B&W Humpback
Since the day was a little overcast with flat light, I decided to convert to black & white to see the difference. I like the impact the contrast gives the image...
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Since the day was a little overcast with flat light, I decided to convert to black & white to see the difference. I like the impact the contrast gives the image.
This humpback was seen in Mexico near Cabo San Lucas.
Read less
This humpback was seen in Mexico near Cabo San Lucas.
Read less
Mar, 2015Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Animals In Black And White Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in Wildlife in Black And White Photo Contest
Peer Award
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I captured this photo of a breaching humpback whale while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. We were on a sunset dinner cruise aboard the pirate ship, the Buccaneer Queen, when this whale started swimming alongside us, slapping his guns and breaching from time to time. We hadn't even seen this much action on our whale watching excursion.Time
This was taken at sunset on the Pacific Ocean. Since we were on a dinner cruise, I actually almost missed getting anything from the buffet. Photos of the whale were much more important to me. My boyfriend, thoughtfully, saved some for me to eat afterward.Lighting
I was fairly disappointed with the lighting as it was fairly hazy and not at the colourful time of the sunset. This is why I preferred this image in black and white.Equipment
At the time I had a Canon T2i body and a 55-250mm lens. I was certainly glad that I always had my camera with me no matter what the activity.Inspiration
Once we decided to vacation in Cabo, this photo was my ultimate goal. I love photographing wildlife and have always been inspired to capture these magnificent creatures. The graceful beauty of such a large mammal is awesome.Editing
The only post-processing was to convert to B&W, straighten the horizon and increase the contrast slightly.In my camera bag
I now pack with me a Canon 7D Mk II body, 28-300mm lens, and a tripod. It all fits quite nicely in my backpack as, being from Calgary, Alberta, I like to hike in the nearby Rocky Mountains. I try to pack as lightly as possible wherever I travel. I frequently travel to Arizona and am headed back to Mexico (Puerto Vallarta) and also Vancouver Island for my 2018 travels. Watch for photos!Feedback
Best advice I can give for capturing something similar is to have a fast shutter speed (at least 1/500) and use continuous shooting mode, with autofocus unless you are extremely quick with your manual focussing. The subtle changes in the fraction of a second are surprisingly great. The action of these large beasts is quite dramatic.
