candiceeaton

Cruz dreams of the wild

The mountain lion at the Sonoran desert museum compoisited into the wilds of tucson AZ.

The mountain lion at the Sonoran desert museum compoisited into the wilds of tucson AZ.
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Jun, 2017

Views

2274

Likes

+620

Awards

Action Award

Chatter Award

Zenith Award

Top Shot Award 21

Legendary Award

Peer Choice Award

Featured

Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 23

Peer Award

+330

Absolute Masterpiece

+48

Top Choice

+28

Superb Composition

+27

Magnificent Capture

+24

Outstanding Creativity

+15

Superior Skill

All Star

Virtuoso

Emotions

Impressed

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Categories

PRO+

Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique.

PRO+

Absolutely love it. One of the best photos I have ever seen.

I replied somewhere, I thought. Tha ks for the super awesome compliment.

Love it

Thanks!

Ultimate

Beautiful shot

Thanks so much

Outstanding shot...

Love this photo!

Wow where was this ?

Fantastic image!

Amazing!

Platinum

I love the lion, thought at first that it was a real wildlife capture. Mountain lions today, all across the western US--including the Tucson area--are losing their wild habitat. Some to to urban expansion, some to mining, power line installation, and other human causes. We must begin to preserve wild lands so that creatures such as mountain lions, mountain sheep, foxes, and other species can continue to live.

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Behind The Lens

Location

The mountain lionn was photographed at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. The backgrpund was shot nearby at gates pass.

Time

Both were shot in the morning between 8 and 9am on seperate days.

Lighting

I arrived at the desert museum around opening time, 730am, to get shots of the mountain lion while he was out and moving around, this ensured that I was getting less harsh light. After I decided to composite in a background I went to the same area around the same time of day and shot in the same direction so that i could get get the same quality and directionality of light.

Equipment

Nikon d7000 with a 70-300 nikkor lens.

Inspiration

I was inspired to take this photo by a call for entry for an art competition at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. The competition theme was the mountain lion. After shooting him in captivity, I decided to create an image that appeared as if he was in the wild.

Editing

This is a composite image. Both images were taken by myself, near Tucson AZ. I then combined the two using photoshop. This is probably the 10th itteration of this image, as I am not quite a pro at photoshop, it still takes me time to create composites on this scale.

In my camera bag

I usually try to travel light. I select the gear that I think I need for what I plan on shooting. This keeps me from carting a 30lb bag eveywhere and causes me to get creative when inevitably realize i want something that I dont have.

Feedback

The best advice I could give is to have a plan, but be flexible and ready to abandon that plan at a moment's notice. Being committed to an idea is one thing, being so commited as to become inflexible and miss a great opportunity for something else is a detriment to creativity. Some of the greatest inventions thay we enjoy were accidents that someone recognized as a success. Genuis isn't coming up with and executing a perfect plan, it is being able to recognize the opportunity in the unexpected. I had a plan for this shoot, and got half of what I hoped for. I realized i had a good shot, that with a little work and some creativity cpuld be great.

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candiceeaton

candiceeaton

Cruz dreams of the wild

The mountain lion at the Sonoran desert museum compoisited into the wilds of tucson AZ.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow candiceeaton

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