Great celebrations - but my head...

[Steve Kaluski]

And a very happy New Year to ALL and trust you had a good one. :cheers:

Just a bit of fun (and for Gabriela) which I could not resist - could it be a hangover????

Thanks to those who viewed or posted a comment on the previous thread.

Steve

Subject: Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
Location: Svalbard
Camera: Canon 1DX
Lens: 200-400 f/4 HH
Exposure: 1/2000s at f/8 ISO1600 EV +1
Original format: Landscape, very small crop on the sides for presentation
Processed via: LRCC & PSCC2017

Note:
Yes portrait rather than landscape would have been better, but if I had recomposed the 'moment' would have gone.
The artifacts are in the original capture in the ice

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Steve - Happy New Year! A very humorous post to start off (would have been apropos of recent political decisions in many places this past year too). Lovely details and textures as usual. You don't mention what the focal length was at the time of capture. If you could have zoomed out a bit that would have been preferable to have more room above and below as I do think it is a bit tight.

TFS,
Rachel

[Jonathan Ashton]

Wonderful Steve the fur is so well rendered, I wonder if you could recrop and use content aware to give say another 2mm top and base?

[Steve Kaluski]

As I said Rachel, this was a fleeting 'moment' two frames and he was into another position. If he was happy to stay there for a while everything would have been possible, i.e. shopping format & pulling out.

[Steve Kaluski]

Jon, I could easily comp in more from additional frames I think, if I looked back, but this is more for fun really, and as you know you have to take what you can get. :S3:

[Giovanni Frescura]

I like it. Off course a bit more space up and under , for me could better..but the shoot is fantastic and very humor!!

[Steve Kaluski]

very humor!!

Thanks Gio, thought it might be something 'light hearted' to start the year with. :bg3:

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hey Steve hope you felt better yesterday morning ....:w3:t3:bg3:
Happy new year ...
I just takes this frame from the humorous side of photographers life .... top notch !!!!!
Techs as always looking great
To avoid the overall tightness .... why not cropping a bit tighter ? Just a thought .
Happy shooting in 2017
TFS Andreas

[Gabriela Plesea]

Dearest Steve,
A Very Happy New Year to You too:cheers:

Cannot help but smile seeing this Polar Bear covering his face with one paw:) Trying to imagine the encounter you had with this sublime beast, it must have been such a pleasurable moment and so exciting! Just how close were you?

Fun pose indeed! But what I like the most here, is the subject appears non-threatening, despite its size and strength - I guess even the strongest show weakness from time to time?

Superb techs, stunning detail and colours. I would not go any tighter, this giant beast needs some space, just in case he stops contemplating and decides to look up...

Steve, my mind can wrap an entire story about this, you know that:) Was just thinking, the word you would probably use to describe such scene is "evocative", I call it "moving".

This really moves me. I am so happy you thought of me when posting, I cannot find the right words to thank you:w3

Warmest regards,

[haseeb badar]

Hi Steve -- I loved this one , humorous as well as a quality image. Lovely details, though tight all around but for me the framing works as the emphasis is purely on the moment /expression . Enjoyed viewing this .

TFS !