Eyes of Timber
Feb, 2016Views
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kdbeatty75
March 05, 2016
Thank you! There's a wolf preserve near us, and I love to go there as well. They are so regal. Thanks for looking and for your comments!
andrewsmith_1367
March 26, 2016
Superb photo, considering he's looking at you as though you would make a good meal!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at a wolf preserve fairly near my home. This preserve has rescued wolves in what are now four packs, each separated into their own "community" of several acres of woodlands separated from each pack by fencing. I've had an opportunity to photograph them several times, and each time I'm enriched by these beautiful animals!Time
This particular image was in early morning, shortly after daybreak. It was in the fall, unfortunately a bit of an overcast day.Lighting
The eyes of these animals are nothing less than captivating--the intelligence, for sure, but they are absolutely soulful. If you believe the saying that the eyes are windows to the soul, I do believe that is the case with wolves. Wolves in a pack are a family, and you can see differences in their eyes when they look at another member of their pack compared to when they look at us. They are remarkably different from dogs. I watch my dogs when they sniff the ground, and their eyes are down towards the ground. Wolves always have their eyes up, on the alert, even when sniffing the ground. Since it was fall, there were colorful leaves around, but on this one I zoomed into the eyes. As you can see, he was staring directly into my lens.Equipment
Canon 7D Mk2, with a Tamron 18-400mm f3.5-6.3 zoom lens. No other equipment.Inspiration
I'm fascinated by wolves--how they live, how they interact with one another, their impact on the environment, and, let's face it, the bad and undeserved rap that they get. Some people think they kill for sport, but they don't. It's a tragedy that they are endangered and that we can't seem to overcome the stigma. Added to the fact that these people have created a preserve to rescue them so that they're not killed, or having someone try to keep them as pets, and they are all the more magical. I wanted to try to communicate how beautiful they are, and not be seen as violent killers.Editing
Very little post. In Photoshop, I did just a touch to bring up lighting, but the animal itself is basically as I saw him.In my camera bag
My camera, of course, is always in my hand. This 18-400 Tamron lens is my go-to, but I often also use a Tamron 150-600mm longer zoom so that I can stand off even further. I'm lucky enough that, at this preserve, I can get close enough with the shorter lens. I also often have a Canon 50 mm f1.4 in my bag if the wolves are very close in order to really get the bokeh that I really like. I'm not a professional photographer, so I don't usually carry extra bodies or a wide array of lenses.Feedback
If you're lucky enough to go to a preserve where the animals are more accessible, I've found it's far better than a zoo where you're likely shooting through a chain link fence. Although I've never had the opportunity to photograph them in the wild, I would love to do that, though the environment is such that to get a shot like this you'd need a long lens and tripod or monopod. Although I was zoomed to the eyes here--and that's my favorite--they are beautiful animals, so I have lots of full-body shots as well. Study a bit about wolves before you go, and you'll have a deeper understanding of their role in the environment, and I'd say that's true of any wild animals you want to photograph if you're not so lucky as to have access to the wolves.
