Young Bull Elk
A young bull elk in Rocky Mtn NP Colorado with antlers in velvet.
A young bull elk in Rocky Mtn NP Colorado with antlers in velvet.
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Aug, 2016Views
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Awards
People's Choice in In Velvet Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
All Star
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
Emotions
Impressed
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Behind The Lens
Location
This elk was photographed in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, USA.Time
I captured this image just after 1 pm. It was the middle of August but an overcast day.Lighting
The natural lighting was nicely even due to the overcast skies even with the midday sun almost directly overhead.Equipment
This was shot handheld with no flash (like virtually all my images) with a Canon 5D and Canon EF100-400mm L IS lens.Inspiration
As primarily a wildlife photographer I am inspired by all creatures and the natural habitats in which they live. I grew up in the northeastern US so have familiarity with deer and moose but not elk so happily sought them out on this visit to RMNP. This young bull allowed us to get quite close and his velvety growing antlers were particularly photogenic.Editing
I cropped this frame quite a bit- about 25% of the original to really highlight his face and antlers. Otherwise I only made some subtle tone adjustments because I really like to limit post-processing alterations away from reality, and I removed one tiny white spot from the base of his antler.In my camera bag
When shooting wildlife I normally carry just my 5D- now a mkIII- and one telephoto zoom lens, either Canon 100-400 L or Tamron 150-600. Most days I prefer to be light but sometimes carry my old 5D as back-up. When I'm out to shoot wildlife I don't even bother to carry a wide angle lens as my pocket Canon Powershot G9 and even my Lumia phone can both shoot raw files. I do sometimes use my Canon EF 24-70 L lens for landscapes and close-ups and love my Slik tripod, but rarely have the opportunity to use it. I also toy with a circular polarizer sometimes but otherwise avoid filters.Feedback
As most wildlife photogs know, capturing the sparkle/subtle white spot/sky reflection in the eyes of animals can make a huge difference in how we visually connect with such images. It normally takes a little patience to choose the right moment to have both eye contact and that sparkle- if that effects is desired. I never use a flash when close to wildlife and highly discourage people from doing that- both for the false image it creates and more importantly because it often bothers wild animals, especially those with very sensitive eyes or that fear a gunshot flash.
