Snow bison

[D. Robert Franz]

148817

From my winter tour last year. We found this old bull bison in the parks interior early one morning after a night of heavy snow. This is as about as snow covered that I've ever seen a bison in Yellowstone..

Camera Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Copyright: D. Robert & Lorri Franz
Shutter speed: 1/125 sec
Aperture: 8
Exposure mode: Av
Exposure compensation: +2
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 800
Lens: EF800mm f/5.6L IS USM

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Dale, I liked this when I first viewed it earlier today, it has a very nice 'graphic' quality about it, with minimal colour, tones & detail. I also like the fact 'you' (the viewer) can interpret and see so many things within the capture.

Cool & very different, hope to see more.

TFS
Steve

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Robert , i agree with Steve re graphic quality and very minimalistic in tone and color . I do not know if this is FF , if it is not and you have a bit more room to both sides would be great for my eyes . If this was mine i would also try to get a bit more definition into the snow , but this could be just me .
Already very nice as presented !! :5

TFS Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

If this was mine i would also try to get a bit more definition into the snow ,

I think Andreas that is one of the appealing factors of the image, the minimal, almost zero content of the environment that shrouds the Bison, all the detail, colour and eye contact is in the subject. :w3

[Andreas Liedmann]

You could be right , i just thought it the normal way :bg3:. I wanted to try to make an RP with my thoughts , but there is not enough info in the file to do so . just for comparison purpose. This is fitting now very nicely into this month theme , even could go lighter in the dark area .

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Dale,

Amazing how wildlife survives in such climatic circumstances - this bison seems to be resting his thoughts on a bank of snow, protected from cold and wind, keeping alive...You captured this so well! This scene makes me want to travel through such landscape and see the creatures in it - I would probably be as charmed by this snow covered park as I am by the desert. I find this very interesting and inspiring, and the expression that enters my mind right now is " a spot of time". I like everything about this image and I think Steve summed it up so well, all that is left for me to say is - Congratulations!

Kind regards,

[Moe Ali]

Great image Robert. The minimalist approach works just fine with this shot, very artistic. There are different ways to look at this image,.... for me my first reaction was "is the Bison ok", did the harsh elements cause him to just give up. Without reading your comments I would never have known. Thanks for sharing.

[D. Robert Franz]

Thanks everyone.. I did go for the minimalist look for this image.. Several reasons I'm this tight for the comp... I thought you needed to be this tight for impact and there were compositional difficulties that would have changed the nature of the image framed looser....

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks for your additional info on your thoughts about this nice image :wave:

[Steve Kaluski]

Dale for me it's one of those images you come back to several times and see something new each time, agree with Andreas, thanks for the additional info.

Looking forward to hopefully seeing more from you after you next workshop. :S3:

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Dale - You're whetting my appetite. I like the minimalist look and it does cause one to wonder whether the bison will survive the harsh conditions. Thanks for explaining the comp and your thoughts too.

TFS,
Rachel

[shane shacaluga]

This one really works for me too. Trying to imagine how cold or how snug the bison actually feels under that blanket of snow.

Thanks for sharing

[Morkel Erasmus]

I love your work, Dale, and this one is no exception.
Great stark graphic quality here, and it makes you look twice - as Peter would say - at "what else it is"...:cheers:

[Edward Arthur]

Great shot. Very effective concept. It does make one look more than once. :)

[Anette Mossbacher]

Hi Dale, love this one. I looked at least 5x if this Bison is still alive!! :bg3:

I only can agree with the comments above, maybe like a parrot :w3

Have a great evening

Ciao Anette

[haseeb badar]

This is an incredible capture ! this works perfectly well for me . I wonder what would have been the outcome had the Bison closed both its eyes . :bg3:

[Don Railton]

I think Andreas that is one of the appealing factors of the image, the minimal, almost zero content of the environment that shrouds the Bison, all the detail, colour and eye contact is in the subject. :w3

Hi Steve, I think I am with Andreas with this... A little more detail in the snow would for me put the Bison in context so I would feel the cold & the beauty and the plight of the animal more so than the image presented I think..... and I mean 'I think'. While I seriously respect Mr Franz's work and the intent behind the shot, I just wonder about the alternative image...ie more snow detail... Anyway (can I call you Dale?), it's quite wonderful just as it is...

DON

[Grady Weed]

.. I did go for the minimalist look for this image..... I thought you needed to be this tight for impact and there were compositional difficulties that would have changed the nature of the image framed looser....

And for that reason alone...Well done!

[D. Robert Franz]

Hi Steve, I think I am with Andreas with this... A little more detail in the snow would for me put the Bison in context so I would feel the cold & the beauty and the plight of the animal more so than the image presented I think..... and I mean 'I think'. While I seriously respect Mr Franz's work and the intent behind the shot, I just wonder about the alternative image...ie more snow detail... Anyway (can I call you Dale?), it's quite wonderful just as it is...

DON

Hey Don,

Sorry it took me sol long to get back to this... I honestly have no ideal how to get detail in the snow??? DOF is extremely shallow here (probably just a few inches) at this distance with an 800mm lens. So the FG (lower 1/3 of the frame) and the BG (upper 1/3 of the frame) are outside the plane of focus so it would be impossible to get detail where there is none in the first place. Now where the snow is in focus perhaps you could squeeze some detail out but this was very low gloomy light when captured. Perhaps someone with greater processing skills than me could achieve that??? And sure you can call me Dale :bg3:

[Don Railton]

Hi Dale, understand the narrow DOF of the super tellies, have one myself and agree detail would be impossible in the OOF areas of this image without focus stacking.. but, in the focal range where detail is shown on the bison then in good light and correct exposure I would expect to be able to see detail in the snow, which could be enhanced with a selective applied curves layer. You did say the light was dull however so maybe I am asking for what was not possible, even with bracketing. I guess the point I wanted to make is that detail in the snow, for me, would put the bison in context and would evoke more emotion as opposed to just a high key image of the animal covered in (for an Australian that rarely sees snow) is just white stuff at first glance... It still a wonderful image..!

regards

DON

[Grady Weed]

I just can't stop looking at this one Dale! I truly wish it were mine. Better yet, one day you can show me in a tour how to get one of my own. This is exactly what I would like to get one day in Yellowstone. Incredible image. The almost B&W feel to it with just a touch of color, good spacing for the eye to browse over the image, a great feel for the viewer to feel what the Bison is experiencing. TFS.

[Grady Weed]

I love your work, Dale, and this one is no exception.
Great stark graphic quality here, and it makes you look twice - as Peter would say - at "what else it is"...:cheers:

If Dale had not posted this as his, I would have thought this was Morkel's or Steve Kaluski's. All 3 of you are incredible masters of the B&W genre. I hope all 3 of you take this as a compliment. Take a bow Dale.

[D. Robert Franz]

I just can't stop looking at this one Dale! I truly wish it were mine. Better yet, one day you can show me in a tour how to get one of my own. This is exactly what I would like to get one day in Yellowstone. Incredible image. The almost B&W feel to it with just a touch of color, good spacing for the eye to browse over the image, a great feel for the viewer to feel what the Bison is experiencing. TFS.

Thank you very much Grady... Just back from another Yellowstone tour but we didn't have the snow required to get shots like this... Every year is different...