Grant's patch

[Steve Kaluski]

Not the same Hippo Grant photographed recently, as this was an old male cast out by his pod to lead a solitary life alone in the Savuti channel. With only one lower front 'tusk' (not visible here) he still managed to give a warning grunt every now and then, however this was more of a large yawn.

Shortly after taking this he submerged to the point where only his eyes and nostrils showing.

Steve
MKIII 500f/4 1/1000 sec f/9 ISO400 (HH, slight crop, drop in polariser) The shot was taken mid-morning.

[Grant Atkinson]

Hi Steve, nice shot posted, like the strong shape the hippos head creates, and the tension created by the stretched skin. Great details as always, lots of sharp detail in thehipppo, nice colour in both hippo and BG. Seems the polariser made something good out of otherwise harsh light...
I will keep a lookout for this fellow in the Channel now that I know what his dentition looks like
cheers
Grant

[Stu Bowie]

Excellent detail Steve, and well timed to capture a fully open mouth.

[Kurt Bowman]

Really nice detail and impacting image Steve. I agree the polarizer was a good choice and think it kept the bright water glare on the skin to a manageable level. The techs are excellent and love the sharp teeth. For some reason,m I find myself wanting this in more of a vertical crop format, but looking at the shot, not sure how that would look. WOuld have to see them side by side. I just think it would give more impact to the open top half of the mouth.

[Steve Kaluski]

I find myself wanting this in more of a vertical crop format

Kurt, spot on. I had gone for landscape to get the jaws opening up and guessed landscape would have been the right format, sadly the way this has panned out it was the wrong choice, it just cries out for portrait format. Easy to extend the canvas, but well... the shot can wait some extra months before going back, so lets see what happens.

Steve

[Steve Canuel]

Hey Steve,
Love the texture of the skin and the detail. Good example of the impact of a polarizer on an image.

[Morkel Erasmus]

nice use of the polariser here Ken - for my info, is the drop-in one "totally" polarised or does it work similarly to the one I use for landscapes which you have to rotate?

[Marc Mol]

for my info, is the drop-in one "totally" polarised or does it work similarly to the one I use for landscapes which you have to rotate?

Morkel
All the drop-in polarizers for Nikon & Canon are the rotating kind, same as the ones that screw on to the front of your standard lens.
Providing varying degrees of effect via rotation, main difference is the price!!!.........up to 2/3 times more.:eek:
I use mine quite a bit when water is involved.

[Harshad Barve]

this Hippo is screaming for vertical crop
excellent details and techs as usual
TFS

[Hilary Hann]

Lovely IQ here Steve and I like the little tusk just poking through the water from the bottom jaw. Polariser certainly did the trick.

[Kirk Adams]

The lower tusks not showing here is a show-stopper(in a reverse way- negative) for me. I think a lower angle would have made this more dramatic. From what I know, it is a pretty big yawn and you get a lot of time to compose. But I like your effort here,well done nonetheness, the detail is good and light is even. Hippos are dangerous, are they ?

[Ken Watkins]

Agree with Harshad on the crop.

The fact that the entireity of the jaw is not visible imakes ths a little ordinary IMHO.

Where was this taken?

[Dumay de Boulle]

WOW!!! What a image...The IQ is exceptional, DOF spot on and the exposure and colors are perfect...Great image Steve!

[RakeshDhareshwar]

Very well timed and exposure spot on !! The image is brilliant !