Raccoon Grin
Jun, 2016Views
409
Likes
Awards
Member Selection Award
Summer Selection
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
All Star
Absolute Masterpiece
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
Top 10 rank
Top 20 rankTop 30 rank week 2
Top 30 rankCategories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my backyard. The tree is directly over my dog, her food and water, and doghouse. I believe that raccoon thought he'd "hit the jackpot" when he selected my tree to camp in!Time
I was feeding my dog, in mid-afternoon, when she kept looking up into the tree. That's when I spotted this guy - and had to go get my camera! Of course, it also explained why my dog had been barking at night for a few nights running.Lighting
The sunlight was bright, so shooting at a subject up in a tree was pretty interesting. It took some patience to get the right angle and to adjust for the bright background. Fortunately, the raccoon cooperated. I think that was because I woke him from his nap. At any rate, I think the light added some interesting shadows and highlights to give the photo some "life."Equipment
As a long-time Pentax fan, I used my Pentax K-r and a Pentax 55-300mm telephoto lens. That allowed me to "get close" to the raccoon without spooking him. If I remember correctly, I used the flash on the camera to even out the lighting just a little. The actual distance to the subject meant that the flash would just "take the edge off" the darkness a touch. As you can see, shadows from the sunlight are still present.Inspiration
Sometimes I think I'm just a big kid. I love taking photos of animals. Living in a city, I'm limited on the opportunities to capture something like this in my own backyard. Since I'm disabled, I have a tougher-than-average time getting out and about on adventures. That makes something like this exciting to me. Fortunately, it took me a few days of short shooting sessions to thoroughly annoy this good-natured raccoon and run him off! (Obviously, I'm easily entertained!)Editing
I picked up an old copy of Adobe Create Suite 4 Design Premium a few years back. As an older adult, I can't say I'm a "wiz" at using it, but I've played around with it enough to do some essentials. After any shoot, I take the photos into PhotoShop to see if I really got anything. With this one, there weren't any major adjustments needed. I played a little with the contrast and saturation. Since I shoot large files, I always end up making smaller versions to use when I post to any site. With this photo, no cropping was needed.In my camera bag
When I got my K-r, I chose to get the 18-55mm and 55-300mm lenses with it. Those tend to be my "go-to" lenses since they cover a wide range of shooting. Back in the 1970's, when I first got my Pentax MX, I quickly devoured reading material that included the suggestion to always keep a UV filter on lenses. Those almost never get removed. More recently, I've been using a Pentax K-7 as my primary camera. Now, it's always in my bag - quick, quiet focus (unlike the K-r, which is slow as molasses). I'm also, now, packing some older Pentax lenses that I used with my MX. With image stabilization in the Pentax DSLR cameras, rather than the lenses, the old glass works very well. The ones I now carry are an f:1.4 50mm Pentax, an f:2.8 28mm Pentax, and a Sigma f:4 70-210mm. I also carry a variety of filters (3 different sizes), a cleaning kit, a couple extra batteries. It's rare for me to haul a tripod due to the extra weight.Feedback
I'd say the best advice is: patience. Around critters, patience, moving slowly, and being quiet are key. Back in days of yore, I was told that getting one good shot out of 20-36 (a roll of film, for the youngsters) was doing well as a photographer. As a result, I tend to be sure to shoot more frames than I should need, knowing I'll screw some of them up! Plus I've found that starting in one spot, shooting a few, and moving a little to shoot a few more (repeat as often as your interest holds) is a good technique. When I'm outside, with no control over "posing" a raccoon, moving or eliminating leaves, etc., a little change in position can make a world of difference.
