Whale face
Sep, 2012Views
3795
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Awards
Contest Finalist in The Marine Wildlife Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Large Mammals Photo Contest
Featured
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Jaw Dropping
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
Exceptional Contrast
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank week 1
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Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
jenbmama
January 29, 2013
this is really awesome! not too often you get a close-up view of a whale's fascinating maw!
Platinum
willyd
June 06, 2013
What can I say but wow! you nailed the shot while having an incredable experience. well done.
Platinum
PRO+
Platinum
PRO+
Platinum
PRO+
Platinum
RavenHawk58
June 29, 2016
OUTSTANDING SHOT. You can even see the Baleen in its mouth. Like all the info too!
RavenHawk58
December 07, 2016
Every time I see this, which I go through my inspiration. I just smile. What a capture, What detail. Outstanding shot.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This humpback whale was taken at the end of April near the Stellwagen Bank. I was on a whale watch tour off the coast of Gloucester Massachusetts.Time
Approximately 2:00 in the afternoon.Lighting
It was a beautiful sunny day so Mother Nature provided the perfect lighting!Equipment
I used my Canon EOS 20D hand held. I find a tripod too hampering on a moving boat. No flash was necessary. I used my best telephone zoom lens - the 100-400mm to get a tight shot.Inspiration
Humpback whales are a photographer's dream! They move slow enough to enable a few clean shots when they surface. Normally you get photos of their backs and tail flukes but this day was fantastic as we had a few females surfacing close to the boat. I wanted to get a face shot as they're rarely seen. This photo was great in showing the baleen that filters the tiny krill they filter through the water. It gave the whale the appearance of a "smile." It also showed her tubercles (hair follicles) and the rings where barnacles once attached.Editing
I cropped a little bit as the original photo was not properly centered. Having a large/heavy lens on a moving boat while panning a swimming whale does not always lend itself to a perfectly centered shot!In my camera bag
Today I carry two SLR's, my Canon 70D and SL1. I have a variety of zoom lenses and a couple of S lenses for landscapes. I also have a Speedlight 580EX flash and several filters. I never leave the house without a camera no matter what so if I am just going to work or someplace one would not bring a big camera bag, I will have a point and shoot handy. I have a PowerShot 260 SX and an ELPH. I've taken some awesome photos with these little cameras and have been able to blow them up too. Never leave home without a camera!!!Feedback
For any moving object, it helps to have familiar equipment on hand. It helps when you can change settings by feeling rather than trying to look. When on a boat, you will find the rocking increases when the boat slows or stops for any reason so the motion will be hard to combat. Feel the motion and try to go with it. Put your feet a little wider apart than normal and use the railings to lean on with your body. Set the camera on a fast setting and try to be 2 seconds ahead of your subject. If you see the whale starting to surface, lock focus and then position the frame where you think the whale will go. It is not always easy but keep clicking away!
