Raccoon Hibernating in Hollow Log
Taken with Nikon D5100 using AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4.5-5.6mm G lens. Enhanced and resized using onOne Perfect Photo Suite 8.5. I had to lay down in the snow a...
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Taken with Nikon D5100 using AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4.5-5.6mm G lens. Enhanced and resized using onOne Perfect Photo Suite 8.5. I had to lay down in the snow and use flash to get this shot.
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Jun, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I like to take walks over the hill near where I live just to enjoy nature and to see the wildlife there. Of course I always take my camera with me on these walks. This is a large tract of wooded area with lots of trails. Most of the time I forgo the trails and make my own path. This was a winter day with lots of snow on the ground and I noticed a set of small animal tracks that I started to follow. The tracks led to a hollow log where this raccoon was napping. I had to lay down in the snow to take the shot.Time
This was taken in the late afternoon in early January.Lighting
Being late in the afternoon in mid-winter, the sun was starting to go down. It was a clear day and snow on the ground so there was still good light. With the raccoon being inside a hollow log I still had to use flash to get this shot. I did not have my Speedlight SB-600 flash with me so I just used that camera's built-in flash.Equipment
This was an impromptu shot while hiking so I did not have any equipment with me other than my camera. The camera is a Nikon D5100.Inspiration
Most of my photographic subjects are wildlife and natural scenery. There really was not much inspiration to taking this shot other than wanting to capture this raccoon in an unlikely place.Editing
I enhanced the photo using onOne Perfect Photo Suite 8.5. I only adjusted for brightness and shadows and then resized.In my camera bag
Being retired and just an amateur photographer, I don't have a lot of expensive equipment. Nikon D5100 camera; AFS Nikkor 18-55 mm 1:3.5-5.6G lens; AFS Nikkor 70-300 mm 1:4.5-5.6G lens; Nikon Speedlight SB-600 flash; Nikon wireless remote control; Vista Explorer tripod; Altura neutral density filters (ND2, ND4, and ND8); Kodak circular polarizing and fluorescent filters; Kodak close up filters (+1, +2, +4, and +10). I also always keep Tiffen UV filters on my Nikkor lenses to protect them.Feedback
Don't leave home without your camera. You never know when an opportunity for a shot like this may arise. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have regretted not having my camera with me.
