The Charge
The response to a new horse arriving at the Rock'nStar Ranch; everyone comes running to meet the newbie!
The response to a new horse arriving at the Rock'nStar Ranch; everyone comes running to meet the newbie!
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Mar, 2019Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in My Favorite Trip Photo Contest
Winner in ACTIVE ANIMALS Photo Challenge
Curator's Selection
Celebrity Award
Contest Finalist in Social Exposure Photo Contest Vol 21
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
Virtuoso
All Star
Genius
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Top 30 rankTop 30 rank week 2
Top 30 rank week 1
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken at one of my most cherished places on earth; the Rockin' Star Ranch, near Kamloops, BC, Canada. It's owned by an amazing couple who combine an active working ranch and a retirement/rescue facility for horses. The energy there is very interesting; some places are sublime, while others are so powerful it makes the hair stand up on your arms. There's a herd of feral horses as well, and the owners put out hay for them in the winter, which makes for great encounters like this one!Time
Shot mid-afternoon, but in winter the sun is quite low even at mid-day, hence the long shadows.Lighting
Outdoor shots in winter can be challenging because of the severe light variance. I got lucky with this one thanks to the dark background of the trees. I'd rather pull details out of the shadows than stare at half a frame of blown out highlights, so i tend to shoot at least 1 stop under-exposed, on days like this, i'll shoot 2 or 3 stops down.Equipment
As conditions can be harsh up there in winter, i hesitate to risk newer & expensive equipment, so my forays usually see me carrying my "John Deere camera", a Nikon D700. It sounds like a tractor, but it takes consistent images in some serious conditions; so it's my backup & my go-to when we're out riding. I only pack one lens when we're in the bush, almost always a 2.8 70-200 VR, but occasionally i'll use a 24-70; depends on the terrain & what i expect to see.Inspiration
My wife & i get up to the Rockin' Star quite often, but don't always have time to hang out, this particular day we were fortunate to have joined the owners for a ride around the property. Knowing we'd likely see the wild herd, i kept my camera close & ready, and the herd did not disappoint!Editing
Just compensation for the contrast between the snow & shadows (lowered highlights by 2 stops, raised shadows by 1 stop), cropping & watermarking. On looking at this image again, i would like to have taken the fence out in the background.In my camera bag
The back seat of my truck looks like a camera store run by a crazy old man. Because we travel so much & seldom know what we're going to encounter, i typically have 3-5 bodies, a dozen lenses, 2 tripods, rough weather gear, extra batteries & memory cards, an equatorial tracker, external power supply, lens heaters ...you get the idea! When i go out for a specific shoot I pack a lot lighter; when i know what i'll be shooting i'll just take a couple bodies with one lens on each.Feedback
As far as capturing wild animals on the move, i shoot manual & switch ISO to auto; that way i control my shutter speed & aperture, but can count on consistent exposures if the light changes. I knew that if we saw the herd they'd either be a mile or more away, or we'd surprise each other & they'd be moving fast. I wasn't looking for any more shots taken from afar, so i gambled on getting some action & set the shutter to 1/4000 at f4. I shoot at f4 a lot with than lens, because that's its "sweet spot", the setting where i get the best image. With the light being a bright i also knew i'd be safe & not lose too much to a noisy shot at some ridiculously high ISO, so that's why i chose auto for that setting. I seldom use a tripod when shooting wildlife; i'd rather bump the ISO up a few notches to maintain a shutter speed that will allow me to hand hold. The less gear, the wider the range of shots we're capable of; i've missed awesome shots from either setting up a tripod or being limited by it's movement. Just my opinion on setting up for wildlife shots ... once you've decided where you're going to go, don't get zoned; if you're going out to shoot eagles, look for traces of other animals. Most importantly, take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. Seriously, we're enjoying nature, make sure nature can enjoy us too.
