Moose

[Irie Times]

Please give thoughts and Ideas for improvement of this photograph, I shot this the other day while on a hike in the mountains. The bush in front is a bit distracting but this guy was big and I didn't want to get any closer. I thought I was aready to close for comfort.

As always thanks for the tips.

[bobbythebandit]

Just standing there he does not look very interesting to me.You could have waited till he charged at you then it would be very exciting !! lol. Cant think of any way you could make this better,
Bobby

[dangoettel]

if you made the bushes in front a little darker, they might be less distracting and fit in with the rest of the shot more. it must have been a thrill to see that moose!

[Old Timer]

It's great just to be in a area where you have the opportunity to get such a picture. You are faced with a challenge that I have been confronted with and have more times than not come up short. The moose is dark and sucks up light like crazy and the forground and back ground are light and tend to blow out and become a distraction. Exposing for the highlights would cause your main subject and the reason for the shot to go to dark. What do you do? If I had the answer I wouldn't be selling insurance but taking pictures full time. Under the circumstances I think you made a very nice photograph.

[Irie Times]

bobbythebandit: I agree it would have made a more interesting picture if he was charging at me; However, I would probably never had the chance to look at it. lol

dangoettel: It was a thrill to see this moose, I saw a large fox also but was not fast enought to get into a good position or the proper set up put together to get a shot.

Old Timer: You are 100% right about the exposure, I took a number of pictures and they where either under or over exposed depending on which part of the area I was metering. I too would be in a different profession if I could figure that out.

Thanks for all of the comments.

[paulnj]

the answer to how you could have made it better is tricky ;)

for this image posted..... fill flash at -.3ev would bring out detail in the fur and -.3 ev in camera would darken the surroundings. getting higher would eliminate the foreground foliage. waiting for HIM to turn his head towards you slightly would produce a more pleasing image also.

but.....

I WOULD SMILE EAR TO EAR IF THIS WAS MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Old Timer]

the answer to how you could have made it better is tricky ;)

for this image posted..... fill flash at -.3ev would bring out detail in the fur and -.3 ev in camera would darken the surroundings. getting higher would eliminate the foreground foliage. waiting for HIM to turn his head towards you slightly would produce a more pleasing image also.

but.....

I WOULD SMILE EAR TO EAR IF THIS WAS MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good advice Paul. I never seem to get that fill flash adjusted right and end up with an unnatural looking scene.

[paulnj]

BTW..... -.3 on the camera AND flash is what I meant ;)

SHHHH.... I shoot nature when I shoot, not that I'm the authority on it though ;)

[Irie Times]

For the reply, I have been away from the computer for a few days so I have been unable to reply. First of all thanks for the tips on using a fill flash, I wish I would have used one in Hein sight. However, I have one question and it may be a dumb one. Does going to -3 ev trick the camera into thinking it is darker than it is? If so is that why the effect is darkening the surrounding vegetation while highlighting the moose for example?

Thanks

[paulnj]

For the reply, I have been away from the computer for a few days so I have been unable to reply. First of all thanks for the tips on using a fill flash, I wish I would have used one in Hein sight. However, I have one question and it may be a dumb one. Does going to -3 ev trick the camera into thinking it is darker than it is? If so is that why the effect is darkening the surrounding vegetation while highlighting the moose for example?

Thanks

by dialing in -.3ev(1/3 stop UNDER EXPOSURE) YOU are actually darkening the sceen as a whole AND fill flash at -.3ev would give the moose a slight pop of light to give detail in the fur and open the shadows.

my suggestion is based on a TYPICAL distance of say 30 feet with a HIGH powered flash that will NOT have light fall off TOO BADLY at that distance.

IF the moose was 15 feet away...... -1ev on the flash and +1ev in camera because the dark fur would have NO DETAIL with MATRIX/EVALUATIVE (meter the whole sceen)type metering

all the rules for exposure say the sceen needs OVER EXPOSURE to render the moose with detail, BUT I suggest under exposing and using the FLASH to give the DETAIL to the moose ;)

[Irie Times]

Thanks for explaining that to me, I will play with that flash technique this weekend.

[paulnj]

HONESTLY....... private message me with your gear and I will further help you if you'd like ;)

flash is VERY hard to master with EVER CHANGING natural light, I feel I have about 70% of the knowledge I need to MASTER it...... which ISN'T ENOUGH

ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU that flash IN NATURE(not a studio, which is hard too beyond the basics) is easy to master is FULL OF ...........

[ckozo]

hummm...next time....if your close enough, use flash to better expose the moose and p*ss him off so that he looks at you at the time of shooting for a good head shot. hope he doen't charge at you for frightening him with the flash and then go home and digitally adjust the over exposed background.

(ps.... i'm mostly kidding.. good shot. wildlife is tough. they don't wait around until you get it 'right'.)

[Sebastian]

hummm...next time....if your close enough, use flash to better expose the moose and p*ss him off so that he looks at you at the time of shooting for a good head shot. hope he doen't charge at you for frightening him with the flash and then go home and digitally adjust the over exposed background.

(ps.... i'm mostly kidding.. good shot. wildlife is tough. they don't wait around until you get it 'right'.)

Flash has been used in wildlife photography for what seems like eons. They don't even notice it.