Brooks Falls, Ak Salmon Catcher

[Jay Gould]

Gulp, here's my first; also it is one of the first images with this camera; it arrived the previous day! :D

Brooks Falls, Alaska
14 July 2008
Canon 40D
ISO 100
100-400 f/4.5-5.6
100mm
1/400 sec at f/7.1

This has only been processed in Lightroom.

All comments and criticisms cheerfully looked forward to :D

[Jay Gould]

I just read Artie's Important "Great Shot" Reminder/Please Read

over in the Avian: Image Critiques "Big Guys" section. I hope the same rules/requests apply here too. Please, rip apart anything I post so I can learn; OR, if is good I like to hear that too.

Still, this is one of my favorite shots of the whole trip to Alaska. Brownie had the patience of a saint!

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

I think you did very well with this image. Plenty of details in the fur, the water looks great, the action at its peak so your timing is spot on. The balance of dark and light tones is very good indeed! Not that you could do much about the bear's head, but a little more turned in your direction would have been perfect! Still, this is super! Congratulations mate. :)

[Nonda Surratt]

What an exciting thing to see! Neat! I think Akos covered everything

[denise ippolito]

Hi Jay, Looks like you had a great subject!! The bear is placed well in the frame and action captured is exciting! Wish we could see more of the bears face-but the fish in mid-air between his jaw is quite impressive!!

[Lance Peters]

HI Jay - exposure looks good - you have stopped the action perfectly as mr fish is about to go down the hatch :)

IMHO
Agree with the above comments - lacking eye contact - and this is the main thing that gives your viewer connection to the subject - much like people portraits.

The one part that bothers me the most is the angle of the bears body, makes it look like he has no back legs :)

[Jay Gould]

Thanks everybody; I really appreciate the comments.

At this location the photographers are on a platform off to the side of Brooks Falls. We simply could not get into a position to catch the eye with this bear as he was the closest to us on about a 45 degree angle. It did allow me to shoot at 100mm with my 100 - 400 lens.

Lance, regarding the back legs, the bear is actually standing on the far side of a rock in the water; that is why the water is rising prior to reaching his back leg.

Now that I have broken the ice and submitted my first I will start submitting more from our trip to the States.

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Jay,
Welcome to the ETL forum...I like the composition, and the action...:D I agree with all of the good advise given...looking forward to seeing more of your adventures...good show...:cool:

[Alfred Forns]

Big Welcome Jay !!!

Congrats on your new camera M8t !!! Looks like good timing all around ... particularly the bear :) Great advice and fully agree Looking forward to many more !!!

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Lovely action and exposure Jay. A bit more of a head turn would have made it ideal. Love the fish in mid-air.