Polar Bear Portrait

[Rachel Hollander]

A simple portrait of a male polar bear. This one was also taken the first night we encountered any bear and also around 2 a.m. If you compare it to some of my other images of the same bear within the same time frame, you'll see how quickly the light can change in the arctic. I went for a little bit softer look on the bear in pp here.

Canon 5D3
300 II plus 2x III
1/1600
f6.3
ISO 1600
Monopod from moving boat, cropped from left and above, levels, curves, NR on bg, sharpened in CS6.

C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

Rachel

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Rachel, I really like how we can see the different shades of 'white' from the polar bear to the surrounding ice. Good detail on the fur, and I like battled scarred face.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Rachel, I am falling in love with these bears. Wish I had the opportunity to photograph them, or at least see them in their own environment, with my own eyes. Lovely detail, like the expression and pose.The cropping is just right. Great exposure. No crits, just compliments,your images tell me you have learnt a lot about your subjects. Not easy to shoot from a moving boat, waiting for the right pose, the right moment. I like the way the bear looks to the side, maybe it is my imagination but he seems undecided where to go…Well your photography is certainly going places, another beautiful image and thank you for sharing it with us:5

Warmest regards

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Rachel,
another well done polar bear image by you :bg3:.

Good detail in the fur and the ice.I like the look to the side of the bear.The comp is not my favorite , but i think i know the reason for choosing this comp.
I do find the blacks on the nose and the eye a tad flat and washed out, i would give the areas a slight tweak for a bit more depth.
How come the different shades of blue in the water , i mean hues of blue ?

Lets see more of your polar bears, love them.

TFS Andreas

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Stu, Gabriela and Andreas. Thank you all for the very kind comments. I'm glad you like this one. Andreas - if I understand your question, the different hues of blue in the open water at the top are due to the water being a little choppy so small waves and movement.

Thanks again,
Rachel

[Anette Mossbacher]

Hi Rachel,

saw it and said, what a cute Teddy bear :bg3:
He really looks great. Very well done with all tech wise. The comp and water does not bother me at all.
What impressed me there, was the color of the water, such a deep blue!

Have a great eve

Ciao
Anette

[Andreas Liedmann]

Rachel - was just wondering about different hue of the blues in left and right corner ? Maybe that is due to light angle hitting the water.

[Rachel Hollander]

Andreas - it must be or a thicker cloud over one part of the water.

Anette- thanks, much appreciated.

[Hilary Hann]

These bears are beautiful, love the coat detail. Would have liked a little him placed a little more to the left, but understand that you've already cropped. I like the image very much.

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Hilary. I would have liked him a little more left. It was one of those situations where he was walking from the right to the left and then looked right and I just didn't recompose in the field.

Thanks again,
Rachel

[Hilary Hann]

I can relate to that Rachel, often happens to me!

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Rachel, a little different to the ones we have recently seen, more 'BIF', and personally, I prefer them smaller, just taste, has more impact for me. :w3

My only thought on this image, apart from the small issue Andreas mentioned re the blacks, would be to pull the blue back, especially on the ice pack and run a mid tone on the image. I like the blue choppy water backdrop coupled with the ice pack.

TFS
Steve

[Rachel Hollander]

Hilary - glad to know I'm not alone in that.

Steve -thanks as always. I'll look at the blue on the ice again but I've already pulled it down pretty significantly (I think -50). In the more overcast light it was very blue (or my Canon decided to impersonate a Nikon and skew towards blue).

Thanks again,
Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

Rachel it's more the 'white' of the pack ice, but in pulling it back I think it does temper the ice now too. I've left the sea, but it might also fall into the same boat, no pun intended.

Just for comparison with the mid tone & darkening of his nose. :w3

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Steve, looks good.

[Steve Kaluski]

That's just pulling the blue back, as I say it now may throw the colour of the sea out, so this too may need to be addressed? I just also dropped the Exp/gamma for the nose just for this, you can adjust more in the RAW.

[Loi Nguyen]

Rachel, I first looked at this image last night on my iPAD, so didn't want to comment until I have a chance to look at it again on a desk monitor. Lovely portrait of a PB in its natural environment. The crop is a bit tough on this one, I think you made the best out of. Steve's RP brought out the PB's details and gave it more structure. The OP was a bit bright on the back, neck, and nose. I don't mind the sea the color in Steve's RP. Pulling back the blue helps with not drawing my eye to the crack in the sea ice. Loi

[Andre Pretorius]

Hi Rachel

This guy is HUGE! I can see they eat only fat, luckily they don't have our cholesterol problems! Just wondering, if he stands up, how tall would he be?

Do not mind the comp or crop, love to see him close up to emphasise the shear size of this guy. Would not want to be alone on pack ice with him nearby!

IMHO would reduce noise on ocean behind him, Steve's RP was a hit spot on the nose.

Regards

Andre

[Markus Jais]

Very cool Polar Bear shot. I like this a lot. Great light and colors. I really like the feet being so close together. Gives the bear a great appearance.

Markus

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Rachel, very nice capture...I like Steve's repost as it darkened the eyes and nose and he also toned down the little strip of blue/turquoise in the ice/snow. I do hope to see these bears in the wild one day. Beautiful!

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks gents for the comments and suggestions, much appreciated.

[Steve Canuel]

That's a big one Rachel. Love the light, colors, and compact, look back pose.

[Steve Uffman]

Very interesting and huge bear....body shape is fatter than the ones we saw in Manitoba recently so I really like that....completely understand the comp/crop issue...leaving enough room ahead as he strolls and then he turns his head....happens all the time....

My difference than some is I like the color of the crack in the ice. After all, that was pretty much the real color, correct? to some it may distract, to me it adds realism