Sleeping it Off

[Rachel Hollander]

While sleeping images often wind up untaken or binned, something about the PB's pose here led me to take and keep it. It just seems that the PB has a blissful look. I'm sure this will also remind some of a sleeping dog. Taken in the waters north of Svalbard in August 2013.

Canon 5D3
300 II plus 2x III
1/1600
f5.6
ISO 800
Monopod from moving boat, cropped to straighten, luminosity masks, levels, curves, color adjustments, sharpened in CCPS. I also purposely went with a cooler feel to this one.

C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

Rachel

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Rachel, like the 'chilled out' posture, reminds me of one of Andy's images, a chilled out Grizzly (called Tank) similar to this, with paws across the chest.

The cooler approach works and conveys a slightly dark & overcast day. Overall I like the colours, but this for me is going quite 'Contrasty' as if it was a editorial/reportage, and has a 'gritty' look & feel, as if you cranked the Clarity up? I'm in two minds about the FG ice/water, if you crop above so you have the ice pack it's cleaner (but too tight), however the water adds context to the image, so it stays.

TFS
Steve

[Nancy Bell]

This has a nice layered look with all the horizontal lines; the foreground of ice water, the stretched out bear, the next horizontal water line and that lovely blue special to ice under the snow overhang. I would consider cropping out that final line of gray that runs through your name. That then leaves that beautiful turquoise blue framing the top of the image. In this limited palette, it is nice to have that contrasting black paw showing and the black nose of the bear. I also like that the bear is a different white and that makes it stand out from the bkgd.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Rachel, what a great pose of the bear dreaming about seal or walrus to come up, LOL.
I quite like the overall colors and tones , as i do like the gritty stuff , cheers Steve.
It would have been nice to get some close ups of this behavior, next time …….
Only suggestion i really have , is losing the water/ice in the FG and start the crop just with the white snow.The FG is too dominant for my taste.

TFS Andreas

[Gabriela Plesea]

Oops Rachel, but I do like the FG (forgive me brother Andreas), because it gives context, and for me this image tells the story of this big polar creature, unconcerned with his surroundings and just collapsing into deep sleep (here it comes, Andreas, I now give it to you...this bear...thinking of a delicious seal or walrus... or something delicious and so palatable...)

What an amazing scene, Rachel, and now I am trying to put together a few of your posted images of these bears, all in my mind, a sequence of sorts - I see those big prints on an empty wall, one next to the other, depicting the life of a solitary bear...Love the environment here, since we do not have eye contact we need the context you have provided, those nuances of blue, the water, the ice, the snow...

I can never have enough of these bear shots, keep them coming!

Warmest regards,

[Morkel Erasmus]

Cool pose here Rachel (pun intended)...
I like the framing and contrast as is...I have never been there, so might not have a "reference".

[Marc Mol]

Love the sleeping pose here Rachel, just a little too cool/blue for mine, but that's just me, a splendid image!
Svalbard is on my list, especially now we aren't too far away atm.

[Anette Mossbacher]

HI Rachel,

love the pose, just the blanket is missing
I never mind when the eyes are closed, like this on, a keeper for sure. This one would suit very much on a bedroom wall, the ones in bed can than be thankful that they "have" a blanket

Very well done.

Ciao
Anette

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments. I'm glad you like the sleeping pose. There are lots of options for crop so thanks for all the suggestions. Steve - no more clarity than my other posts, I may have just gone a bit more contrasty in trying to separate the PB from the bg.

Thanks again,
Rachel

[Andre Pretorius]

Hi Rachel

Love this image, the pose. The bear is trying to blend with BG, we try to separate him.

I would crop @ bottom to show some water but less ice, "lower" POV effect.

Agree with Gabriela, will make a great print.

Andre

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Andre, much appreciated.

[keith mitchell]

Hi Rachel,my first view gave me the impression that the whole scene was a little to blue but I have never been in that part of the world,reading the comments above of course I could be way out, love the pose of the Bear, bet it was great photographing it.
Keith.