Leap of Faith
Mar, 2017Views
797
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Animals And Water Photo Contest
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Genius
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 20 rank
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1Top 10 rank week 1
Top 30 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This is at the small, but very popular Coot Lake in Boulder County, Colorado. It is especially popular with dog owners in the summer. I drive by it several times a week because it is very close to my home.Time
This photo was taken in the noon hour in March, so the sun wasn't directly overhead, but it was close.Lighting
I was sitting with my back to the south (and the sun) to get the nice reflection off the dog's wet coat.Equipment
I used a Sony Alpha 99ii with a Tamron 70-400mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II lens. I didn't have my tripod with me, so I was sitting on some rocks with my elbows on my knees to support the camera and lens. The bright sunshine helped me to take the photo using 1/2000 at F5.6 @ ISO 320. The lens was fully extended to 400mm.Inspiration
I was returning from a rather disappointing photo shoot and almost back home when I passed the lake and decided to stop. I had been at this location countless times previously, so I didn't have high hopes for anything new or exciting. There were a lot of people and dogs around, so I decided to sit down and see what developed. No sooner had I done that when a guy threw a retrieving dummy into the water and this chocolate lab jumped off the dock to get it. I wasn't quite prepared that time, but you can bet I was the next through. Shooting with continuous high speed (12 fps on the Sony), I captured a number of frames. This was the most interesting and technically correct.Editing
This shot has very little post processing. I boosted the whites, clarity, and vibrance just a tad and cropped it, but that is it.In my camera bag
I use Sony cameras since I started out with Minolta years ago and didn't want to buy all new lenses. I like zooms because most of my photography is with wildlife or sports. I have 2 Sony Alpha cameras (99ii and 77ii), 3 Tamron zooms (16-300mm, 70-400mm and 150-600mm) along with some smaller Sony/Minolta zooms (17-35mm, and 35-70mm).Feedback
Action photos like this one are all about being ready for the moment, with camera in hand and at the right settings. Continuous shooting and bright conditions help a lot when trying to get sharp photos. I also like using a rather long lens so that the background is out of focus to highlight the subject.
