Male Polar Bear

[Rachel Hollander]

Another one taken around 2 a.m. in the ever-changing light of the midnight sun in the pack ice north of Svalbard, Norway. I know some will think it's a little too centered but I wanted to emphasize the eye contact and still retain the scooped out snow to the left, the puddle to the right and the falling snow most visible above.

Canon 5D3
300 II plus 2x III
1/1600
f5.6
ISO 1600
Monopod from moving boat, cropped for comp, luminosity mask, levels, curves, selective color adjustments, selective burning, sharpened in CS6.

C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

Rachel

[Rudi van den Heever]

Excellent exposure on those white ice Rachel and love the eye contact and "what are you looking at?" expression!:S3:

[Anette Mossbacher]

Aaah you posted one, just posted as well one. Should have looked before posting oh well.
I really DO LIKE THIS LOOK of the PB :bg3:
Tech wise looks great. This one looks nearly like groomed just for you. The comp in the center does not bother me much. I might would reduce a tad of the FG, just me, you know 68% :t3
I love the puddle on the Iceberg as well the dark BG of the sea. Very nice image with a striking look for me :wave:

Have a great day

Ciao
Anette

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Rachel, Its amazing how well you are using your 300+2X combo with the 5D3. The PB is sharp, well exposed and the colours are spot on. I don't mind the centring at all! Well done.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Rachel,
that look is priceless, lovely processed with detail all over the place, which i like in this case.Whole setting looks pleasing with the dark backdrop of water.
Like the colors and the tones throughout the image.
Only that bothers be is the crop, but i have no idea to find a really well working solution, i do feel it is all the time a compromise.

TFS Andreas

[Morkel Erasmus]

Lovely eye contact, subtle tones and great light/exposure. Love the falling snow!
I might take some off the bottom?
For me your best arctic image to date.

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks all, I'm glad you like this one. Morkel - I'm a little surprised you think this one is the best. :e3

Thanks again,
Rachel

[edwardselfe]

I agree to take some off the bottom but to keep all the other elements that you mentioned. The details are great and it's very nice to look at!
Ed

[Hilary Hann]

The expression on the bear is priceless for sure, really like this. I would echo Morkel and take off some of the foreground.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks all, I'm glad you like this one. Morkel - I'm a little surprised you think this one is the best. :e3

Thanks again,
Rachel

Maybe I have not seen enough of them?
Seriously - the immediate impact of this one was just more memorable to me. There may be others who are "better" in terms of uniqueness and execution but this one "evoked" as Steve's signature puts so eloquently (at least for me).

[Martin Dunn]

terrific eye contact Rachel. I like this best from all the PB posts you've made. The PB has a lovely relaxed pose and the colours look super.
The falling snow visible against the darker sea at the top adds a neat touch.
I'm in two minds about the foreground. I like the way the eye is drawn to the PB, but wonder if a small amount could be cropped.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Rachel,

Been looking at this image for some time now, wondering how I would crop it otherwise-well, I would not change a thing, in fact I would not even take off the bottom. I like the space you have given this big guy, love the quizzical look in his eyes, he seems just about to get up and cause some trouble! I have never taken images of snow and I am amazed at the amount of detail you have in all that whiteness. What beautiful landscape, love the tiny snow flakes at the top, the bluish tinge in the ice/snow, I can just imagine the silence there, the atmosphere-sharp and clean and everything so bright and immaculate. A few images of polar bears lately, and I was just thinking how small they sometimes look in this vast land, and yet how big and awesome they really are…Great work Rachel!!!

Warmest regards from hot, green Africa:wave:

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Ed, Hilary, Morkel, Martin and Gabriela. Shaving some off the bottom is a good alternative but I also like it as is. Might have 2 versions and see which I prefer. Morkel - I'm guessing it's the eye contact and look that evokes.

Thanks again,
Rachel

[Nancy Bell]

Rachel, all has been said, but would like to add that this is a terrific image! All the individual elements really come together and then that special look from the bear! Priceless!

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Rachel, great eye contact, and I really like the different winter colours in the overall image, especially the PB coat. The falling snow adds to the image, and comp wise, Im going to be different and feel that taking a touch off the top will work better. :w3

[Andre Pretorius]

Stunning image Rachel!

Agree with all the accolades above:cheers:

The dark water on top gives contrast to rest of white BG.

Personally I vote to slice the bottom.

Love the image!

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Nancy, Stu and Andre, much appreciated.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Rachel, I would agree, you could lose perhaps half the space of the FG, as it then balances IMHO, with the ice pack above & the water. Just the right amount of blue in the ice too I feel. Personally I happy with the placement as it retains some nice 'subtle' features within the environment.

TFS
Steve