Clash of the titans!

Gallery: WildlifePosted May 28, 2014487 views5 comments

Elephant seals break out into a fight without any seeming provocation! These bouts of strength can go on for many minutes, accompanied by loud snorts and trumpeting, and they inflict serious bites on each other, as evidenced by the many scars they carry on their faces and bodies. The fights subside as quickly as they start, however, and the combatants go back to their slumber as if nothing had happened!
Species: Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina)
Location: St Andrew's Bay, South Georgia
Date: November, 2013
Equip: Canon 1Dx, Canon 70-200 at 75mm! (Yes, I was pretty close!)
Specs: ISO 640, f10.0, 1/320s, evaluative metering, aperture priority, +0.33 exp comp, hand-held, standing; actually, weaving between the heaving bodies!

Thank you for taking the time out to look, and for your comments/critiques

Comments

5 comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on May 28, 2014 at 9:56 AM

Ajit,
Great image, just to be picky I think that wide open (70mm) would have been better

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Karen Galley on May 28, 2014 at 4:52 PM

Awesome catch!!

Registered on May 26, 2014, 3 Posts, 18 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on May 31, 2014 at 6:18 PM

Wow, you were close Ajit! I have seen and photographed this from a distance. If you could have shot more wide open and blurred the bg more while still getting both sharp I think that would have improved this. Nicely framed with good action.

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

Comment posted by Ellen deBoer on June 1, 2014 at 3:32 PM

Nice action shot, Ajit! Must have been quite exciting in between these giants.

Registered on March 16, 2006, 419 Posts, 2076 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on June 1, 2014 at 9:52 PM

Great action and nice that you fit these beasts in the frame. The lighting is harsh though which detracts a bit

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