A Cold Swim

[Rachel Hollander]

This female polar bear thought we weren't approaching fast enough and decided that she was going to swim over to us. It seemed much easier for her to maneuver through the ice than for our boat. Taken in the waters above Svalbard at about 10 p.m. We had been shooting some of the ice when she was spotted. This was a grab shot with the equipment I had around my neck before swapping my gear around.


Canon 7D
70-200 II @ 200mm
1/1600
f3.5
ISO 400
HH from the deck of a moving boat, cropped, luminosity masks, levels, curves, sharpened in PSCC.

C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

Rachel


[Jamie Douglas]

I think Polar bears and Saltwater crocs are two of the few species that will instantly start pursing humans the moment they come in contact. Simple logic... human + I am hungry = go and try and eat :) Most species will go in the opposite direction but I guess Polar bears make photography a little easier as they come towards us .

This is a pretty neat scene but have you considered a 16x9 crop Rachel? Maybe just a fraction too much foreground for my eyes and a little on the contrasty side on my screen at least. Nice that you see the front paw through the water.

My two cents :)

Jamie

[Anette Mossbacher]

Hi Rachel,

very nice image of this polar bear. I like it that you left the color in the water. Never have been in the zodiac up in the pack ice. Would have loved to do so.

Have a great week

Ciao
Anette

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Jamie and Anette, much appreciated. Jamie - 16 x 9 would work as a good alternative. Anette - this wasn't from the zodiac but from our moving boat. We only did one zodiac trip in the pack ice near a bear.


Thanks again,
Rachel

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Rachel,
nice swimming scene with slightly tilted head towards the viewer. Good low POV for a boat shot….
Good detail and colors in the bear an the usual nice processing. What bothers me a tiny bit is the water coloration, can not exactly say what hue it is that is making me thinking this.
So here is an RP , hope you can see what i mean , i reduced in selective color the magenta/red / blue components in the blues.

WDYT?

Cheers Andreas

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Rachel, interesting Jamie thought about a 16x9, it's another option, but the more I look at this I think the crop works, not sure what other alternatives could be. Looks good colour wise, likewise detail, however difficult with the tonal range, good camera skills based on the situation.

Jamie, give me a lion any day compared to a Polar bear, these guys are really just too dangerous and a healthy respect/distance is always best, as you can still get to show the images you have taken.

TFS
Steve

[Rachel Hollander]

Andreas and Steve - thanks for the comments. Andreas - I prefer the color in the op. Yours leans a little more to cyan and just isn't as pleasing or accurate to me.

Thanks again,
Rachel

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Rachel no problem it is yours .
Andreas

[Nancy Bell]

Rachel, I have been following & enjoying your polar bear images as I have had time. I really like the eye contact here & that you have a whole body showing behind the head. The bear cuts a nice diagonal line similar to the lines in the water, making a very nice composition. I have polar bear envy!

[Morkel Erasmus]

Nice tonality and any sigthing of a PB is great to me
I'm 50/50 on the comp and placement of the PB and I wonder if you took any WIDER? Showing more negative space and placing the focus on the environment (and possibly melting ice) more than the swimming bear?

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Nancy and Morkel. Morkel - I have to check but I don't think I have any swimming bears with ice.

Thanks again,
Rachel

[Morkel Erasmus]

Perhaps I was unclear, Rachel
I only meant a wider shot of this bear swimming in the water like this, with the implication being that the ice has all melted...