Early morning wrestle

Gallery: WildlifePosted February 22, 2015146 views5 comments

Katmai, Alaska
Nikon D4s, Nikkor 500mm f/4G VR @ 700mm on a Gitzo tripod and Wimberley gimbal head, all jumping around in a moving boat…
F/6.3, 1/1250s, +0.7EV Exposure, Auto ISO (1250), Focus Mode: AF-C, AF-Area: Single, VR: ON (crop app. 30%)

One early morning in Hallo Bay, Katmai, we were checking the shores for any signs of wildlife and… lo and behold: what seemed like two young brothers enjoying a bit of early morning wrestling!

While we were slowly approaching I was hoping my D4s would be able to cope with the movements in all 3 dimensions…The focus system on a D4s is just something you have to see to believe: I’ve owned a D3s (and D300s before that) and a D4 prior to my D4s, but the D4s is just something else when it comes to focus. Amazing.

After my first post on NPN just a couple of weeks ago, I’m posting some of the current images from my website (http://www.fliek.com), as well as any new material from my trips to Alaska and other regions of the world…

Comment & critiques certainly welcomed!
(PS: no need to be gentle anymore, it's my second post on NPN :)

Comments

5 comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on February 22, 2015 at 8:32 PM

Really great interaction here - they look very anthropomorphic. Nothing sticks out as needed to be changed

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on February 22, 2015 at 8:45 PM

An amazing shot under the circumstances you described. Top notch!

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on February 24, 2015 at 11:40 PM

The stop action of these guys is really nice, catching the expressions and leading one to really examine the image. I like the composition fine as posted. That said, some would argue for less out of focus foreground, which might be possible with alternate crops. I think it is the eye of the left youngster that makes this special.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on February 25, 2015 at 10:29 PM

The action is great and you captured it well. The look on the left bear is what makes the image for me.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Ingrid Vekemans on February 28, 2015 at 1:52 PM

What excellent timing… great shot, Henk - different from other Katmai shots as well. Love it.

Grt, Ingrid.

Registered on August 2, 2010, 138 Posts, 780 Comments