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Thread: Hare in a snowy gale

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    Icon1 Hare in a snowy gale

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    One gets a real respect for these amazing animals by putting oneself where they live,in the conditions they encounter. i'd spotted this one from the road,drove away parked up as this storm briefly hit and passed over. My lady looked at me as though I was mad as I scrabbled for gloves hat facemask as the snow come hail, screamed against the van.

    Blighty has a mild grey climate compared to what you guys might know,our extremes not really that extreme. But this was pretty hard core for us softies,the wind howling bitterly cold. After this I manged via a big detour(wind direction and light) to get in on a couple right out in some young rape. When one is there no cover no hide on that bitterly cold ground,even with all my layers on,just how these animals survive amazes me. It was utterly brutal,i'm sure now, I have a special kind of madness, just to even convince my self to try for the latter,(part of a group of eight that were boxing ) was frankly insane. These are our hares though and I was so thrilled that the lurcher men hadn't done for all of them I had to try. We have been hard hit but at least some have got past the dogs,which is something. I love what the wind did to her whiskers and guard hairs mind it was ferocious

    I feel I could have upped exp by 1/3rd at shutter press and generally could have done better all round,but hey nice to finally have another go. Processed in dpp pic style neutral, colours, gamma, 16bit tiff to PS, masks levels curves nr and sharps two fold, a bit extra to the head brushed in and an edge sharp mask technique I'm learning.

    Canon 1Div 400DOii is 1.4ext iii HH while lying on the ground
    1/800 f8 iso 5000


    Thanks for the comments on my previous images,apologies for the low post count, of late. It#s nice to get back in the saddle with the hares, incredibly cool actually,and my first chance with some white stuff for good measure

    take care all

    stu

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    The best wildlife images tell stories imo and this image tells such a story. This is the sort of image that one can stare at for ages imagining 'the story' before even bothering to read about the details. Everything looks spot on. Perhaps removing the little pieces of oof greenery at the bottom of the image would be an idea

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Stu - One of your best posted IMHO. Great low pov and the falling snow really adds. Tones and detail look good too. I might consider a little off the top as an alternate comp but it works as is too. Well done.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    I like the detail in the fur. I also like the survival story that the image tells. I think you need the entire frame as it shows the snow & adds to the diminutive size of the hare surviving in the universe. I also like how the ears are tucked against the hare's back. It is obvious that it is cold.
    Andrew

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rachel Hollander View Post
    Hi Stu - One of your best posted IMHO. Great low pov and the falling snow really adds. Tones and detail look good too. I might consider a little off the top as an alternate comp but it works as is too. Well done.

    TFS,
    Rachel
    Wow thanks Rachel,I wish I could post and get out more,but i'm still incredibly driven. Having this bigger tool kit is a real godsend,i'm not there by any means,but it's great fun trying to learn it.


    Thinking about it,this might actually be my very first hare image with my new lens. So it's really nice to have these reassuring words already, thank you both so much

    take care both

    stu

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    Quote Originally Posted by Basil Dardagan View Post
    The best wildlife images tell stories imo and this image tells such a story. This is the sort of image that one can stare at for ages imagining 'the story' before even bothering to read about the details. Everything looks spot on. Perhaps removing the little pieces of oof greenery at the bottom of the image would be an idea
    Basil my humble apologies,I somehow messed up my reply last night to both you and Rachel,so what I wrote to you hasn't appeared,it looks like I ignored you but it wasn't intentional,sorry mate !!

    Basil thank you for the incredibly kind words,I'm frankly humbled. The hare is in a bean crop that is just emerging that's the little green patches,it's interesting what you mentioned as I hadn't mused this,but did wonder if folks might pick up on the green in the bkg. That's what I love about this forum Basil,he group see so much i don't and make me think,which leads to progression in my attempts to capture my subjects spirit.

    Thanks again,sorry about the mishap

    take care

    stu

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Stu, these images just illustrates excellent fieldcraft here and often quite forgotten about. The techs & process again are better and yes could be improved, but for me it's all about the fieldcraft I keep coming back to - which is so key. Like the POV here Stu and adjusting the FG too reduce the brighter elements will help. Moving more to your right also would have helped as the subject is angled away from you and so being more side on would have been better. Like the falling snow and if 'rock steady' in your set-up you could have experimented more with how much snow you wanted to emphasis with your techs. Without being there, or seeing the original screen Histogram it's hard to tell about going another third, but then your SS would have dropped so you would have then needed to go to 6400.

    TFS
    Steve

    PS let me know if you want that PS6 manual, as I head off to Canada and days are ebbing away!!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    Hi Stu, these images just illustrates excellent fieldcraft here and often quite forgotten about. The techs & process again are better and yes could be improved, but for me it's all about the fieldcraft I keep coming back to - which is so key. Like the POV here Stu and adjusting the FG too reduce the brighter elements will help. Moving more to your right also would have helped as the subject is angled away from you and so being more side on would have been better. Like the falling snow and if 'rock steady' in your set-up you could have experimented more with how much snow you wanted to emphasis with your techs. Without being there, or seeing the original screen Histogram it's hard to tell about going another third, but then your SS would have dropped so you would have then needed to go to 6400.

    TFS
    Steve

    PS let me know if you want that PS6 manual, as I head off to Canada and days are ebbing away!!!
    Steve I'll shoot you a pm or I'll wander
    to the image........

    The squall was breif sadly I wasn't fast enough to impliment everything. But for me what is heart warming is that I did move right sadly too slow,but one can't really rush in these senarios and I was playing with the techs. Steve I was gradually dropping the shutter looking for how this might effect the snow . Mate I'm thrilled because even though I know I wasn't bang on it your post points to me thinking in the right way. Granted I didn't quite get there,but I did see she was slightly away and I was pondering my techs and how I might explore., which is fab for me !!

    Cheers on the craft, not being able to get chances of late I feel a bit rusty it was nice to get in. If she hadn't of been slightly away I think I could have pulled back to f7.1 My exp was poor all day mate I misjudged it,but as I say a bit rusty,it's been noted for next time.if I could show the original i'm sure you would agree

    Thanks Steve very positive,I get so wrapped up in the moment,it's good to feel i'm starting to think like you might

    take care

    Stu

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    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Merwin View Post
    I like the detail in the fur. I also like the survival story that the image tells. I think you need the entire frame as it shows the snow & adds to the diminutive size of the hare surviving in the universe. I also like how the ears are tucked against the hare's back. It is obvious that it is cold.

    Thanks Andrew the framing is something I strive for,not there yet but I've also had a look at Rachel's suggestion I think both work but probably will leave as is because of exactly your reasoning

    Thanks so much for you comments Andrew

    stu

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    Steve I was gradually dropping the shutter looking for how this might effect the snow .
    Stu, it all comes down to what effect you want. Adjusting your SS will emphasis the snow fall, ditto the DoF, and if you want the closest snow to standout or disappear into the BKG and so loose the effect????

    I feel a bit rusty
    Rusty - I was out last week with the Grouse and talk about 'rusty' a very large can of WD40 was needed!!! I really need to get back onto the 'saddle' as I now have a busy year looming ahead and another cool trip fo '19 just added.


    Thanks Steve very positive,I get so wrapped up in the moment
    Hard not too, but as I said a lot of folk could learn a lot from you're Fieldcraft.


    it's good to feel i'm starting to think like you might
    Don't start thinking like me, that will get you into all manner of problems

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    I agree that this is one of the best images you've posted (that I've seen, at least).
    Lovely story-telling, and the settings are great from where I sit. Nice low angle too.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Quote Originally Posted by Morkel Erasmus View Post
    I agree that this is one of the best images you've posted (that I've seen, at least).
    Lovely story-telling, and the settings are great from where I sit. Nice low angle too.
    Thanks Morkel, again very kind as with my last image,thank you very much indeed !! So often the low pov is manditory with these hare images, that said I do love what it does for an image .

    take care both

    stu

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    Lovely shot of this hare in it's environment. Having just spent some time with hares myself can appreciate the conditions they put up with which comes across in your image.

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    Hi Stu -- By far the best from you so far ! loved the snow and the suppressed hare really illustrates the scene well. Agree with the suggestions above but really enjoyed viewing this one . Superbly done . TFS !

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    I like a lot. Perfect composition and detail ..; superb situation with snowing

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    Haseeb Gio,Simon,thanks guys sorry so slow to reply,life gets in the way sometimes.

    Simon,as mentioned I've never encountered our mountain hare ,but wow how do they cope. My images are made mainly high up in the Cotswolds,it's been brutal up there for weeks now and very soon there will be kids about.....amazing animals,being there on the floor with them really brings home a deep respect for their ability to survive.

    thanks guys sorry so slow in reply

    stu

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