I spotted this long-tailed weasel–we just refer to them as “ermine” when they’re in their white winter coats, though I know this is different from European weasel naming conventions since Ermine refers to a specific species across the pond–while driving along a road in Yellowstone several years ago. I hopped out of the car and was able to snap a few shots before it disappeared.
Hand-holding a big lens, I was intent on using a fast shutter speed, but sort of went overboard with that. What I should have done was stopped down to get more depth of field. Even with a small subject like this, my close proximity led to several shots in which the entire face wasn’t sharp. Oops.
Canon 1DX
Canon 500mm
ISO 800
1/3200th
f/4
(Hand-held)
Max, he is a real cutie. I am so enjoying the white on white that you captured ever so well. The details are good where you need them. I’m totally okay with the snow behind him being out of focus. I think shooting that shutter speed guaranteed a sharp focus with that size of lens being handheld. I am trying to learn to up the shutter speed enough on my first few shots (burst) to ensure that I do in fact have a sharp image and deal with noise late if necessary. With your image all white, I’m sure you had plenty of light, and so noise wasn’t an issue, and to me I don’t think DOF was either. I would be just thrilled to bring home this image on my memory card!
Great capture and perfect for the challenge, Max! These little guys move very quickly so I think you made the right choice to go for the shutter speed. It has the focus in the right place and plenty of nice detail. Good job with the exposure plus the centered composition works well because it’s looking directly at you. Very nice!
