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Trash Talker: bull elk
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Trash Talker: bull elk

by Lon Sharp

Gallery: WildlifePosted October 1, 20122,329 views3 comments
It is the season of the rut, from this morning, Oct.1. Wind Cave National Park, SD.

The busy, trashy backgrounds can make compositions difficult, but I have almost the exact pose of this guy against mostly grass and to me it feels like the sense of place and line from the branches is more enhancement than detriment. Best viewed larger size. Your opinions welcomed.

This is full shade, so I tweaked levels and warmth. I took a minor crop to remove some bottom oof zone. D3S, 200-400 @300, F6.3, 1/640, ISO 4500

Comments

3 comments
Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on October 2, 2012 at 1:19 AM
Fantastic, Lon. I like the inclusion of the habitat, and pretty neat to get him calling. :toast:
Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments
Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on October 2, 2012 at 2:08 PM
Interesting title Lon! :biggrin: I also like the inclusion of the habitat here. The BG is fine and certainly not 'detriment'. The tree trunk and yellow leaves on the left provides a nice framing, but the FG twigs that partly obscure the animal are a little unfortunate, though no real problem.
Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments
Comment posted by John Launstein on October 2, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Hi Lon! I REALLY like this one. It's 100% real rut, even the open light suggesting the normal early/late activity. 300mm on an FX? Good grief that's closer than I've been able to get for a few years around here now. We've been up at dawn and waiting until twilight every day for a week now in Waterton...the bulls are there (though total population is very low comparative to other years) but they are holding their harems nearly a km from the road (which we don't venture from to keep stress to a minimum and the animals and ourselves safe). Just been brutal for pics this year. We have, however, been logging a dozen or more bears a day, so that helps ease the pain a little. ;)

Anyway, this is a great shot and it evokes a full experience for me...the air, the sounds, the smells and the sights of the rut. I like it...a lot.
Registered on April 5, 2011, 223 Posts, 1193 Comments