The Bugler

Gallery: WildlifePosted October 1, 2013339 views7 comments

Hi everyone! Here's another from the Waterton elk rut. This guy had been hanging out with another bull's harem and was bugling away. After a while he actually started coming closer. There was a little dip in the land between him and I, so I got ready because I knew he'd be coming up the other side soon. I started shooting as soon as he came up. This was my favourite image from the sequence. I like how this picture shows his broad chest and the bugle pose. I really don't like the out of focus bull in the background, because I think it's kind of distracting.

Forgot to mention in my previous post that we got a new toy to play with; a Nikon AF-S 300mm f/2.8G VR IF-ED lens!

Thanks for lookin'!

Nikon D7100
Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/2.8G VR IF-ED with 1.4xTC
ISO 1250
1/100sec @ f/6.3
Nik Color Efex Pro 4, Nik Viveza 2, Nik Define 2.0
About 85% of original
Feisol Tournament Carbon CT-3342 tripod with Feisol Carbon Fiber Ballhead CB-50DC

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on October 1, 2013 at 8:54 AM

Good timing to catch him coming up and with him bugling, nice looking bull. I agree with you about the background bull, looks like he is a big guy as well, but would be nice to see his entire body off to the side somewhere. Solid elk image Jenaya.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Leggett on October 1, 2013 at 2:39 PM

Nicely composed, Jenaya. Bit of a shame about the OOF bull, but you got the bugling at the right moment.

Registered on July 21, 2004, 706 Posts, 3233 Comments

Comment posted by John Launstein on October 2, 2013 at 3:49 PM

Hey, Jaye - you absolutely nailed this one! Great timing and perfect techs. I love the slight motion-blur to the bull's right leg as he strides up the creekbed. It is truly a shame he chose that exact place to emerge at the moment the bull in the distance chose to stop and look right where he did, but what do you do? Having been 30yds from where you were at the time, I can attest there was absolutely ZERO possibility for you to have relocated AND captured the moment of re-emergence.

Still can't believe he decided to bugle for you at the perfect moment as well!

I know there wasn't much light under the late overcast sky, but the lens and D7100 seems to have pulled everything that could be pulled out of the available light and the result is a really quite a nice sculpting open light portrait of this guy.

Looking forward to your next post already.

Registered on April 5, 2011, 223 Posts, 1193 Comments

Comment posted by Guy Runco on October 2, 2013 at 7:49 PM

Nice bugling bull shot - yes, of course it would be stronger without the other bull partly obscured in the bg, but still a well-timed capture of a very regal subject.

Registered on September 9, 2008, 77 Posts, 705 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on October 2, 2013 at 8:39 PM

Beautiful bugling action photo you captured of this hunky bull Jenaya. Perfect timing capturing the lifted leg and bugling together. Unfortunately the background bull is a bit distracting. I believe this may be one of those photos that deserves a little bit of cloning work in the future.

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

Comment posted by Jenaya Launstein on October 4, 2013 at 2:14 AM

Thank you for the comments everyone! As I mentioned in my post, I wish the out of focus bull wasn't there or was in a less distracting area of the frame.

Registered on February 8, 2011, 254 Posts, 1302 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on October 6, 2013 at 12:24 PM

Cool pose from this bull, Jenaya. My only wish would agree with yours, to move that background bull over a bit!

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