An image with quite a few faults, but as it seems we have either been gripped, or currently experiencing a very cold snap, I thought I would post this.
Sadly the Polar bear is looking away and it needs a tad more below, but this will hopefully illustrate the habitat (AKA Pack ice) you have to access, but more importantly, what Polar bears need, to both hunt and survive in. With light almost 24/7 (taken just before 11.00pm) you do get some amazing light, but it still means you need to crank up the ISO, oh for the R5/3...
Thanks to those who posted or viewed on the last posting.
Steve
Subject: Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
Location: Svalbard
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Lens: EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Exposure: 1/800s at f/6.3 ISO5000 EV +1.33
Original format: Landscape, small crop almost
Processed via: LRC 12.0.1 & PS '23 24.0.1
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Hi Steve, really neat image, love your polar bears. I am with Andreas, works for me, just wish for more of a head turn. Thank you for sharing. You mentioned a cold snap, below freezing in Florida this morning.
Joe Przybyla
"Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams
Cheers Andreas, she didn't stay long. I joking said as we hadn't seen a PB for two days I would shower, and a bear would surface... Well she did, so I lost a few minutes of capture time having had to dry off, grab what clothes I had around, a camera with batteries/lens and get on deck. Within a few frames she headed off left, that's a life choice, smell as fresh as a daisy or a bear. In fact the first trip we did it, it almost came to smelling like a walrus, as we almost ran dry of fresh water, that was when I met Norbert R where we did a RAS.
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Cheers Andreas, she didn't stay long. I joking said as we hadn't seen a PB for two days I would shower, and a bear would surface... Well she did, so I lost a few minutes of capture time having had to dry off, grab what clothes I had around, a camera with batteries/lens and get on deck. Within a few frames she headed off left, that's a life choice, smell as fresh as a daisy or a bear. In fact the first trip we did it, it almost came to smelling like a walrus, as we almost ran dry of fresh water, that was when I met Norbert R where we did a RAS.
Murphy´s law hit you hard in that time window .... i feel sorry for you . Next time run naked outside .... nobody will notice , as long as the PB is in close range . Was Mr Norbert wearing grey sockies as well ???
Next time run naked outside .... nobody will notice
True, however there are a mixture of age groups including young ladies, so it's rather inappropriate, apart from the 82 year old German lady I met in Bots, but that's another completely different story!!!
Was Mr Norbert wearing grey sockies as well ???
Couldn't tell, he was on a huge ship on the bridge, as banter was being exchanged between crews during RAS (Replenishment at Sea)
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
The colours here are so stunning and so amazing, not surprised you decided to share this tonight. For me the composition works well, love mama bear looking into the landscape, and what a beautiful environment!
Love everything about this, thank you for sharing and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with awesome sightings and wonderful photographs!
Steve, I don't have much to offer here other than the tones and colors are great and the subject looks well processed. Love the effect of the horizon and the natural blues in the ice blocks.
It's quite exceptional to imaging how you positioned to get this with a 400mm?
It's quite exceptional to imaging how you positioned to get this with a 400mm?
This was with a zoom 100-400 L MK2, most lens these days deliver high quality, but here the kit wasn't Mirrorless, so I always got Canon to 'calibrate' lens to body's to ensure it didn't front/back focus, something you don't have to worry about with Mirrorless. In addition ensuring you capture as much data is paramount, ie ETTR, which applies to both types of body, in doing so you have far more 'Tonal range' to play with and extract from the file, creating the detail you see.
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Hi Steve, love the landscape and the polar bear. The colours are just stunning as so in the tonal range. The polar bear looks majestic looking over the horizon. Yes, the HA could be better but it doesn't take away anything from this fine image. Cheers.
I was actually asking about how you got to that position, so close to the PB to shoot that well at 400mm? Were you on a boat?
Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski
Thank you Brian.
This was with a zoom 100-400 L MK2, most lens these days deliver high quality, but here the kit wasn't Mirrorless, so I always got Canon to 'calibrate' lens to body's to ensure it didn't front/back focus, something you don't have to worry about with Mirrorless. In addition ensuring you capture as much data is paramount, ie ETTR, which applies to both types of body, in doing so you have far more 'Tonal range' to play with and extract from the file, creating the detail you see.
This is the fourth tour and all have been on this particular vessel, as she can get into spots, other, larger ships cannot, as she is only 41m long. She is a classic ship built in 1953 for the Swedish National Maritime Administration. In 1998 she was totally refitted and started her career as a Polar 'passenger' ship. So comfortable, great crew, access all areas and therefore shooting from most positions is fine except for your berth porthole/window which is strictly forbidden.
It can take up to 2hrs to approach a bear, or if when parked in the pack ice they may come to you, if you are lucky. Remember, you are looking for a white object in a sea of white, so everyone is on point duty looking for this elusive bear and at times 24/7 with only a few hoarsest. A shout can happen at any time of day, this is not a relaxing trip, but exhilarating one, similar to Safari, but on ice.
However, these are highly dangers animals more so than Black/Brown bears. Highly inquisitive, superb sense of smell, they can smell a seal 2m below the pack ice, but it's the only time, apart from one or two occasional times in Africa, where one person carries a rifle, but here it's with a round already in the chamber. These guys can cover the ground in a flash, but superb photo subjects.
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
This is the fourth tour and all have been on this particular vessel, as she can get into spots, other, larger ships cannot, as she is only 41m long. She is a classic ship built in 1953 for the Swedish National Maritime Administration. In 1998 she was totally refitted and started her career as a Polar 'passenger' ship. So comfortable, great crew, access all areas and therefore shooting from most positions is fine except for your berth porthole/window which is strictly forbidden.
It can take up to 2hrs to approach a bear, or if when parked in the pack ice they may come to you, if you are lucky. Remember, you are looking for a white object in a sea of white, so everyone is on point duty looking for this elusive bear and at times 24/7 with only a few hoarsest. A shout can happen at any time of day, this is not a relaxing trip, but exhilarating one, similar to Safari, but on ice.
However, these are highly dangers animals more so than Black/Brown bears. Highly inquisitive, superb sense of smell, they can smell a seal 2m below the pack ice, but it's the only time, apart from one or two occasional times in Africa, where one person carries a rifle, but here it's with a round already in the chamber. These guys can cover the ground in a flash, but superb photo subjects.
That's fascinating, thank you for the details in the reply. Sounds like quite the vessel and quite the experience.
I can only imagine going on a trip like this one day but surely will be on my list.
Sadly Brian, sightings are getting tougher. By chance I bumped into an ex BPN member, he was on a larger vessel and we both I think did 14 days. We saw 24 bears, he say 8, it’s a lottery and with climate change (not fake news) it is becoming harder to predict and to know where the pack ice will be/is forming. Ice charts are ok, but… I just can’t gamble around $14k, plus flights.
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Sadly Brian, sightings are getting tougher. By chance I bumped into an ex BPN member, he was on a larger vessel and we both I think did 14 days. We saw 24 bears, he say 8, it’s a lottery and with climate change (not fake news) it is becoming harder to predict and to know where the pack ice will be/is forming. Ice charts are ok, but… I just can’t gamble around $14k, plus flights.
Another day dawns...
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Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski
and some more photographic opportunities, for us both 
and some more photographic opportunities, for us both 
