Morning swim

[Steve Kaluski]

We almost missed this guy swimming by, as all eyes were on the horizon in search of Polar bears, however he didn't quite escape our eagle eyes...

He swam almost completely around our small vessel, just curious of what we were and the smells again emanating from this shape. The shot doesn't quite reflect the water conditions as we were surrounded by floating pack ice in various shapes & sizes and so, yes take shots, but waiting for both the look and having the water clear of any ice fragments paid off. Here I used my trusty Flexline ball head which gave the perfect smooth tracking/support to the 500. I have used this for the last 20 months and it's been a great asset and travelling companion.

Thanks to those who posted or viewed on the last posting.

Steve

Subject: Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) swimming
Location: Svalbard
Camera: Canon 1DX MKII
Lens: 500f/4MKII plus 1.4ext Flexline ball head & Gitzo tripod
Exposure: 1/2500s at f/8 ISO2500 +1EV
Original format: Landscape, slight crop from the top
Processed via: LRCC Classic & PSCC2019

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Hi Steve, a lovely image of the bear swimming by. I like the ripples in water ahead of the bear and the slight reflection of the head. Good techs as well. Would love to know more on that ball head you used.

[haseeb badar]

Hi Steve -- Lovely sight and nice story behind it . Again the sharpness and details are so good inspite of being a wet fur, could so easily go oversharrpened way but you have done so well in getting that natural look and feel to it in terms of colours and details in the fur. That ripple effect is a much needed element in this frame otherwise it would have appeared a bit sterile. Nice control on the whites and also the black of the snout .

Nice one.

TFS !

[Jonathan Ashton]

Great shot Steve, sounds a silly thing to say but the image looks cold - I am sure it was and you have very carefully ensured the optimal colour temperature / balance etc. The big appeal to me is the detail in the bear contrasting so nicely with the still water.
Hey that ball head what's the big deal - yes I am a cynic!! - surely it is the original with a new paint job, maybe a little less lens creep but what does it do that the original didn't - I remember everyone said that was the best thing since sliced bread when that one came out???

[John Mack]

Nice frame of this polar bear. Like how the bear is looking past you. Details look great. Is that the same ballhead Arthur has been selling? I use it for my macro stuff.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Steve , a very fine image with a high quality output . Love the IQ .
Simple and effective image design , love the softness of the water broken by the little swell in front of the PB . I can imagine what this PB was thinking ..... Would it not have been nice to be a few more inches lower ....with the kit , without being eaten by the PB .
Well timed and executed in the field .

Top notch all around , TFS Andreas

[Gabriela Plesea]

A very good evening to you Steve,
Just briefly, this is my "pick of the month" in terms of your images . Or rather, "pick of your PB images". My favourite ever, Steve.

It just works so well. And unlike my Boetie Andreas, I have no idea what the bear was thinking...More concerned with what you were thinking when capturing the image

IQ is superb indeed and I love the feel, or rather mood, of the frame. Had you warmed this up it would have lost its mystery, or the "danger" element the viewer perceives. A lot of thinking has gone into this, and especially during PP work.
Won't repeat what has already been said but to me this is a good example of a perfectly executed and processed image - congratulations, impeccable work

Thank you so much for sharing,

Warmest regards,

[Steve Kaluski]

Is that the same ballhead Arthur has been selling? I use it for my macro stuff.

Yes John, but I've had mine a lot longer and before Artie saw/started to sell it, I was testing it in March 2018 before purchasing it, I like it.

Thanks again for the lovely words Gabriela, I just love this subject!