Spring Cub

Sorry I haven't' been around for a while but I've been working hard on a new business and it's been taking most of my time. I was in Yellowstone last week leading my spring bear tour. Had this spring cub or COY (cub of the year) working along the roadside walk up quite close to our van.. We were inside. We were heading in for the night and light was very low. Full frame as shot in camera

Camera Model: Canon EOS-1D X
Copyright: D. Robert & Lorri Franz
Shutter speed: 1/320 sec
Aperture: 4
Exposure mode: Av
Exposure compensation: +1/3
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 3200
Lens: EF500mm f/4L IS USM

A warm welcome back, Dale:wave:

Hope your new business is thriving! I trust you are beginning to settle down and finding some time to share an image or two with us:)

Cute little bear cub, well captured despite low light. I like the framing, head angle, inquisitive look from the subject. Nice detail in that brown fuzzy fur and I love those sharp little claws! Was his mommy around?

I believe you were trying to get as much SS as possible without hurting the frame, tempted to ask why you did not push ISO further. I am not familiar at all with Canon equipment so not sure of its capabilities, I gather you were concerned with noise? I would have liked a tad more DOF for the sake of that cute little button of a nose. Let us see what the others say, I think I see a slight green cast on the log worth checking, overall a lovely capture I enjoyed tremendously, the look on the subject's face is priceless:)

Please try and post more, you have been missed around here:w3

Kind regards,

Hi Gabriella, thanks for your kind words. New biz not thriving yet but hopefully soon. I'm very conservative when it comes to ISO I always try to keep it a low as possible, IDX is a very good high ISO camera, I may have been able to go higher. This is probably the highest ISO I've ever used other than for shooting starscapes. In my experience as long as the eyes are sharp the image works at least in the marketplace. which is the end use for my images. I was also concerned with the lousy busy BG. When subjects are against a hill I always try to shoot wide open to help blur the BG. I was lucky to get anything at all I was shooting through the van from the driving position out the passenger side window trying to work around the person in the from seat.. Low light after sundown always gives me fits trying to achieve proper color balance.

Hi Robert, love that innocent look of the cub. I'm surprised that the DOF as good as it is at F4. At this size and resolution, it looks good to me, but I could see Gabriela's point for more DOF. I have the exact same rig as you and would have shot it at the same conditions. Minor suggestion is to take a sliver off the bottom. The cub is a bit too symmetrical in the frame IMO. Loi

Hi Dale - Welcome back and a very cute coy. Whetting my appetite for my trip in just a few weeks. I am ok with dof and techs but can also understand a bit more for the cubs front legs to also be sharp. I'm away but it looks like a bit of blue has creeped in on the log. I'm sure Steve would say that you can crank up the ISO more on the 1DX if you were so inclined but I understand your preferences. Good luck with the rest of the tours.

TFS,
Rachel

Great alert pose from the cub, and I love the graduation in the colour of the fur. The log does look a tad green, but still looks natural to me, nice work.

Mike

Lovely shot I like the narrow DOF it makes the little cub stand out so well.

Lovely pose and muted light here, Dale.
It does look like the nose-tip is just outside the DOF range, or are my eyes deceiving me? I also notice a slight green hue to the cub, possibly reflected off the foliage?

Good to see you posting again.

Thank you Dale, appreciate your reply. Sorry about the nit-picking, I could not help it. I am fine with the BG, by the way:w3

I would really like to see more of those little bears, please...

Kind regards,

Something as really got this little chaps attention and you have caught it beautifully,do like the texture of the fur and those lovely sharp eyes.

Keith.

Cute and attentive pose here Dale, the claw to paw size ratio never ceases to amaze me, :Whoa!:

nicely seen considering the challenging circumstances.

TFS

Hi Dale -- I am pretty late on this but cant do more then agreeing with what is said above. Your images are always a treat to watch and this one is also a lovely image. I would love to see more of your work on this forum .

TFS !

Hi Dale,another late reply,but your cub is so enchanting I felt a need to add a few words. Love your capture and am amazed by how much dof you have managed to achieve at f/4. Dale it's always interesting for me seeing these lower light shots , and reading the thoughts on iso and shutter speed that follow. I like the way he seems to be looking past you,what a wonderful way to end a day at yellowstone,a place that has always fascinated me.
Thanks so much for sharing this Dale, little fella has made us both smile

take care

Stu