Elk Fighting, a photo from Wyoming, West

Photographer's Note

The National Elk Refuge is in Jackson, Wyoming is the open winter range for thousands of elk that migrate from parts of the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in search of food. Elk are the second largest antlered animals in the world (moose are the largest) and bull elk are up to 5 feet tall at the shoulder and can weigh 800 pounds. These large members of the deer family can be prey for bears, mountain lions, wolves and coyotes.
We photographed the herd from a horse-drawn sleigh in extremely cold conditions. Two pairs of gloves and chemically activated hand-warmers were necessary making it hard taking photos!
The two elk in the picture were fighting and those antlers are their built-in weapons. In the WS I show a wider view of part of the refuge in the very wintry conditions.

I have just updated a new WS - a cropped version as suggested by Miro.

mirosu, bayno, ChrisJ, patdeph, Budapestman, tyro, bukitgolfb301, finlay, ourania, Cricri, COSTANTINO, delpeoples, SnapRJW, vasilpro, axiotea, Graal, faubry has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

chrisvek (5515) 2012-04-13 5:43

Dear Ann,

Very nice shoot with very nice composition.Very clever shoot.Splendid colors and tones of them.Great simple framing.TFS

Have a nice day,
Chris

ciakgiak (30331) 2012-04-13 5:54

Ciao Ann,
momento molto interessante colto con grande tempismo, spesso non è affatto facile beccare il momento giusto per premere ed ottenere un risultato tanto efficace.
Un caro saluto
Giorgio

mirosu (5533) 2012-04-13 7:30

Very nice action iamge. Would be also very nice with pure white BG (try to crop the upper part).

Sergiom (39336) 2012-04-13 7:39

Bonjour Ann

C'est un moment privilégié que tu as su bien saisir. Le moment est dramatique et le plus fort aura droit à la plus belle dame du troupeau. Un très beau cadrage.

Amicalement

Serge

bayno (16241) 2012-04-13 8:20

Hi Ann,
beautiful scene with a superb definition and natural colors, excellent exposure with the high time to freeze the movement of the Elk, very nice too the WS...
greetings from Rome...
Valter

rychem (9264) 2012-04-13 8:46

Superb! Fantastic scene of fighting elks, great sharpness and light
regards
Ryszard

cornejo (18130) 2012-04-13 10:26

Hi Ann, very nice shot of these beautiful animals by measuring their strength in this charming setting of white snow, very nice image with good quality, very good work my friend, congratulations. Good afternoon and happy weekend. Tfs.

Best wishes.

Angel.

Miguel82 (7882) 2012-04-13 10:58

Hello Ann
A superb picture of wapitis
good colors and sharpness
interesting pov
regards
Miguel

ChrisJ (86932) 2012-04-13 11:26

Ciao Ann,

Amazing graphism of these competing elk fighting in the snow, which heightens the effect. A good exposure with no oe & superb tight framing & sharpness. Have a wonderful weekend!

GREGG (8243) 2012-04-13 11:43

Hi Ann,
nice shot,
heroic clash
two strong animals in the winter scenery,
dynamic frame,
Regards Greg

patdeph (35738) 2012-04-13 12:13

hello Ann
even in this very cold weather, it was worth to do this sleigh ride, to see such landscapes and such scenes.Maybe you were lucky to have 2 elk fighting.I perfer your cropped version with a greater impact than the main post, for my taste.
Regards
Pascale

Budapestman (82620) 2012-04-13 13:42

Hi Ann,
a beautiful photo of this fantastic moment and I like the composition and the attracive lights, the timing is excellent, Tfs! Have a nice weekend! Kellemes hétvégét kívánok!
György

tyro (13149) 2012-04-13 14:13

Hi Ann,

First we see pictures of wildebeest being attacked by crocodiles, now we see these huge elk fighting. I think you have a bloodthirsty streak in you, Ann!

This is a wonderful photograph with exquisite detail and sharpness in the animals - we can see almost every hair on them as well as flakes of snow and they stand out superbly against their white background. The colours are beautiful, the lighting and contrasts excellent and the exposure spot-on - not an easy task in this sort of situation and certainly not in such cold temperatures!

Your initial workshop picture is very good at giving a wider view of this place and the herd. However, I'm not quite so sure about your second workshop picture which you were prompted to do although cropping has to some extent "homed in" on the two elk. I think the picture loses a lot with the cropping of the little bit of distant view at the very top. In my opinion, the original is most definitely the best one here.

Fabulous!

Kind Regards,

John.

Royaldevon (17811) 2012-04-13 14:24

Hello Ann,

Your notes describe most aptly the conditions you were enduring when you took this shot. Strong emotions stay with you and I would suggest that seeing these mighty beasts fighting was also a strong emotion.
The elks dominate the photograph with their angry majesty. The disturbed snow is a good detail to help us understand the movement as the circle and scrape.
Your narrow dof gives sharp details with an unobtrusive b/g.

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

bukitgolfb301 (30111) 2012-04-13 17:44

Hello my dear Ann

A wonderful and greta nature image indeed!
I am sure this is the best of month from you.
So sharp and clear focisuing and usual perfect framework.
Thanks for your sharing with your best job and have a nice weekend, best regards,

Takero in Tokyo, recently every Sat. falls on rainy day

jjcordier (62394) 2012-04-14 0:46

Ann
Voilà un sacré moment que tu as réussi à saisir là! Je crois que l'on est nombreux à rêver d'avoir été à ta place. Très bonne photo.
Amicalement
JJ

finlay (1535) 2012-04-14 2:11

Ann

A very good capture of the elk locking horns. There is a true whiteness in the snow and the lighting is well managed to bring out the tone of the elk fur.

Finlay

ourania (12469) 2012-04-14 11:14

Hello Ann,
a fascinating moment, a rare sight presented with excellent clarity and lighting, great natural colours. Point of view and framing are superb, the force and elegance of the elk's motion is captured marvellously. Well done and thank you very much!
All the best, have a great Sunday,
Ourania

eldancer1 (17106) 2012-04-14 12:14

Awesome timing and great capture! Good dof with nice details. Very well done, tfs.

diomed (13926) 2012-04-14 16:36

Hi Ann,
very impressive image captured in a decisive moment. Dynamic and interesting scene. Great details and POV.
Have a nice Sunday
Antonio

Cricri (86535) 2012-04-14 23:36

Hi Ann
Une scéne particulière bien capturer au bon moment, bon détails et contraste merveilleux avec la neige Belle journée
cricri

dkmurphys (36857) 2012-04-14 23:58

Hi Ann,
Lovely wildlife capture. Simple and attractive. A National Geographic scene.
Well taken, enjoy a fine Sunday.

Daniel

COSTANTINO (42746) 2012-04-15 0:01

Hello
an excellent shot from an excellent
chosen pov the right timing
I love shots of this kinds
shot welldone and wellseen
regards
Costantino

delpeoples (45018) 2012-04-15 3:11

Hi dear Ann

I love this shot, it reminds me of two human males butting heads as we so often see :)

A real decisive moment, beautifully caught, sharp, well-saturated and well-timed. The WS is excellent too, well done to Miro with his suggestions.

Have a great Sunday
Lisa

SnapRJW (18792) 2012-04-15 4:10

Hello Ann - A good close shot of the duelling elk. The WS view is a good addition giving a feel for the size of the herd and the terrain. I wonder if this pair are juveniles having a 'mock' duel or if they mean business? I've seen similar scenes with the antelope in Africa but this pair look very much beefier than our local game. A super wildlife shot and by the sound of it taken under difficult circumstances! Warm regards rosemary

jemaflor (69035) 2012-04-15 9:18

Hi Ann,
excellent capture at the good moment, perfect sharpness on these elks and contrast management, the snow is perfectly white.

abmdsudi (26311) 2012-04-15 10:10

Hi Ann
Wildlife, Good upload for a change Ann, really nice action shot. I get a good feel for the textures of these magnificent beasts and really good focus on getting some sense of power and movement into the shot. Such big animals and when their antlers clash it's pretty awesome but I think it all happens very quickly and your timely shot is great. Lovely pov and excellent contrast and viewing them at close quarters is truly a wonderful experience. Great effort, TFS
Warm regards

karacabeylis (1287) 2012-04-16 6:57

nice shot indeed

mauro61 (52527) 2012-04-17 0:50

ciao Ann,
la distesa bianca della neve fa da sfondo alla lotta tra questi due caribù.
Ottimamente ripresa la scena con un buon controlo della luce,
saluti
maurizio

Yiannis84 (2824) 2012-04-17 4:22

Hi Ann..

Lovely moment! i really like how you frames the scene and the extremely fine clarity & sharpness..it must have been a great experiance :)) excellent job!

Best regards..Yiannis

Nard (6913) 2012-04-17 5:32

Hi Ann
A splendid picture of nature, you were lucky to see such scene. I like how they stand out the snow and the excellent sharpness. I think that the cropped version avoids to be distracted by the background and makes a better focus on the animals. Really nice shot
Regards
Bernard

Robert1969 (6238) 2012-04-18 8:16

Hello Ann,

Beautiful moment: two fighting bulls and
snow as surrounding....as viewer you can
feel the atmosphere. The composition is
great, with a piece hills on the background
you have now a beautiful depth in this
picture. When you cut the pieces hill
then you have only the bulls and snow.
I hope you like this option (personal
I think that is no improvement, only a
option)?. Light management is also great:
snow is white, no overlightes pieces and
no hard shadows.

Friendly regards,
Robert

vasilpro (40194) 2012-04-18 9:08

Hello Ann,
Wonderful composition, beautiful scene, excellent POV and timing, lovely light and colors, very good clarity and sharpness, very nice framework, TfS!
Have a nice evening, Vasilis.

danyy (0) 2012-04-19 7:19

Bonjour Ann,
excellente capture "sur le vif", dans une neige qui n'éblouit pas, bravo pour le réussite de cette exposition difficile. Jeu de couleurs dans cette blancheur, c'est bien vu et intéressant.
Regards.
Daniel.

axiotea (21647) 2012-04-20 22:59

Bonjour Ann
you were at the right moment to capture these beautiful specimen which seemed not to like each other ;) they look pretty determinate and I like their posture & the graphical touch provided by their horns...
I also prefer the cropped version, giving more impact to the elks.

Have a nice day
Marilyn

siudzi (23959) 2012-04-22 5:23

Hi Ann,

Wow! What a fantastic picture of this unique scene! Really impressive achievement Ann. Like it a lot. Excellent quality and composition taken from a well selected point of view. Bravo!

Have a nice day!
Malgorzata

serp2000 (29242) 2012-04-23 2:50

Hi, Ann,
wow! outstanding show! I really like this photo... great timing shot! Although, I am sure it is not single photo of this fight.
Best wishes from warm sunny Ural,
Serghei

Graal (88982) 2012-04-25 0:33

Hello Ann,
nice scene, good captured place and moment. I like the contrast. Fine theme from nature.
Have a nice day.
Aleksander

Waylim (22357) 2012-05-03 10:15

Hi Ann,

Wow, now that is quite a scene. People was lining up to watch them when I was in Rocky Mountian NP. and it was from far away, here you have it relatively close. and the best thing is the snow background really give the best contrast to the brown fur, every line can curves are well define. Versus those we in on a bronw field, they blend in.

I don't care for the crop, it feel a little cramp, though I understand the purpose. the background of the hill doesn't bother me. Anything at all, I like to see more space that show the environment.

Great quality shot.

Way

npecanhuk (53919) 2012-05-10 7:06

Hello Ann!
Wonderful wild life photograph!
You were lucky and talented!
Sharp fg, blurred bg, exposure, colors, horizontal format, black borders, chosen pov and composition really pleased me!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

faubry (35335) 2012-05-14 15:23

wonderful scene, natural who will be more strong??, vera hard life; superb composition
i know very well reendears in Yakoutia
congratulations
francine

smarcell (19875) 2012-05-25 12:36

Interesting to see photos of this place out of the summer season, when most of the tourists always go.
This is taken just at the top of the action.

Regards
Stefano