The Matriarch
Starting July 12, 2021, about 350 of the 500 horses on the Onaqui Mountain Range will be rounded up by helicopter. Some will be caged, some will be adopted, and...
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Starting July 12, 2021, about 350 of the 500 horses on the Onaqui Mountain Range will be rounded up by helicopter. Some will be caged, some will be adopted, and some may likely be killed. Families and friendships will be separated forever.
As the sun sets on this mare tonight, so it sets on the lives of all those she loves.
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As the sun sets on this mare tonight, so it sets on the lives of all those she loves.
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Jul, 2021Views
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Awards
Top Shot Award 22
Judge Favorite
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Top Choice
Virtuoso
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Behind The Lens
Location
This picture was taken just a few short weeks before the helicopters came in and rounded up over 50% of the free-roaming mustangs in Utah's West Desert.Time
Well obviously this was taken right as the sun went down below the horizon. I had been waiting for this moment for some time. I'm not an enormous fan of silhouettes but this was just too good an opportunity to pass up.Lighting
It is so easy to blow out this picture with the lighting directly into the lens. You have to keep your ISO fairly low and your aperture high (this was shot at f11) so you can keep your shutter speed fast enough that you don't get any motion blur.Equipment
Canon 80D, handheld, Tamron 70-200mm zoomed all the way out.Inspiration
This particular pic was taken near a popular watering hole for a couple hundred mustangs. They all live in smaller bands run by a lead stallion. These bands come in at different times to avoid overcrowding and conflict. On this particular shot, the lead mare came running in with her band of about 25-30 horses with her alpha Stallion pulling up the rear making sure they all got to drink. The lead mare watched over the valley while all the other horses drank - even the stallion. Only when they all had their fill did she finally drop her guard and go to water. Then she rushed off to join her band as the next group came thundering in. This shot was that lead mare watching over the valley to protect her family. She kept a particularly close eye on me during this time as I was only about 50-60 yards away crouched down behind the tiniest little desert sage. This is why I titled the shot "The Matriarch"Editing
I typically edit a lot in my photos but this particular shot needed almost zero editing. I think I just added the slightest contrast and brought the highlights down to accentuate the clouds a little.In my camera bag
I'm cheap! Right now my bag consists of a Canon 80D, a 50mm prime f1.8 "nifty fifty", a Rokinon prime 14mm f2.8 for landscapes and astrophotography, and my Tamron 70-200 f2.8 for the wildlife I can sneak up on. Those massive 24" long 600mm zoom lenses are pricey I tell ya! Beyond that I always have with me two extra batteries, two extra memory cards, a headlamp, a tripod, and my little sidekick pug Louie.Feedback
Learn to shoot in manual mode!!! You have so much more control of everything your camera can do once you learn this. Other than that it's all about getting out to capture the experience. When you learn to master your camera and you go out on photo adventures, the whole world will change right before your eyes.
