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Canon EOS 1V HS
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| Some of my most memorable photographs are featured in this section, along with photo tips and the story behind the making of each photograph. I hope these images inspire you to go out and experience your own memorable moments. |
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Canon EOS 1V HS
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I was faced with a dilemma frequently encountered by wildlife photographers -- how long do you wait for a potentially great situation to occur before moving on to another one that you already have in mind? With landscape photography the decision is easier to make because you can readily see the light changing and determine when the best moment is past. With wildlife the answer is not so clear cut. It was less than half an hour before sunset and the light that evening was really magical. I was set up with the 100-400mm lens, flash, and fresnel extender waiting for a shot of an elephant seal hauling itself out of the water and onto the wet, reflective sand. Normally I would have waited until the last of the golden light had faded before packing up. However, from scouting the previous evening I had seen the potential for a beautiful wildlife scenic right at sunset. It would require a change to wide-angle lens, and a relocation of about thirty yards from where I was set up. If the relocation was made too soon I would miss any haul-out shot; if I waited too long I wouldn't have time to change lens, relocate, and properly compose the sunset scenic. With less than five minutes before sunset an elephant seal bull came out of the ocean. At the water's edge it reared up and loudly bellowed it's presence. Lighting from the low sun illuminated its wet skin like glistening gold. Fill-flash was needed to reduce the harsh contrast from side lighting. As luck would have it a wave crashed onto the rocks at the decisive moment, adding drama, color, and balance to the composition. Patience, familiarity with location and seal behavior, combined with a good measure of luck resulted in the image seen above -- my second favorite elephant seal photograph. The all-time favorite is still the one shown in Featured Photo 7. |
