The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical
About This Image
It feels good to be done with trips for the year. I was gone most of September, and have some catching up to do on processing from my latest adventures. In the meantime, here’s another shot from my Alaska visit in July.
There were bears everywhere in Katmai, but for me the red sockeye salmon were the true stars of the show. The bright red coloration was a welcome addition to the mix of browns and greens. And when the bears aren’t cooperating, the fish are a worthy “backup” option. In this case, we had a bear that was fishing pretty efficiently, standing along the shoreline until a salmon swam directly beneath it… then it would simply plop into the water to nab its victim. This isn’t a particularly dynamic or photogenic action, so as photographers we had to look for alternatives to keep ourselves entertained.
I suggested to my group that they consider focusing on fish instead. Not the easiest task, as they didn’t peek above the surface all that often, but this was one frame that worked out for me. The bonus, of course, is that the falling rain added some much-needed texture to the background.
Technical Details
Camera: Canon EOS R3
Lens: RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Focal length: 428mm
Shutter speed: 1/2500s
Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 3200
This image is very well composed, has nice detail in the sockeye salmon and great depth created by having the grizzly blurred in the background. The salmon really makes the image and it’s bright red color really contrasts nicely with the browns and greens in the background. Well done!
A great story as mentioned above, Max. the color of the salmon is so intense that he eye is immediately drawn to it and the bear has just enough definition to be a secondary point that pulls the viewer’s eye to the back of the frame. I could see a slightly looser composition if you have more canvas on the edges.
Marylynne, I’m glad you picked up on that. Though the fish was really beyond the bear’s scope of attention, it definitely hints at “the one that got away.”
Hi Max, I agree with all of the above, I love the story this photo tells. My eye is immediately drawn to the red salmon and there is enough highlights on the bear to bring my attention to it. It feels like I have my waders on and I’m right there in the river with you. Well done!!
