Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Morant the Grizzly Bear

  1. #1
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
    Posts
    1,058
    Threads
    101
    Thank You Posts

    Default Morant the Grizzly Bear

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    This is Morant one of the two orphaned grizzly bear cubs from the Canadian Rockies. I spent the good part of a week hoping to come across a grizzly bear and and after many lackluster days I finally spotted the two orphaned grizz hanging out in a clearing, more on them here http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Orphaned+grizzlies+doing+well+near+Lake+Louise/6723956/story.html.

    Conditions weren't ideal but I had to make the most of the opportunity before we hit the main hwy for the trip back home. Talk about lucky timing and my adrenaline was pumping with excitement as I watched this young fella wander out of the forest and along the tree line right in front of me.

    The rain was coming down so hard that at one point I missed a series of images because the 7D focused on the rain and not the bear. But I can't criticize the rain because it certainly made the grizz look grizzly.

    I know conditions were tough, i.e. it was 1:40pm and bucketing down with rain but I expected better IQ from the 7D in these circumstances. I have been going back to these images time and time again over the last few months but have never been completely happy with the processing.

    Techs Canon 7D w/ 70-200mm F2.8 IS mounted on bean back resting on suv window @ F4, 1/400, IS0800, 148mm

    Let me know what you think.

    Jamie

  2. #2
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Jamie, this image look far better than the previous one and the ditto the processing, looks more refined and the IQ shows. Colours look better, likewise sharpening.

    From the intro you were obviously fighting SS, looks good at f/4, but think you could also have dropped to f/5.6 with enough SS as you were using a bean bag, but where possible I would trade for more SS. I initially thought it could do with some CW rotation based on the trees, but now I'm not sure?. The slight rain streaks gives substance to the conditions and adds to the atmosphere of the shot and again, perhaps a slower SS might have captured more, like the snowy owls. Subject looks about right in frame and I like the look to camera.

    I think based on this, you will have fun in Tofino with the MKIV and better images too of the bears.

    TFS
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  3. #3
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Jamie - Nice comp and I also think the IQ looks good. In what way are you unhappy with the IQ and at what size? Steve makes some good points about ss and aperture.

    TFS,
    Rachel

  4. #4
    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    5,444
    Threads
    444
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hey Jamie,
    Looked at this one for awhile trying to see what exactly you didn't like about the IQ. Maybe a touch noisy in the darker trees BG but NR loses the rain streaks so I wouldn't "fix" that. The wet fur maybe? It's super sharp and may have a touch of red and magenta noise in there but that's subjective too. Working only on the bear, I tweaked the red by making it a little more yellow and reduced and darkened the magenta and blue. Running just a touch of blur/NR and masking it away from the face only, helped reduce the sharpness and maybe some of the IQ issues you're having? I admittedly prefer my photos a little on the soft side so none of these suggestions may work for you.

  5. #5
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    You handled the conditions well, it seems, Jamie...
    I always enjoy seeing bears. Maybe one day I can also come an visit you for a shoot
    I feel you could crop some from the LHS given the direction of its gaze?
    Also - perhaps tone down some of the slight magenta coming through in the fur?
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  6. #6
    Lifetime Member Marina Scarr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Sarasota, FL
    Posts
    10,347
    Threads
    403
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    What a formidable looking bear you have here, Jamie. The IQ looks good to me. Agree with Morkel on the slight magenta cast (thank you Steve for pointing out the cast) and agree on the rotation. I realized the bear was wet of course but didn't see the raindrops until I read about it in your thread. A good way to combat raindrops messing with your focusing is to manual focus. Of course it isn't always easy depending on the time frame and conditions. I have never seen a grizzly, so I would probably have been shaking trying to photograph this scene!!!
    Marina Scarr
    Florida Master Naturalist
    Website, Facebook

  7. #7
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
    Posts
    1,058
    Threads
    101
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Thanks again folks. I was away cross border shopping yesterday and just got in from work so I have now finally had time to digest your feedback.

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    Hi Jamie, this image look far better than the previous one and the ditto the processing, looks more refined and the IQ shows. Colours look better, likewise sharpening.

    From the intro you were obviously fighting SS, looks good at f/4, but think you could also have dropped to f/5.6 with enough SS as you were using a bean bag, but where possible I would trade for more SS. [IMG]file:///C:/Users/Jamey/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png[/IMG] I think based on this, you will have fun in Tofino with the MKIV and better images too of the bears.

    Steve
    Cheers Steve, out of all the files this is one of the stronger images IQ wise. In better conditions I wouldn't have hesitated bumping up the ISO and increasing DOF but in torrential rain I find the 7D images start to take on an almost sketch like texture and get a little crunchy looking so I was keen on maximizing shutter as the bear was on the move and I wanted to get him sharp (I should have mentioned that above). I am not sure if the IQ issues I encounter in adverse weather are from the 400mm f5.6 sometimes being a little on the contrasty side compared to the 500mm f4 or my processing skills. I remember your owl images were far less crunchy than my 7D files when we shot in torrential rain.

    Thanks for your help and feedback and hopefully we get better conditions for owls next time around.

    Quote Originally Posted by Rachel Hollander View Post
    Jamie - Nice comp and I also think the IQ looks good. In what way are you unhappy with the IQ and at what size? Steve makes some good points about ss and aperture.

    TFS,
    Rachel
    Thanks Rachel, see comments above about IQ.

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Canuel View Post
    Hey Jamie,
    The wet fur maybe? It's super sharp and may have a touch of red and magenta noise in there but that's subjective too. Working only on the bear, I tweaked the red by making it a little more yellow and reduced and darkened the magenta and blue. Running just a touch of blur/NR and masking it away from the face only, helped reduce the sharpness and maybe some of the IQ issues you're having? I admittedly prefer my photos a little on the soft side so none of these suggestions may work for you.
    Thanks Steve C and I appreciate your suggestions, I made some comments about the IQ above and took on board your feedback and reduced the magenta and boosted the yellows very slightly which IMO have improved the fur in the repost so thank you for the advice. I have received comments about magenta on a couple of my images recently so I need to add that as a step in my workflow. Thanks Steve C.

    Quote Originally Posted by Morkel Erasmus View Post
    You handled the conditions well, it seems, Jamie...
    I always enjoy seeing bears. Maybe one day I can also come an visit you for a shoot [IMG]file:///C:/Users/Jamey/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image003.gif[/IMG]
    I feel you could crop some from the LHS given the direction of its gaze?
    Also - perhaps tone down some of the slight magenta coming through in the fur?
    For sure, my doors are always open if you and your family venture up to the Northern Hemisphere.

    Maybe one day Ewan Douglas can go on a shoot with Amiee or Daniel Erasmus (hope I got the names correct).

    I revised the crop. After staring at it for a while I realised and agreed that it needed just a tad taken off the left.

    Quote Originally Posted by Marina Scarr View Post
    What a formidable looking bear you have here, Jamie. The IQ looks good to me. Agree with Morkel on the slight magenta cast (thank you Steve for pointing out the cast) and agree on the rotation. I realized the bear was wet of course but didn't see the raindrops until I read about it in your thread. A good way to combat raindrops messing with your focusing is to manual focus. Of course it isn't always easy depending on the time frame and conditions. I have never seen a grizzly, so I would probably have been shaking trying to photograph this scene!!!
    I was shaking from excitement at having the opportunity after a long week of being able to photograph a wild grizz for the first time and the fact this one my one and only chance the whole trip didn't help the nerves either LOL.

    Things were happening way too fast and I had to act fast before the bear vanished back into the woods so there wasn't room in my mind to think about switching to MF but I will take that on board for future encounters of the rainy kind.

    Thanks Marina.


    Jamie
    Last edited by Jamie Douglas; 09-10-2012 at 10:50 PM.

  8. #8
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Repost looks good, Jamie...though I might be tempted to take even more off the LHS and even on top (to get away from a square presentation).

    You got the names spot on - except Daniel has an ë in which makes it Daniël (just an Afrikaans spelling which makes you pronounce it correctly in Afrikaans as the letters "ie" together in Afrikaans is pronounced as if it was "ee" in English).
    Good to know the door is open - likewise this side!!
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  9. #9
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
    Posts
    1,058
    Threads
    101
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Morkel Erasmus View Post
    Repost looks good, Jamie...though I might be tempted to take even more off the LHS and even on top (to get away from a square presentation).

    You got the names spot on - except Daniel has an ë in which makes it Daniël (just an Afrikaans spelling which makes you pronounce it correctly in Afrikaans as the letters "ie" together in Afrikaans is pronounced as if it was "ee" in English).
    Good to know the door is open - likewise this side!!
    Cheers Morkel, I tweaked the crop on the PSD file to a better crop.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics