't find a den this year...so I am envious! Nice techs on this and I like the one in front yawning.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on September 10, 2011 at 12:14 AM

Very nice image Luke, I like the poses

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on September 12, 2011 at 11:04 AM

Lovely little ones captured in their habitat.

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments