As I was driving through the Lamar Valley during winter in Yellowstone NP I noticed this male Bison in a snow covered field. I stopped to take a look, and while maintaining a respectable distance I made direct eye contact with this incredible wild beast. It’s moments like this that makes me realize how great it is to photograph wildlife.
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General feedback is appreciated.
Pertinent Technical Details
I went for a black and white conversion of the raw file as there was very little color in the scene, and I felt that the white specks of snow on his face contrasted nicely with the dark fur of his body.
Canon 80D
70-300mm lens @ 300mm
f/8, 1/60 sec @ISO 320
Processed in LR
Ted: I normally like color in wildlife shots but your B&W treatment works really well for this subject in those conditions. Elevates a simple portrait into another level artistically IMO. Really well done. >=))>
Ted, I’d say that B&W is perfect here. Bison are very dark to begin with and with all of the snow, I’m guessing there was at best minimal color. The eyes are nicely bright and the stare is intense. (I hope you were sitting in a vehicle when you took this… .) There is a strong ghost on the inside of the right had horn, was that horn “fixed” in processing?
What a great shot, Ted! I love the black and white here - the white snow contrasts so nicely with the dark greys and blacks of the bison making for a very powerful and bold image. I also really love the bison’s eyes with the snow/frost on his eyelashes.
.) There is a strong ghost on the inside of the right had horn, was that horn “fixed” in processing?