NOT a Tree Swallow!

Gallery: WildlifePosted July 14, 2014316 views8 comments

NOT a Tree Swallow!

Very early last Saturday morning I packed up some camera gear and went for a short walk to the opposite side of our property in the East Kootenays. My goal? Photograph one of my favourite species of bird - Tree Swallows - that had taken up residence in a bluebird box on our property. I knew the nestlings were close to fledging and I had little time left to work with them. And, as I walked to the nest box, I knew that even if the swallows had already left the nest it was going to be a wonderful morning just to be outside...

One hour later I was walking back to our cabin, shaking my head in pure amazement after having one of my most intimate and...uhhhh...invigorating wildlife encounters I've ever had!

So this shot is kind of a personal favourite simply because of the memory I'm sure it will conjure up for me for years to come. The side-lighting was extreme (yes, there IS a right eye there, though you might have to see the much higher res version on my website to see it), there are DEFINITELY some distracting elements in the shot...but it is what it was!

Subject: Adult Grizzly (Ursus arctos) checking out an odd looking creature with ONE big eye!
Location: Findlay Creek (East Kootenays), BC, Canada
Camera: Nikon D4s
Lens: Nikkor 600mm f4 VR. Tripod mounted - VR on an in "Normal" mode
Exposure: 1/500s @ f6.3; ISO 220. -1.0 stop compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting.
Crop: Moderate - this is about 80% of full frame

More details about the image - including a pretty lengthy description of the encounter I had with this bear that some may find interesting - may be found right here on my website...

http://www.naturalart.ca/galleries/latest/.

Comments and critiques welcomed - probably best to view the larger version prior to doing so!

Cheers...

Brad

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Peter Cross on July 14, 2014 at 4:49 PM

A nice shot but what a story to go with it! I'm sure you'll relive this many times over. I talk to my deer all the time. Softly and calmly. It certainly doesn't alarm them and may help with their feeling more at ease. Although I'm not sure how I would handle a grizzly let alone a black bear. Thanks for the photo and the blog on this.

Registered on April 3, 2010, 271 Posts, 1342 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on July 14, 2014 at 4:54 PM

Hi Peter,

Thanks! While I love leading photo tours and showing others the beauty of various areas, I have to admit that my most treasured moments have come from when I've been alone with wildlife. This one was real special - not that it was dramatic in the sense of danger or anything like that, but rather for the exact opposite - how calm and peaceful it was. I have a gadzillion bear images that will outsell this one, but it will always be a special one for me!

Cheers...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on July 14, 2014 at 4:59 PM

I don't mind the side lighting at all. I do have an issue with the empty space above the head (a bit too much for my tastes, as I think it throws the balance of the composition off), but otherwise I like how the bear has "half-emerged" from the shadows.

Glad you survived your swallow encounter, Brad.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on July 14, 2014 at 6:16 PM

Nice back story there. I had a similar grizzly encounter in Yellowstone this past September. The images that I shot of my grizzly are nothing special in terms of image quality, but the encounter was priceless. I might post an image and tell my story. Loved your story, as I know exactly how you felt.

Registered on January 6, 2012, 651 Posts, 3448 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on July 14, 2014 at 7:20 PM

I love the detail the D4s provides in the shadow areas - the hi-res does show the eye and subtle color changes. Simply amazing. Detail is spot on and the vegetation works pretty well for me.

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

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on July 16, 2014 at 12:27 AM

Very nice composition Brad, good use of the vertical framing. I like the low key feel and the way he is emerging over the bluff from the darkness. The "heck" with minor distractions and slight underexposure in the darkest areas, I don't think it diminishes the photo one twit.

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

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on July 16, 2014 at 5:27 PM

If I were in your shoes, I would have this one hanging on the wall. Part of why we do all this is the capture of experience as well as image. Technically, this looks as good as you could have made it.

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

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on July 16, 2014 at 6:21 PM

I like the dramatic lighting here Brad, what an exciting experience. Maybe a bit more room on the bottom but it looks like that might be distracting oof elements there so I imagine that's why you didn't include more. I don't find the grasses in front of him distracting I think they frame him nicely.

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