Brown Bear with Cubs

[Arthur Morris]

Though we got very close to many bears on the recently concluded bear boat trip to Katmai National Park--just got home jet-lagged--this wider image is one of my very favorites. I had thought that these two were spring cubs but one of the group was sure that our guide said that they were scrawny yearlings. I will check with him soon. In any case this family was very shy.

Here I chose a lower left AF sensor and got lucky when both cubs were close enough to mom's plane to be rendered sharply and both were looking at me. This is the best of only two frames created as they came of a rocky ridge on the beach.

Canon 800mmm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering + about 1 13 stops: 1/160 sec. at f/5.6.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

[subhrashis]

Love the clarity and details in the coat! This little fellows are adorable, and the bg adds interest without being intrusive to me. Overall, really beautiful!


Not sure, but could this image use a tiny bit of black clipping/saturation?

[Willem Verboom]

Arti,

I hope that you can forgive me about what I'm going too say now.

I agree with the suggestion for a little bite more black in the picture.

Also I think that the composition off the picture could better ( In my thought) A little bite more forground and a little bite less background, so that the bears has more viewing space in front of them. And less distracting bush behing them.

I hope that that you can forgive me for this comments.:o But I like the bear with cups anyway:)

[Daniel Cadieux]

Wonderful family portrait. I do agree about the blacks, but I wouldn't change the comp one bit...the BG habitat that these guys came out of makes it for me, and touch of reds up there offers balance. Love the darker cub staring directly at you!!

[Katie Rupp]

I like mother's raised paw and that you were able to get both cubs looking ahead. Agree with previous comments re blacks.

[Andrew Aveley]

the only comment I can make would be on the composition.......agree with a previous poster on the Bg being a little distracting and think a OOF FG would have been more to my liking ! :)

[Arthur Morris]

Due to popular demand, here is one with 4 points of BLACK added to the BLACKs and the NEUTRALs in Selective Color. On the matter of more o-o-f foreground rocks I refuse to accede on that point :)

Let me know if y'all see the difference. And thanks all for stopping by.

[Katie Rupp]

Yes, I like the increased dynamic range; it has a bit more "pop" and to me, it looks sharper.

[subhrashis]

I like the repost more!
I'd like some more added, but I suppose 1. that'd lose some shadow detail 2. I'm like saturated colors more! Somebody was mentioning reality glasses somewhere, I think. I'd never get those! :)

Another thing, is it possibly to do the selective color or levels adjustment selectively on the 'white' cubs back and show some more details there?

[Rachel Hollander]

Artie - I like the repost better for the pop. I think the comp is great. The bg gives the feel of the bears coming down to the riverbed

TFS,
Rachel

[Troy Lim]

Just got your bulletin, stunning bear images.
TFS.

[Arthur Morris]

Just got your bulletin, stunning bear images. TFS.

Thanks a ton. Everyone can view the Bulletin here (http://www.birdsasart.com/bn338.html).