Anoki - Captive Wolf #2 image

[Grady Weed]

Pretty much same settings as before. Subject is standing on the large rock in the enclosure. The major issues trying to photograph these wolves is they are too playfull when I am in there with them. You have to be in there with them for at least 1 hour before they settle down and they decide to pose for you, if they want too!

This one is pretty close to full frame, imaged about 15 feet away and makes a 11x14 print. All comments are welcomed and appreciated. If you view, please comment, good, bad, could I improve, whatever your thoughts are. Thanks for looking.

Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, Shooting Date/Time 3/22/2012 1:01:09 PM, Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE, Shutter Speed 1/800, Av( Aperture Value ) 2.8, Metering Mode Partial Metering, Exposure Compensation +2/3, ISO Speed 400, Lens EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM, Image Quality RAW, Flash Off, White Balance Mode Auto, AF Mode One-Shot AF.

[Morkel Erasmus]

love the facial portrait here, Grady
first off - do you mind posting the shooting settings so we can understand/critique better?
I like the details and exposure you have here - just feel the DOF might be too shallow (I at least want the rightmost eye as seen from our perspective to be sharper)...:e3

Where exactly are these wolves kept and how do you gain such frequent access to them?

[Grady Weed]

Morkel,

Thanks for taking the time to ask questions and post positive critiques. I really appreciate that. The "depth of field" on the right eye was tricky due to the wolf never stopping to look directly at me for more than a millisecond at best. Wolves just do not look straight at you for to long. It is a dominance thing, especially with the females, they are the dominate ones at this facility. The site is located about 10 minutes from my home here in Maine, USA. The owner lets me go in to photograph them, under supervision, in exchange for me letting her use my images to promote the refuge. She also sells my images for profit to help offset the enormous cost to house and care for them. She has them in separate pens on a 20 acre site, about. Each wolf has its own pen, except for these two, Anoki and Lamasi. Most wolves mate for life. You have to be carefully when putting two wolves in the same pen, where they have cannot escape from each other. When one does not like another, the results are death for one of them.

These wolves are cared for better than most people are. They are fed high quality meats, deer, moose, butcher shop trimmings etc. Water is right in the pens, a dripping cold water supply at all times of the day and night. All of the pens are cleaned several times a day. A vet is on call 24/7 for any need. It is a real privelege to go over and see them, let alone photograph them in the pen with them.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Morkel,
Thanks for taking the time to ask questions and post positive critiques. I really appreciate that.

It's a pleasure...that's what we're here for! :bg3:
Thanks for the additional info. I am still wondering about the settings you used, though :w3

[Steve Kaluski]

Morkel, I think Grady has added to the OP as you posted.

Love the colour and portrait style shot, slight off set to the LHS, however I do think your choice of DOF is not perhaps ideal, fighting SS I guess. Appreciate the addition info & BKG to the shot, especially how they never stop for long.

What I would suggest is to increase your ISO and try shooting around f/5.6, set to servo mode with a short burst rate, I think the MKIIn can do that. In addition if you open the image up in Canons DPP, View > AF point this will show you where the FP was set to, although I think I know where but would be useful if you can confirm.:w3 I gave the image a few more rounds of sharpening and it has come up nicely so perhaps a revisit will address that.

TFS
Steve

[Grady Weed]

Steve and Morkel,

I will try next time to remember to up the ISO and go for f/5.6. The points of focus is on the left eye, but with a constantly moving 135 lbs wolf, well, you hope for the best. My time can also be limited to spend in the pens with them. A volunteer has to be in there with me, a new condition for me to be able to photograph them. Thanks to an idiot board member who got bite when they were doing something they were not supposed to be doing. One rotten apple can ruin it for al of us who obey the rules. The insurance company would have a cow if they thought I was going in the pens on my own without supervision. I used to be able to do just that, for up to 4 or 5 hours at a time. Now...I am grateful just to go over there.

[Steve Kaluski]

Grady, meant to add this to m reply. Sadly there might be a slight colour shift, as the OP is not sRGB. I reduced the 'Blue' channel to remove the case in the nose.

Hope this helps.

Steve

[Grady Weed]

I see where the sharpening has helped considerable. My color profile says it is a sRGB, that is in file, save as. The color profile box is checked. I recently had to re-install CS4. I will check my defaults and pre-sets one more time. As for the rest of the wolf images I have to post, they will all be @ 2.8, using my 300 2.8 lens, ISO 400 etc. At the time it seemed to get the best results. But I appreciate the responses and different perspectives. I got your PM Steve. I hope this answers the Depth Of Field questions. I will try to get more of centered focus between the eyes next time. It is so hard to do.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Grady - I like this portrait and your comp. Good suggestions above for next time and also the extra sharpening looks good.

TFS,
Rachel

[Harshad Barve]

love the facial portrait here
TFS

[Marc Mol]

Agree with all of the above Grady, very nice detail and pose here, any more room above?
TFS

[Vivaldo Damilano]

Superb Grady, lovely portrait anf facial expression TFS:cheers:

[Grady Weed]

Thank you everyone!