No moose is bad news

Was working with Pete C and a group of Wildshots guests in Yellowstone and Grand Teton recently and we did the obligatory pre-dawn arrival at Oxbow Bend for the sunrise light on the Grand Tetons reflected in the river, and were rewarded with a couple of moose that wandered across just as the sun started to turn the mountains pink. To get above the crowds my tripod was at full height - over 7ft - and I was perched on a post beside it. I decided I'd not try to use the 70-200 as few others were doing and stuck with the 300 f2.8 as this was already on the camera/tripod. I got a few frames in the vertical format, and with the hill in frame above, some ok and some blurred, but this one was sharp when the moose stopped for a moment. I quite like the slightly offbeat composition, but I'd be curious to hear others take on this - too near top? Going out of frame? Too small, etc.

1DsMk2, 300 f2.8IS ISO 100, 1/60th @ f2.8 MLU and self-timer, & IS off.

I love it, it is refreshing and different with a wonderful sense of place and serene wilderness. The mist just adds the icing.
T

Hi John
Obviously a great experience. Certainly different kind of picture but to be honest I can' make my mind up. As you say yourself , the rules are broken and sometimes it works. To be honest I don't think this is one of them.
Don't be offended.
Cheers
JohnR

I think this works very well personally, although it might not have if the moose had been larger. As it is it makes a nice focal point that the current, the colours and the moose's own wake all lead to.
Each to his own, but it gets the thumbs up from me.
Eric

It certainly works for me. The sense of space is really great here.

I must admit I'm slightly in two minds about this one, I can't quite decide. I quite like it and have no objections to breaking the conventions from time to time but part of me can't help thinking it would work better if the moose were elsewhere in the frame e.g. in the bottom third. Certainly a striking shot though and I bet it looks good at full res.

Matt

It's a no from me I'm afraid. There are too many points that catch the eye...the reflected mountain, the dark reflection on the right, the little spit of land and of course the moose... but it doesn't gel together. My eye is jumping from one to the other with no flow. The moose is too near the edge of the frame for my liking. As has been previously stated, it must have been a great moment and no doubt this image will always recall that moment for you but as a stand alone image it doesn't do it for me.
Robert

Fantastic Shot!!!!!!!!!!!

It works for me, what a sense of place, great colour and a lovely composition. This will never appeal to all people and so I would always go on my own instincts which you have John so fair play to a cracking shot.

Danny

I agree with Danny John. Where the hell was I?

Pete

Striking shot, and it works well for me.

David

I like this shot but do see a lot of artifacts around the Moose.
Good thinking outside of the box.

Groet,

Jeroen Stel

Works really well for me John - you always have had a different eye in your work and this is more evidence.



Mark

Jeroen - well, with a smile I can tell you that apart from any jpg compression jaggies, the moose is wearing a whopping great radio collar - so yes artifacts are certainly evident around the moose!

Pete - if I recall correctly you were photographing either the crowd or car number plates, or had just talked two americans into posing for you!

Thanks folks for all the comments - I appreciate both the positive and negative - very useful - I guessed this would elicit a fairly polarized response.

Not that obsess about such things generally, but when I enlarged this image I was utterly astonished at the sharpness of the moose. The 300 2.8 really is quite remakable, and at ISO 100 it shows that off to best advantage.

It is a big YES from me. Reminds me of a Mangelsen photograph of a grizzly. Love the space, colour, reflection, and the unfamiliar composition. A very refreshing wildlife image. Would be nice to see a high-quality version if you can post it or link to it, John.

Unusual.... different and I like it too....

Here you go Elliot - 100% crop including the full frame in the bottom corner - the image I posted had a slight crop from the orginal. Very quick and rough sharpening applied to the main image.

http://www.john.macpherson.btinternet.co.uk/moose.html

It works for me

Tho i find the border you have added over powers the image.

Very striking colours & an unusual crop that has worked.

Lee

I like this John it is certainly different.

Its a cracker John
Works just the way it is!!!

Cheers

Craig
www.craigchurchill.co.uk

This works for me too, a cracker of a shot!

A very thought provoking shot, as a result I think I would prefer the moose lower in the frame, in order to make it more of an integral part of the image, rather than being on the periphery, as it is at the moment.

Which ever way you cut it, this is still an excellent shot, and I can see why it is on your itinerary.

Hi John. Well I'm suprised that it works so well. Interesting idea.

John

I really quite like this, although please take away that border as it does detract away from the image.. I could see however in a deep black border making a striking 'poster-like' shot..

Brett