I have many animal photos that I'd love to enter into the fauna challenge, but they were taken a few weeks ago. All I can find this week are squirrels and ducks and I much prefer Sifaka's and Polar Bears so I thought I'd let you all have a look and find out how I would do if I was lucky enough to shoot these during the challenge week. Suggestions are also encouraged, of course!
The polar bear is very cool - great B&W subject and much more appealing than the usual mucky yellow colour :) The multi-layers in the foreground work well too
hey, why don't my pictures work? they worked right after I posted... anyone with photos on pbase have any idea how to get such things going, I've been having trouble.
The polar bear photo is the more appealing of the two. The monkey is well taken, but I like the bear better. (Gordon said it best)
While I do take zoo photos, as fauna...it's a little like the example of the flora studio thing. Try as the zoo people may, it's still very unnatural, slightly pitiful and often not the best settings for photos. (Sort of like taking "candid" shots of jail inmates) I guess I'd rather see a squirrel in a park or a rat in garbage can, at least it's closer to "natural".
That 's a nice polar bear, might have rated it an 8. Esp. good since it was shot with iso 400. The lemur is great, too. The cane brings out the color of his eye well. Very clear for 1/30th. I think I like the lemur best, but really love deep rich colors not found in the b.w.
I love the colours in the picture of the lemur (monkey, sloth, or whatever that is) too. Very vivid. Too bad some detail is lost in it's brown body. Or maybe that's just my dim monitor here at work. Polar bear is very cute. B&W makes it look less dirty.
The polar bear seems lost and forlorn for being among all the rocks and concrete - where's the ice? Poor guy. A tighter shot of the bear might have captured that more. I like the B&W and graininess.
The lemur does pop out on the screen.
Good job - maybe I'm off to the zoo today.
Dennis
The polar bear seems lost and forlorn for being among all the rocks and concrete - where's the ice? Poor guy. A tighter shot of the bear might have captured that more. I like the B&W and graininess.
The lemur does pop out on the screen.
Good job - maybe I'm off to the zoo today.
Dennis
I actually liked that it wasn't a really tight, close-up shot or crop of the bear - it showed the environment that it has to live in and conveys some of the depressing features of zoo life.
I am not a fan of captive animal shots!Maybe you should be in a cage an he taking a picture of you!
But it shows the reality of being in a zoo, rather than trying to hide all of the zoo environment and make a pretence at it being in the wild. In that respect I like it because it is a more honest treatment of the subject. I find zoos a depressing reflection on humanity as they are necessary for a large majority of the animals within them, just to try and preserve the specie. Showing them as they are, rather than as we would maybe like them to be, yet in a creative and technically well done way is interesting.
It is easy to appreciate a photograph of something beautiful, good pictures of ugly subjects are often just as interesting.
For a different perspective on zoos and captive animals (and for anyone who loves animals) I'd highly suggest picking up the latest Booker prize novel 'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel. I read it a few months ago, and it was an absolutely fantastic story.
My reaction: Once on the site, I started looking through the 'NEXT' shots.
My favorite was the hippo - nice detail there.
Kids love peacocks - I would have grabbed the brat and given him a good talking to. He should be taught not to disturb wild animals.
I appologize for the snarky comments!All animals are Gods creatures to me and we tend to be the abusers! Some zoos try to give the animals a more natural and larger habitat. I can live with that but the old ones with large animals in tiny cages just get me pissed!Having spent time in Asia when I was much younger I got used to seeing monkeys stuck in cages that they could barely turn around in!Reality sucks at times!
I appologize for the snarky comments!All animals are Gods creatures to me and we tend to be the abusers! Some zoos try to give the animals a more natural and larger habitat. I can live with that but the old ones with large animals in tiny cages just get me pissed!Having spent time in Asia when I was much younger I got used to seeing monkeys stuck in cages that they could barely turn around in!Reality sucks at times!
Hey Dim7, don't worry about the comments. I completely agree. And although it seemed a bit like you were attacking my pictures, I know you weren't. I think they are good pictures, but I also hate to see the conditions the animals live it. At the same time, though, at least we're starting to try to save endangered species. If you look at my picture for the symmetry challenge LIFE and my picture for the yellow challenge, Almost Gone, you'll see how I feel about the subject.
Hey JasonPR, that Almost Gone is one of my favorite images on the whole site. It's a masterpiece! A masterpiece I tell you! Please let it go to your head so you can put out more images like that!
Hey JasonPR, that Almost Gone is one of my favorite images on the whole site. It's a masterpiece! A masterpiece I tell you! Please let it go to your head so you can put out more images like that!
I appologize for the snarky comments!All animals are Gods creatures to me and we tend to be the abusers! Some zoos try to give the animals a more natural and larger habitat. I can live with that but the old ones with large animals in tiny cages just get me pissed!Having spent time in Asia when I was much younger I got used to seeing monkeys stuck in cages that they could barely turn around in!Reality sucks at times!
Hey Dim7, don't worry about the comments. I completely agree. And although it seemed a bit like you were attacking my pictures, I know you weren't. I think they are good pictures, but I also hate to see the conditions the animals live it. At the same time, though, at least we're starting to try to save endangered species. If you look at my picture for the symmetry challenge LIFE and my picture for the yellow challenge, Almost Gone, you'll see how I feel about the subject.
Those are great pictures!I definetly am not attacking your pictures. They do show amazing talent!I am fortunate enough to live in an area where all kinds of wildlife is visible if you look,most people don`t!Wild- Eagles,Turkey vultures,Owls, turkeys, Deer ,black bear,pocupines,wolves,fox! I have seen all of these in the country side in the last year unfortunatly I do not travel with my camera at all times! One day I will get a DSLR and a 400mm lense to better capture what is around me.
