I say this is a pup but it was nearly as big as Mum. It was left behind by Mum and and her other pup to finish off a crab they'd caught. After a while the pup was obviously missing the other two and starting trotting along the beach crying and looking for them. It came very close to my hiding place and allowed me a few shots before spotting the other two and joining them for more fishing.
The conditions were overcast so none of the great light I really wanted but maybe next time. It was a privilege to see their natural activity so close. This is a crop (about 60% of the full frame) but thought it would work better here.
fantastic Simon, you,re so lucky to have widnessed this
Posted by David Sewell on April 7, 2010 at 7:06 AM
A shame you didn't have better light for this, but I think you can still bring out a bit more detail by playing around with shadows/highlights and contrast. Still a great capture though.
Hi Simon, a hint more light would be great, but any more and you might start to have issues with the water and reflections etc. Another animal that has eluded me, but hope to rectify this soon.
Assuming you shot this in RAW Simon perhaps a play around with WB can add a bit of warmth to it as its a great looking animal with a very nice pose, and in spite of the low light you have an all important catch light.
Such a thrill just to see one of these,but to have a good image as well,I'm envious.I stood on a local riverbank once and watched a large dog otter diving and turning over stones in about a foot of water within 10 feet of me.This went on for several minutes.Did I get a picture?
A better question would be: Did I have a camera with me?
Thanks for the suggestions all. I'd already brightened it up and lifted the shadows but I've pushed it a little more and tried a slight warm up on the white balance. Hopefully this gives it a boost.
What a treat Simon. The second one for me. Well captured
Posted by David Sewell on April 7, 2010 at 9:46 AM
Yes, that's better. Lucky you for such a fabulous encounter.
TFS
David
Posted by Karen Summers on April 7, 2010 at 11:07 AM
what a garest thing to witness fab shot and edit looks good
Posted by Andy Gregory on April 7, 2010 at 11:07 AM
A stonking shot Simon. If I had seen just the second image I would have thought it was perfect as is but having seen the first image and been able to compare the two I have to say that I prefer the first. This image, along with your description of the weather conditions, portrays exactly what you saw and the conditions you saw it in. The otter is sharp enough to stand out well from the background which in turn gives a sense of it's suroundings.
Why do we always have to try and play God and improve on what nature gives us? I only hope that one day I am lucky enough to be in a position to take such an image and I won't be worrying too much if the sun isn't out or in!
Posted by Major Gilbert on April 7, 2010 at 12:37 PM
I take it then from your comments Andy that your camera always records exactly what you see. In practice I dont think they do.
The subtle changes that Simon has made are hardly going to break the records and lets face it thats no different from what went on in the processing of film all those years ago.
Major
Posted by Andy Gregory on April 7, 2010 at 1:23 PM
I agree with what you say Major but I still prefer the first image for the same reasons. I wouldn't say that my camera always records what I see, it's more a case of me not seeing what I want my camera to record
Much prefer the second image. A digital camera is incapable of recording what the human eye can see so I wouldn't worry about the reprocessing. Similarly, film was not faithful to the scene either. For the otter to have looked as dark to your eye and brain as in your first post I'd have thought it would have had to have been really, really murky light.
Discussion
23 repliesThe conditions were overcast so none of the great light I really wanted but maybe next time. It was a privilege to see their natural activity so close. This is a crop (about 60% of the full frame) but thought it would work better here.
1D3 700mm f/5.6 ISO:200 1/400 sec
Thanks for looking
Simon
David
TFS
steve
shame about the lack of light but still a cracker
Major.
Phil Newman
A better question would be: Did I have a camera with me?
Phil.
Brett
Major
TFS
David
Why do we always have to try and play God and improve on what nature gives us? I only hope that one day I am lucky enough to be in a position to take such an image and I won't be worrying too much if the sun isn't out or in!
The subtle changes that Simon has made are hardly going to break the records and lets face it thats no different from what went on in the processing of film all those years ago.
Major
Hi Simon,
Love the repost, spot on!
Cheers,
Lewis.
Ian
Simon