Brown Bear on a Foggy Morning

Image Critiques Weekly Challenge
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bearalaskapeninsulabrown0823alaska551.jpg
bearalaskapeninsulabrown0823alaska551.jpg729×1024 240 KB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

Taken on the same morning as the other recent bear image I posted in the Wildlife gallery. This was a foggy morning, with no backgrounds, little color, and scant details available, even up close. Forced to look for “alternative” ways to photograph the few bears that were out clamming, I was toying with abstracts, intentional camera movement, and overexposures.

I purposely overexposed this shot to lessen the details even more. More washed out than I’d normally prefer—especially in a monochromatic presentation, where I typically prefer strong contrast in my tones—but it was more evocative of the opaque surroundings and ghostly conditions.

Technical Details

Canon R3
Canon 24-70mm
ISO 100
1/125th
f/3.5

3 Likes
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This is just great. The minimalistic approach fits perfectly. I like to overexpose too when there is no detail to be had and I think you can achieve very atmospheric photographs this way. The loneliness of the bear but also the distant threat - it is all there. Thanks for sharing.

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This is fantastic! The processing really helps finish the story that the composition started.

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Wonderful image, great story. Fading to high key at the top really emphasizes the bear as do the leading lines in the foreground. I feel the loneliness of this fore-lorn looking bear as it slowly moves toward extinction.

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Max, I think the transition from detail at the bottom to white at the top adds a lot to the sense of isolation. I might title this, “The lonely bear”. :wink:

1 Like