At Peace in the Pond

[Gary_Minish]

This was a surprise in more ways than one. First of all, I was taking the dogs up to Thompson Pass for a hike and decided to bring my camera with the 100-400 lens which I almost never do because it’s clumsy for climbing cliffs with plus the likelihood of damaging it during the hike. On the drive to the pass I saw this moose in a pond near the highway. I pulled over to the shoulder & the dogs were pretty excited but I was able to keep them quiet as I grabbed the camera and started shooting. It was a very old cow moose that had apparently had a pretty tough life, based on the huge scar on her back and the puncture wound on her right rear leg. Then, as I was shooting photos of her, all of a sudden a calf walked into the frame and totally surprised me because it wasn’t in the pond when I started shooting! I don’t know if it’s appropriate to post 2 images in a critique post but the sequence helps tell the story. The first is what I saw when I arrived and the second was the surprise. BTW, I am quite impressed by this old cow moose! Not only has she obviously had a tough life but she was still producing healthy kids!

Specific Feedback Requested

Any feedback is always appreciated.

Technical Details

Sony a6500, FE100400GM @ 400 mm (600mm w/crop factor), ISO-400, f/5.6, hand held.

[linda_mellor]

Wow! I am totally impressed also, Gary! Such an amazing event to have been able to witness. Nicely done.

[Kris_Smith (Kristen M Smith)]

Oh man, the surprise baby is a real treat. And you are right about her being a tough old cow. A survivor for sure. How harrowing it must have been for her when she sustained those injuries. I haven’t seen moose in a while since they don’t come into Wisconsin all that often so it’s nice to see one again. I’m glad you had your camera on hand and I bet you are, too. I really like the mutual drinking poses and the opposite directions they are facing. Nice to see the different coat colors, too. Funny that baby moose aren’t spotted like their cousins.