Monday in Nature, 18 November 2019

Basic Guidelines: In the strictest sense, nature photography should not include "hand of man elements". Please refrain from images with buildings or human made structures like roads, fences, walls. Pets are not permitted. Captive subjects in zoos, arboretums, or aquariums are permitted, but must be declared, and must focus on the subject, not the captivity. Images with obvious human made elements will likely be deleted from the thread, with an explanation to the photographer. Guidelines are based on PSA rules governing Nature photography which also cover the Nature Forum. Keep your image at/under 1000 pixels on the long axis for in-line viewing. Note that this includes photos hosted off-site at Flicker, Photobucket, your own site, etc.

Each member please post no more than just one image to this weekly thread per week.

Boiling mud hot spring in Yellowstone National Park. Freeze frame effect at 1/2000 second shutter speed.

How have you used the unique characteristics of photography to capture natural subjects that would otherwise not be fully perceptible to our human eyes? In such a case, is the photograph/image itself the "hand of man"?

This mountain lion jumped down and touched my back when I turned around. True story.

This mountain lion jumped down and touched my back when I turned around. True story.

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You shouldn't have said that. Now we need to know the rest of the story!!!

This mountain lion jumped down and touched my back when I turned around. True story.

Sounds like you were almost "Mary Done"!

Not the focus I was trying for but there is someyhing I like about it anyway.

Winter came early this year.

You shouldn't have said that. Now we need to know the rest of the story!!!

Sounds like you were almost "Mary Done"!

This mountain lion was zipping from tree to tree in a frenzy. After shooting the above image, I turned to my camera bag that was on the ground, that's when I felt a tap at my back and realized the mountain lion had jumped down from the branch. The trainer looked concerned but I was still alive. :D So by natural instinct, the mountain lion preyed on the smallest "animal". The other photographers - 5-6 guys - were much bigger than me.

Note: I just realized I forgot to declare this as a captive animal. Sorry!

Note: I just realized I forgot to declare this as a captive animal. Sorry!

You're forgiven, but now you don't get credit for stalking and photographing what is normally an extremely shy and reclusive critter.;) (In the interest of full disclosure, I admit I would have needed a change of underwear following such an experience!)

You're forgiven, but now you don't get credit for stalking and photographing what is normally an extremely shy and reclusive critter.;) (In the interest of full disclosure, I admit I would have needed a change of underwear following such an experience!)

Ok, so Mary wasn't alone in some forest with a mountain lion encounter and her life wasn't exactly in danger. :rolleyes:

Ok, so Mary wasn't alone in some forest with a mountain lion encounter and her life wasn't exactly in danger. :rolleyes:

Are you disappointed? :mad: Truthfully I am more concerned now when I am thinking back. It could be bad. But ya know photographers are crazy. Giant size wolves were coming so close sniffing my sneakers as I sat down with legs stretched out. I could see the trainer looking concerned.

This image was shot years ago. I don't enjoy shooting captive animals any more - surely would not care to make a trip to a game farm.

Are you disappointed?

Heavens, no! Relieved is more like it. And, perhaps, just a little jealous...

Heavens, no! Relieved is more like it. And, perhaps, just a little jealous...

Surely I was just joking. Looking back though, things could get out of hand. My mistake was turning my back to a wild animal while being the smallest one in the group. I saw this happen in real time at African safaris. The predators always prey on the smaller wildebeest, for example. I am pretty sure the mountain lion and I had pretty good eye-contact during the shooting.

Ok, so Mary wasn't alone in some forest with a mountain lion encounter and her life wasn't exactly in danger. :rolleyes:

Don't bet on being safe just because the cat was in captivity. There have been many trainers and keepers mauled and even kill by animals in captivity. Just remember kitty has five switchblades on every paw and some BIG teeth. And cats are quick.

So Mary, did you pat it back, scratch it behind the ears? <BIG GRIN>

BTW great picture, Mary, captivity or wild.

So Mary, did you pat it back, scratch it behind the ears?

:D It's actually pretty cute. I would love to pat all the wild animals - especially the lion and cheetah cubs, won't you? But think my dog would be jealous. :D

:D It's actually pretty cute. I would love to pat all the wild animals - especially the lion and cheetah cubs, won't you? But think my dog would be jealous. :D

Would you like to pet the bats I just posted?! They are pretty cute.

Don't bet on being safe just because the cat was in captivity. There have been many trainers and keepers mauled and even kill by animals in captivity. Just remember kitty has five switchblades on every paw and some BIG teeth. And cats are quick.

Around where I live, the San Francisco Bay Area, we have mountain lion sightings once in a while. Typically they are not big enough to attack adults. The main concern is that they may attack children or small domestic animals. Once there was sighting near a kindergarten and after a few days, animal control ended up killing that mountain lion just to be on the safe side, and that generated a lot of controversy.

With a group of photographers and trainers around, I am sure Mary wasn't in any serious danger, although she could have gotten some scratches. If that were an African lion, that would have been a very different situation.

When I was in Botswana in 2016, our tour guide (who was not from Botswana, but rather a neighboring country) told us that he is required to have firearm training, and in some countries the safari guides are required to carry a rifle, although not in Botswana (nor Kenya and Tanzania when we were there).

Around where I live, the San Francisco Bay Area, we have mountain lion sightings once in a while. Typically they are not big enough to attack adults. The main concern is that they may attack children or small domestic animals. Once there was sighting near a kindergarten and after a few days, animal control ended up killing that mountain lion just to be on the safe side, and that generated a lot of controversy.

Although fatal Mountain Lion attacks are few and far between (thank Goodness), but the number of attacks has been rising. Just because the attack was not fatal, does not mean serious injury was not inflicted. The attacks can be quite painful and the victim ends up with a hospital stay, but survives. I would not want to be that victim.

With a group of photographers and trainers around, I am sure Mary wasn't in any serious danger, although she could have gotten some scratches.

Some scratches? Your pet house cat can inflict "some scratches". Did you look at Mary's picture? Those are large claws and teeth, not African lion size, but capable of inflicting considerable damage. I wonder just how blasé you would be about it if you were on the receiving end of "some scratches" from a swipe from those claws and a bite or two from those teeth?

That animal deserves healthy respect for the damage it can cause. Do I think Mary was in mortal danger? Probably not. But the danger of severe injury should not be minimized or dismissed.