doug herr Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 The north american Pika is a small mammal related to rabbits and hares which lives in talus slopes at high elevation in the western mountains:<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/mammals/talus.jpg"><P></CENTER>This particular pika was just east of Tioga Pass, outside Yosemite National Park. Pikas are found throughout the Sierra Nevada but the best photographic opportunities are on the eastern slope of the mountains. The western Sierra is a granite which is much brighter than the animal's fur, so correct exposure to get detail in the fur without washing out the granite is next to impossible. OTOH the eastern slope of the Sierra is metamorphic rock, much closer to the same tone as the Pika, so correct exposure is much easier. <BR><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/mammals/pika01.jpg"><BR><I>Leicaflex SL, 400mm f/6.8 Telyt with shoulder stock and monopod. Kodachrome 25</I></CENTER> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry_rory Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Thanks for the Pika info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas_moraitis Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 I love the portrait. It's as if the pika knew it was been photographed and posed for you. But is it hiding in the first photo :-) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralph_barker Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 I like the image, Douglas, but the narrative may be too short. Shouldn't there be six points to the Pika? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Aside from the nice composition (I'm also a believer that the Rule Of Thirds was meant to be broken) another theme of this photo is the protective adaptation of this critter to blend with its surroundings, color-wise. It is of course obvious from the rock, but the OOF areas reinforce the phenomenon. A true environmental portrait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman_mayersohn Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Brilliant, Douglas. What a true craftsman you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin m. Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Much as I like small furry critters, I clicked onto this thread thinking Douglas had taken a break from wildlife and posted pics of his Scandinavian girlfriend, instead. "Pika" sounds pretty exotic to me. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karl_georg_wolf Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Great shot again, Douglas. Thx for posting ! Best regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crackers_. Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Easterners have a different name for them. Long skinny tail? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christoph_frick1 Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Wonderful photo! After a long day behind the computer, working on boring stuff, this masterpiece now made me happy. Thank you very much, Douglas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markci Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 >>> Easterners have a different name for them. Long skinny tail? Uh, no. They aren't rats. They aren't even rodents. They're lagomorphs. OK, I'm tired of playing where's waldo. Is there or isn't there a pika in the first image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug herr Posted October 13, 2003 Author Share Posted October 13, 2003 <I>Is there or isn't there a pika in the first image.</I><P> Nope. I made this photo while waiting for the Pika to decide I was harmless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crackers_. Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 If it's small and it squeeks it's Buddy's breakfast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug herr Posted October 14, 2003 Author Share Posted October 14, 2003 Jay wrote: <I>another theme of this photo is the protective adaptation of this critter to blend with its surroundings, color-wise</I><P> Similarly I was surprised to see that pink plumage could blend into the surroundings:<BR> <CENTER> <IMG SRC="http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/brfi0.jpg"> <BR>Black Rosy Finch - Carbon County, Montana<BR> </CENTER> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spearhead Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Are they edible? That's all I care about. Music and Portraits Blog: Life in Portugal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTC Photography Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 Douglas, nice picture of Pika<p> Was the first picture taken with a second camera or the same Leicaflex with different lens ? I figure that it is not easy to change lens with long lens attached to monopod + shoulder stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug herr Posted October 15, 2003 Author Share Posted October 15, 2003 Martin, I used another camera body for the first photo. However it's not difficult to change lenses since I don't use a shutter release on the shoulder stock's grip. I tried that & hated the extra hassle of changing cable connections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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