Mane Flying
This powerful stallion is one of the wild horses that live on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Western Alberta. Here, he has suddenly detected a pos...
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This powerful stallion is one of the wild horses that live on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Western Alberta. Here, he has suddenly detected a possible threat to his small band and is fearlessly galloping over to investigate.
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Jan, 2017Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
There are around 1000 wild (or as our government calls them, Feral horses) scattered around the forested wilds of western Alberta. They forage in old cut blocks, pipeline corridors and road right-of-ways.Time
This shot was taken around mid afternoon.Lighting
Bright but cloudy days like this one are best for me to use for wildlife photography.Equipment
At this time I was using my Nikon D-300s with an 80-400mm lens. This combo needs bright light in order to get the shutter speed high enough to freeze motion.Inspiration
I often spend time wandering the wilds looking for wildlife and on this day spotted a small band of horses grazing in a cut block about a mile off the road. I made the stalk carefully, staying out of sight until within about 75 yards. I sat down on a log and let the band wander into sight. When this stallion spotted me sitting there, he blew a loud warning and came trotting toward me ready to protect his band. As I shot them I tried to remain calm and non-threatening. The horses watched me carefully as I spent the next couple hours with them as they grazed and went about their normal business. This stallion never took his eyes off me as he wandered along, always between me and his band. It was a beautiful day.Editing
I do very little post processing beyond a bit of clarity and colour adjustments. I use Elements to do this.In my camera bag
In my bag I carry a wide angle telephoto, a set of expansion tubes for closeup macro, cleaning cloths, a plastic bag for rain protection, a polarizing filter as well as a bit of survival gear for myself. I have also got bear spray handy in case of over aggressive wildlife.Feedback
To capture any wildlife, I have to get off my couch and spend time where they are. The more time I spend out there the more opportunities I seem to get.
