Unlikely fishin' buddies

This shot is very nice,indeed!
Original view with nice light managing and good colour tones.A worthy picture for discussion.The atmosphere was shown as we as possible and I can fell the temperature very well.
These kind od shots need a great eye,also!
Best regards(Bobby).

What a moment in time, captured for everyone to marvel at! Even your background works well to make these animals the center of attention. Nothing I would do to change it - well done!

What a moment in time, captured for everyone to marvel at! Even your background works well to make these animals the center of attention. Nothing I would do to change it - well done!

WOW, amazing, incredible - the first three words that popped into my head when I saw this. This photo, and your portfolio, is outstanding and an inspiration to nature photographers. Well done!

Well, it's about stopping time & you had great timing here. Nicely done

Nice shot. For once in a long time a photo that is --- just that -- a photo and not some "artistic expression" that "challenges" the notion of photography. Nicely composed, timed, exposed. Just plain honest...not an exercise in HDR or excessive blurring or oversaturation.

Phineas - pretty much got it right. I really appreciate the photo and envy the photographer who got to see it develop first hand. The lighting was good. the subjects - well exquisite and Christopher was there to document it in fine fashion

Well done Christopher

Excellent shot!

Not much that I can add. Fantastic work on your part. Great fortune or forethought in being there at the right time. Some might consider this image as no more than a documentary image, however, there has been a bit of creativity thrown in. I particularly enjoy the angle of view. Strong work! Best regards...
-Dave

It is a documentary (or nature) shot and there's nothing wrong with that. It's got what it needs to be what it is. A doc or nature photo like this doesn't need to be compared to a different kind of photo (for instance, one that is meant to express what the photographer may feel in a much more non-literal way). This photo isn't better because it's not that. Another mode of photographing doesn't have to be put down in order for this one to stand on its own merits.

I strongly support the views put forward by Phineas and Lupo above. An honest photo, as it were. I also join the wow-crowd. A very good picture.

This image has many of the features of a great nature image. Chris has managed to find a very compelling subject that makes us ask questions and so tells a story....what are the animals doing, why are they so close to each other, will they fight over their prey?

The image is also clean and simple. The main subject is not confused or distracted from by other irrelevant image elements. The angle of view shows us just enough background to determine the context of the animals but not too much to confuse the eye.

We are also being shown a (somewhat) decisive moment. I would say though that this is the weakest element of this image. A quick look at Chris's portfolio, however, makes it clear that he has many images where the moment he has captured is truly exceptional.

The technique is also excellent. The subject is in sharp focus and the exposure and shadow/highlight areas are well controlled. The correct aperture has been chosen to achieve the overall result and very importantly, there is no obvious or self-evident post processing to diminish the authenticity of the image. Authenticity is also enhanced by the assurance of reality we get from the natural background.

There is little in terms of artistic interpretation here though. The image lacks mood because of this. But honestly, I think only the very, very best wildlife images achieve this lofty objective.

Not a "wildlife image of the year" because the moment is not quiet decisive enough and there is little artistic interpretation but given all the elements of a great nature image that are present here, it is a highly professional, superb wildlife image. Well done Chris! Best, JJ

Every once in awhile a natural nature shot turns up... What a great picture, just shows how mother nature will surprise you..Very nice picture, nice to see a photo not edited to the max..well done

I like the compostion, detail of the eyes and exspressions they have. They look all worn out.

What are the odds that the two subjects would be so close. In nature its not like you can pose them. I always hope for being there at the right time.

Bravo'

Nice. The posing, the execution, all works very well. This is a very well deserved pow!

I don't feel qualified to discuss the technical or/and artistic qualities of the photo, but I'm extremely intrigued by its naturalistic content. It is my understanding that the chances for a bear and a wolf to simply lie/sit close to each other, apparently without the one minding the other, are exceedingly slim. Could the Author please explain how this extraordinary photo came into being? Was the bear perhaps liying down, and than the wolf arrived and simply sat near to it?

Simply love it!

As with all wildlife images, timing plays a great factor and being able to capture the moment with accuracy and sharp detail is the only contribution the photographer has control over. Overall a stunning image! Well done!

My Compliments!

Brought a big smile on my face and besides this: what a rare photo capture for the expressive look of the two subjects.

....so the coyote says to himself, "I hope he didn't smell THAT one!"
Great photo! Being there is only half the job. Being aware is the other 90%!

wonderful capture, congratulations

Truly fantastic capture . . . wish it were mine.

I too wanted to know why seeming enemies sit side by side. This image compelled me to do some research about the coexistence of the bear and the fox in North America's national parks and it turns out that tolerating each other isn't all that uncommon (ref. Gary Brown, 1993 The Great Bear Almanac.)

Capturing this moment of peaceful coexistence , with both animals completely exhausted after a fishing outing, is probably very rare. I've never seen another image like this one.

Hats off to this brilliant photographer. Chris's blogs are most educational and I'm thinking of signing up for his newsletter.

Yay Elves!

Wonderful. The wolf looks starved. The bear looks...very large. And worn out. I wonder what's going on. I would keep my distance...
I went and looked at your site... and the owl pictures there...there are no words...I urge everyone to go and look.

Real life!!! Really great photo! With respect, Valentyn

I also like this photo a lot. I have no idea how common this scene is but since to me it is new it shows me an unexpected aspect of nature and also encourages me to think about the relationship between these two creatures both in a biological sense and in an anthropomorphic sense. The way the wolf is sitting relative to the bear reminds me of a mad semi-feral cat that we own who spends half her life trying to surreptitiously snuggle up to one of our huskies for warmth. Possibly a bit more interaction would be nice but it isn't strictly necessary.

I suppose I have a couple of thoughts on presentation. The dominant and not particularly attractive signature seriously detracts from the aesthetics of the image and seems like a bad idea from a commercial perspective. I notice that on Chris' website he doesn't do this so I guess he agrees. On my monitor the image is a bit murky with a slight colour cast and as a result lacks snap...when I pulled it into photoshop and corrected these issues it had a lot more pop and looked less like a photograph, more like a scene. Finally, the image is a bit uncontained - just a very very subtle vignette to hold my eye helps this as well.