Lazy Afternoon

Gallery: WildlifePosted November 20, 20063,196 views28 comments

After walking around my hide for a few minutes, this large male decided to lay down and enjoy the last rays of sunlight. I opted to stay inside though.

The bright specs around his head are mosquitoes.

D2X, 200-400VR, 1/125 @ f/4, ISO400, beanbag, Finland

Comments

28 comments

Comment posted by Jacco Rens on November 20, 2006 at 2:22 PM

The guy is looking to you like he's thinking 'come out and play with me..'

Great capture Marsel, well done!

-jacco

Registered on November 18, 2005, 8 Posts, 108 Comments

Comment posted by Juza on November 20, 2006 at 2:25 PM

On of my preferred from your bear series!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 374 Posts, 10466 Comments

Comment posted by Stacy Egan on November 20, 2006 at 3:46 PM

Wonderful light, color, and composition! I love how clearly we can see that left eye.

Registered on April 24, 2006, 52 Posts, 446 Comments

Comment posted by Krijn Trimbos on November 20, 2006 at 5:09 PM

A real beauty Marsel!!! Your series of these bears is stunning! What draws my attention every time is the colours..........they look just right and very appealing! Like the bugs around the head. Great shot!

Registered on October 18, 2005, 260 Posts, 2979 Comments

Comment posted by dan elster on November 20, 2006 at 5:40 PM

Stunning subject, compostion, and light!

Registered on September 23, 2005, 299 Posts, 2443 Comments

Comment posted by Curtis Knight on November 20, 2006 at 5:53 PM

love the light and detail Marsel. This is wonderful!

Registered on October 28, 2004, 53 Posts, 468 Comments

Comment posted by Tom Lusk on November 20, 2006 at 8:21 PM

Absolutely beautiful!

Registered on September 17, 2005, 312 Posts, 600 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel Roberts on November 20, 2006 at 9:32 PM

What a grand shot of a magnificent animal.Well done!

Registered on March 10, 2005, 35 Posts, 170 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on November 20, 2006 at 9:35 PM

Awesome shot! I really love the light! Your bear images are really great to look at.

Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Dawson on November 21, 2006 at 12:35 AM

Great expression and nice light too boot. Well done!

Registered on February 4, 2006, 364 Posts, 8872 Comments

Comment posted by Michael E. Gordon on November 21, 2006 at 12:37 AM

INCREDIBLE, Marsel. This doesn't even look real!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 90 Posts, 2482 Comments

Comment posted by Jos De Braekeleer on November 21, 2006 at 5:12 AM

Marsel ... all your bear images are fantastic, the light on this bear's face is great !

Registered on November 1, 2003, 455 Posts, 1648 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Garber on November 21, 2006 at 9:01 AM

Beautiful!

Registered on November 17, 2003, 704 Posts, 3535 Comments

Comment posted by Josh Anderson on November 21, 2006 at 10:57 AM

Awesome!!!

Registered on June 2, 2005, 493 Posts, 2996 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Kirkham on November 21, 2006 at 3:42 PM

Simply excellent.
Philip

Registered on October 9, 2004, 63 Posts, 153 Comments

Comment posted by Jasper Doest on November 22, 2006 at 3:21 AM

Another excellent bear shot!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 371 Posts, 2101 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on November 22, 2006 at 9:03 AM

Fantastic portrait. The warmth of the light is beautiful. I like how the foreground vegetation is oof and helps to frame him. I do wonder how this would work going a bit wider to include his shoulder more completely, but I bet there is something distracting lurking there?? The mosquitoes actually add realism to an allready great photo.

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

Comment posted by Ken Archer on November 22, 2006 at 9:43 AM

Absolutly Stunning!!!

Ken Archer

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

Comment posted by Mike Maples on November 22, 2006 at 10:12 PM

Awesome shot!!!

Registered on January 4, 2005, 285 Posts, 731 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on November 24, 2006 at 3:57 PM

Marsel: Major

meter spike for me on this one. Just superb.>=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Marsel van Oosten on November 25, 2006 at 4:04 AM

Thanks everyone for all the kind words - glad you like it.

Gary; there was a distracting piece of tree just at the right side that I didn't want to include, hence the tight crop.

Registered on March 9, 2004, 285 Posts, 2277 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Beatty on November 26, 2006 at 6:53 PM

This is absoutley fantastic! I don't think you could have asked for any more perfect light than what you got there. The little cloud of mosquitoes above his head reminds us that wild animals can't step inside to get away from the bugs.

Registered on March 28, 2005, 4 Posts, 74 Comments

Comment posted by Satie Sharma on November 27, 2006 at 8:42 AM

Fantastic photo, Marsel! Congrats on the EP.

Registered on November 11, 2003, 189 Posts, 5335 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on November 27, 2006 at 11:30 AM

Superb image Marsel - Congrats on the EP.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on November 27, 2006 at 2:48 PM

Well this just has to be the best image of a brown bear I have ever seen! The LIGHT is so perfect on his face and being able to see his eye, with that light in it, makes this a very intimate, unbelieveable portrait.

I'm nearly aghast, this is so beautiful. An EP is nice, yes, but world-wide acclaim is deserving of this piece IMO.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Barry R. Byrd on November 28, 2006 at 1:27 AM

Congrats on the EP for this fine image. I hope you don't get eaten by a bear as it would be a shame to lose such a talent

Registered on December 20, 2005, 136 Posts, 970 Comments

Comment posted by Susann Parker on December 9, 2006 at 8:55 PM

Great lighting and timing! Nice shot!!!

How did you know where the bear was going to sit? How long have you been tracking him?

Registered on December 4, 2006, 8 Posts, 17 Comments

Comment posted by Marsel van Oosten on December 10, 2006 at 4:33 AM

Susann - I didn't know where the bear was going to sit, I just followed the bear's every move from inside my hide. No tracking was involved - the hide was poisitioned in an area with a great view of the forest taking into account the lighting conditions. As usual, waiting did the trick.

Registered on March 9, 2004, 285 Posts, 2277 Comments