When I come back from a photo tour or workshop, I go through the images quickly and choose my favorites. Many times I overlook images that should have been selected the first time around. Such was the case with this picture of a mountain lion swimming in a pond during one of my North American wildlife shoots. I've learned over the years that a very fast shutter speed is an invaluable tool in showing crisp detail with moving subjects. One would typically think that 1/250 to 1/500 is fast enough for most subjects, but that's not true when it comes to animals and birds. I took this image at 1/1000th of a second and that was perfect. The water's surface and the details in the lion's face are all sharp. My aperture was f/7.1, and the ISO was 500.
4 Comments
Apr 15, 2017, 11:51:28 AM
Rosemary Sheel - Hi, Jim. Yes, you may use my question. I rarely delete and sometimes looking back I find one I like but mostly I just get depressed!
Apr 15, 2017, 7:53:58 AM
Jim - Thank you, Rosemary.
Apr 13, 2017, 1:12:04 PM
Jim - Thank you, and great question, Rosemary. The first thing that makes me throw away an image is that it's out of focus or simply less-than-sharp. Next is I decide that I really don't like the subject very much. That could be anything -- a portrait, an old barn, an abstract, or whatever. Poor exposure is another qualifier for the trash can. And finally, bad graphic design. For example, a galloping horse with legs in an awkward and unattractive position.
May I use your question and my answer in my monthly eMagazine? It would be for the June issue. I would mention your name and city and state. Let me know. Thanks.
Apr 13, 2017, 1:03:48 PM
Rosemary Sheel - Hi, Jim. That is one of your best animal shots. His expression, the reflection and the way ripples in the water "point" to the lion. Excellent!
I've often wondered if you keep all of your images, except the obviously unusable. Now I think you might since you found this one on a second look. And even the unusable might prove to be a candidate for a pen tool composition. What does it take for you to discard an image?