doug herr Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 I found this guy in Yosemite Valley a couple weeks ago:<P> <CENTER> <IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/mammals/coyote2.jpg"> <BR> <B>Coyote</B><BR> <I>Leicaflex SL, 560mm f/6.8 Telyt</I> </CENTER> <P>Comments always welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray . Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Terrific! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis1 Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Doug, did you ask his permission to post it on the net? ;) yadaman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chansonbleu Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Well done! You really captured the character of a very interesting species. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralph_barker Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Love it! You can almost see the gears moving in the coyote's head - "Is that lunch over there?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Doug with your uncanny ability to capture the decisive moment with wildlife you might think about getting an R8, just for the ability to use TTL flash with a fresnel extender. In this case it would have permitted evening up the contrast just a hair, and putting a catchlight in the eye (though you could do both in PS undoubtedly). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 The flash would guarantee no second chance. There IS a catch light in the eye, on the side where it belongs, considering the light direction. Maybe he should have invited the subject into the studio and had the stylist brush the unruley hair? It's a nice shot as is, no fake photo shop manipulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richie chishty Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Doug: Perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leica_phil Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Doug, As always, it's a great shot. But you knew that already didn't you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 On my screen there is no catch-light in the eye; where the left eye should be is almost black and everything from there on is totally black; the white fur on the muzzle is blown out, no detail at all. Perhaps this is the fault of my monitor. My comment re: teleflash was based on what I'm seeing. Using the flash would have brought up some detail on the animal's left side but still left it in shadow; concurrently it would have allowed about 1/3-1/2-stop less exposure overall which would have brought up more detail in the white fur. The catchlight was just a bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec1 Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 I was disappointed. I expected to see PAWS! All I see are EARS. Another case of misrepresentation. <G> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_fang Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 I disagree with Jay - the picture is fine. A catchlight would make this just another textbook/taxonomy shot. The contrast gives drama to this portrait, the highlights and shadows are well-balanced at least on my monitor, and I think it's perfect the way it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_jones2 Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Doug, another great shot just as it is. The sunlight on the one side makes the shot. I agree with those that say it doesn't have that fake look. There's a lot of life left in those sturdy old SL's! Not bad for a manual focus, click stop lens!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art waldschmidt Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 A great *portrait* ..... really seems to capture the spirit of the creature! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug herr Posted February 8, 2003 Author Share Posted February 8, 2003 <I>I was disappointed. I expected to see PAWS! All I see are EARS.</I><P>How about this one? The paws are <I>almost</I> there - I bet if I take the slide out of the cardboard mount I'll find some.<P><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/mammals/coyote1.jpg"></CENTER><P> I'd like to than everyone including Jay for all the comments. The fill flash Jay suggests has become standard technique for wildlife in highly directional light such as this, and with good reason: it evens out the light to bring out more of the shadow detail, and if done correctly doesn't look too clinical. I'm resisting standard technique though 'cuz I don't want my photos to look like everyone else's. I also don't feel that a catchlight in the eye is nessesary. Standard Technique requires it, but the whole purpose of the catchlight is to make a point of high contrast, which the viewer's eye will be drawn to. I agree that it's important to draw the viewer's attention to the animal's eyes but there are lots of ways to do this, with color, sharpness, tone, shapes and forms and probably other ways I can't think of at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_chananie Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Exquisite as usual. Seeing the quality of your work here and on your site convinced me to get a Leicaflex SL to get the distance with Leica glass. It just arrived, and I'll send it off for its cla. Who knows, maybe someday I'll be able to get one of those long lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralph_barker Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Douglas - I agree with you on the non-use of fill flash for wildlife. While I can appreciate the added luminance-range control, all too often the images appear to be too perfect, and thus staged with hired professional critters. All of your exposures that I've seen here are dead on, and seem far more natural to me. Keep bucking the trend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olivier_reichenbach Posted February 9, 2003 Share Posted February 9, 2003 Jay, it IS your monitor. I can see everything on mine, even in the darkest areas. Beautiful, Doug. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug_landrum Posted February 10, 2003 Share Posted February 10, 2003 Great shot Doug. Did you use a tripod? I suspect that you did not from your prior writings about your methods. As a sometimes user of a 400mm Telyt, I am amazed by your results. Even using the 560, you must have been very close to this Wylie Coyote. Thanks for posting, Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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