Elk Animalscape

Hi Jerry,

Interesting shot. I have to say that without being there the first thing I thought when I saw this was "ahhh...a nice cool morning" (i.e., positive feelings, but not of warmth!). I think the blueness of the background made me feel that.

There's two things I REALLY like about this shot:

1. the strong contrast between the brown foreground and the beautiful subtle blue background and

2. the delicious subtle detail in the background that keeps you looking (and looking)

On the less positive side - the drinking of the water IS a nice calming element, but in this case I think it hinders the view of the subjects (as does the full overlap between them). Between the small relative size of the subjects in the frame and the beauty of the rest of the scene (both very good things in my book) I'm thinking if the subjects were looking up they'd be slightly stronger elements and draw the eye a bit more (and make the overall image that much more appealing).

But just my 2 cents worth - I really like good 'scapes...so definitely appreciate what you posted here!

Cheers...

Brad

PS: One further comment: I really like how you kept this scene quite dark. I see so many early morning or late night shots that are just too bright...to me the darkness here adds a huge element of reality AND appeal to the image!

Brad,

Thanks for your comments. I left it dark, because that was the way it was. I did very little to this image. The image is exactly how I remember the scene. Dark and a little moody. The "warm" I referred to was not a comment on the weather, as it was a bit on the cool side (smile). The warmth I felt, as I am sure you can relate to, was that feeling you get inside when you are standing in an amazing place experiencing amazing wildlife. It's hard to describe to someone who has never experienced it.

Wow! I love the fogginess all around the elk. I really like that this is a picture of a mom and baby together, too. I also like the water--it makes it way more cool of a picture I think. I also really like the green from the forest behind them. I do wish their heads were showing a bit more. I sure wish I was in Yellowstone right now! We didn't get to go the past two years and I miss being there.

You have an image that probably should be viewed quite large to fully appreciate. I think a very thin slice of the right would make it stronger. I agree a head lift for one of the two might have been even better but this provides a serene mood as posted. Nice work.

Jerry,
This image works very well in particular the positioning of the subjects,the fact that their heads are not entirely visible does not bother me. I must ask what are the "stripes" in the background?

Thanks everyone for the comments.

Ken,

This view looks across the narrow Madison River into an area that suffered a forest fire a few years ago. There are some layers of vegetation and some dead trees, standing and laying down.

Fine photograph! The head down pose IMHO adds to the overall serine quality of the image. It is as if you have captured the moment without intruding, while a head up, looking at you would indicate the elk are aware of your being there. I do agree it needs to be see larger. Thanks for sharing.

Love the feel of this image Jerry, wish I wasn't viewing it on my phone.