Out of the Blue, a photo from Alaska, West

Photographer's Note

It is one of the once in a life time moment that happen and you have to be at the right place and time. I can be sitting out here for days and months or years, and this may never ever happen again, a whale coming out of the water so close where I can see its eye looking at me and I was actually have my camera ready.

We were lucky to have seen whale at a few places on this trip. Most of the time we only see the back of the whale just above the surface of the water and its blows, and the flip of its tail as it dive down and it will take a while for it to come up again and it is hard to say where and there for hard to take a picture even when you think you are ready for it.

It was a small boat tour, with only 4 of us and the captain of the boat, who has a b&b that where we stayed.

saxo042, danos, COSTANTINO, Periko, ourania, carlo62, daddo, macjake, cebe, Subhogen, timecapturer, holmertz, besnard, jhm, cornejo, CLODO, SnapRJW, abmdsudi, kabel, ikeharel, fritzi007, siudzi, Didi, jcpix, delpeoples, blueaquan, Kielia, casperduppy, ChrisJ, i9l2y1m8a8t3, adores, papagolf21, mvdisco has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

yquem46 (38752) 2014-03-06 12:10

Hi Way
Son of a gun, what a picture !
A whale, half of it out of the waters, a couple of meters away from you, its eye wide open kind of saying you hello !
Tack sharp with a neutral bg and nothing to interfere !
Gosh, a masterpiece and as you said the shot of once in a life time
Bravissssimo
patrick

saxo042 (38078) 2014-03-06 12:12

Hi Way,
This is a marvellous capture of this whale coming out of the water. It is perfectly sharp and the colours are perfect. A well balanced composition, a really professional photo!
Kind regards
Gunnar

boa (8039) 2014-03-06 12:17

Hi Way,
incredible picture, this is absolutely fantastic!
Congratulations with this magic moment and with this excellent picture, wow!!

Best regards/
Boa

danos (110407) 2014-03-06 12:25

Hi Way,
so you were there in the right moment to shot this fascinating and unique snapshot.Great the view of the almost half of the whale,out of the sea water, with its characteristics to be seen so claer and sharp.I like its placement in the frame,as the excellent light and colour management of the scene.Well done.

Regards,Danos

COSTANTINO (105857) 2014-03-06 12:57

Hello
fantastic shot indeed and great capture
you are very lucky to have seen whale
on this trip the whole composition is
so natural that I am feeling being
into the framing
perfectly executed almost real
greetings
Costantino

Periko (8439) 2014-03-06 13:18

Excellent and timely shot, Way. Beautiful grey and blue shades, and a balanced light as well.

Regards & TFS
Pedro

nikkitta (17070) 2014-03-06 13:33

Wauwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww how very good impresive capture,it deserves to be posted at the National Geograpic

One of your best (along many others) of your shots, this is nature observed fron very near of a dificult subject (your boat must be moving)and there you were, ready to obtain this quite special moment of the whale emerging fron the waters, as greeting you and your camera

Well done, congrats and thanks for being there at this moment and share it in TE

Maria

Wahclellaspirit (4125) 2014-03-06 13:55

Hello Way,
OUTSTANDING!!!!!
Steven

willperrett (14091) 2014-03-06 14:06

Hello Way
This is as spectacular as the other recent whale photograph you posted a few weeks ago. What a trip that must have been. The results are superb.
Regards
Will

ourania (51103) 2014-03-06 14:07

Hello Way,
this is a sensational photo! It seems that you wanted this scene and anticipated it so much that you came to great coordination with the whale and your camera and managed to capture it in its full glory and with outstanding quality. Really awesome. Congratulations, I'm grateful!
All the best, have a lovely day,
Ourania

Giustiniani (3650) 2014-03-06 14:52

Hello Way,
quelle superbe capture. Une magnique photo avec une très belle lumière.
Amicalement,
Magaly

carlo62 (81265) 2014-03-06 15:15

Ciao Way
posso solo confermare ciò che ho appena scritto sulla precedente foto, solo chi conosce approfonditamente questo mestiere può fare queste foto.
Di nuovo complimenti
Carlo

daddo (28728) 2014-03-06 15:18

Hi Way. Another masterful shot taken in nature. Timing is perfect, the details enchanting.Even the spray is there! The gods must be smiling at you when you leave for your adventures. Best wishes. Klaudio.

federico (6109) 2014-03-06 16:20

a masterpiece, this could be in a national geographic magazine, you said right you have been lucky the whale came out..but you were ready, and 1/1000 second shot so you frozen perfectly the movement, you should sent this photo to the wildlife photographer of the year contest man!! you have good chances definitely
best regards
fred

macjake (96553) 2014-03-06 16:49

Hi Way
just beautiful!
and i like that you didn't photoshop the exposure, i like this dimmed grey/blue tone - smart to keep it that way.

you're heart must have been beating quickly when the whale emerged. I'm speechless! and happy for you.
cheers
craig

Corry (4508) 2014-03-06 18:04

Bonsoir Way

Wow ! Une magnifique photo prise à un moment unique. Excellente netteté de l'image. Que dire de plus. Félicitations.

Yvon

cebe (1491) 2014-03-06 18:25

Hi Way,
This is absolutely beautiful and amazing. I worked at sea in Alaska many times (in Prince William Sound and around) and I have often seen whales, but nothing comparable or even close. As you write, it's quite a luck to witness this, but it's almost even more incredible that you were able to capture this short moment so brilliantly. Everybody will agree: a superlative shot! Congratulations! Claude

Subhogen (4067) 2014-03-06 19:52

Hello Way,

What a joy to see a spectacular wildlife shot as this. Thanks Way for sharing this. I wonder about the thrill you must have had to see these gentle giants in action. Credit goes to you for taking these photos, I would have struggled to take photos if such a show was on in front of my eyes. What a photo as well. Just great!!! I hope you take such wonderful shots and share some them with us here. Thanks.
Regards,
Subho

jemaflor (137208) 2014-03-06 23:23

Hi Way,
great shot, congratulations ! So lovely capture at the ood moment, well presented with the water and the cloudy Bg, well managed, tfs.

emka (153412) 2014-03-06 23:26

Hello Way, You were there in right time, right place and with good camera. You were VERY lucky to see it and of course to be able to make such a photo. I am speechless to see it. No words for praise. Do we see the eye of the beast?? Incredible.

Best regards MAlgo

jjcordier (79299) 2014-03-06 23:51

Way
Très très impressionnant! Fantastique capture de cette baleine émergeant des eaux. Un moment certainement inoubliable pour toi. Une photo somptueuse!
Amicalement
JJ

baclama (19188) 2014-03-07 0:05

alors là!!! chapeau bas, monsieur!!
photo extraordinaire!! quelle chance d'avoir pu assisté à un tel evenement et bravo pour avoir su si bien immortaliser le moment!!
felicitations
TFS
vero

sevy (58) 2014-03-07 0:08

Hello Way,

You got very good shot of whales, this one and the previous are very good.
On this one I like the overall grey-blue colors and the fog in background putting in evidence the piece of life and movement given by the whale jumping out of the sea.

Yves.

timecapturer (49288) 2014-03-07 2:34

Greetings Way
awesome - both the creature and this shot! Perfect imagery in all ways. Love it! Bet you are pleased with this one, I know I would be!!

Have a good weekend - B.

holmertz (94458) 2014-03-07 2:45

Hello Way,
It's a magnificent animal in a close-up we don't often get the privilege of seeing. Although for obvious reasons this is partly a lucky shot I am still very impressed, and I am sure you worked hard and persistently to get this perfect photo. Considering the perfect sharpness and light one might think you had it all carefully planned :-).
Kind regards,
Gert

mayjayne (7204) 2014-03-07 2:50

Dear Way,

Amazing picture - excellent details captured, and what a perfect timing !!

TFS,
May

besnard (59196) 2014-03-07 2:53

Bonjour Way
Une très belle photo. Tu as su appuyer sur le clic au bon moment. Ce n'est pas facile à réaliser, je m'y suis essayé sans grand résultat au Canada.
Bravo et bonne journée.
Nicole

Royaldevon (78060) 2014-03-07 3:13

Hello Way,

This is truly a once in a life time event.
Even people making films about the whales have had weeks of unsuccessful photography.
I can only imagine how you felt when you saw this huge, iconic creature emerge from the water. It is awesome!
Your photograph is crisp and clear, no nervous wobble here! A shot of which you must be immensely proud.

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

jhm (204983) 2014-03-07 3:28

Hello Way,

What a moment, I think every photographer want this moment for his camera.
A lovely moment of the nature one of the most beautiful marine mammals.
Excellent composition, excellent captured.
Nice picture with pleasant colours.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John

cornejo (61504) 2014-03-07 4:13

Hello Way, excellent photography of this mammal in this exciting moment, perfectly captured in this beautiful image with good sharpness, light and color. Excellent and interesting job well done, congratulations my friend. Thanks for sharing this beautiful work.

Good morning and happy weekend.
Warm greetings from southern Spain.
Angel.

CLODO (45094) 2014-03-07 4:49

hello Way

Perfect capture at the right moment, the bad weather giving a good background to see the water coming out of the whale
My best regards
CLODO

SnapRJW (31631) 2014-03-07 5:19

This is quite wonderful Way. A moment in the natural world beautifully captured and a delight to see. Exceptional clarity and detail on the whale and the backdrop is perfect to show off the misty spray. You must be thrilled with this shot..... I would be!

Warm regards Rosemary

Kamilutka (8107) 2014-03-07 6:17

Hello Way,
amazing image - my sincere congratulations not only on capturing this magnificent animal in your lens but mostly on being there and witnessing this wonderful scene. It makes me properly jealous :-)
Superb quality in all terms!
Thanks for sharing
Kamila

abmdsudi (90081) 2014-03-07 6:48

Sabaidee Way
It's powerful and a stunner dramatic show here when suddenly she burst emerging above water and then it was all gone as suddenly as she came. Equally your quick bursts of fast shutter have really frozen the highlights of the amazing textures and tonal quality really well, even the mist has further intensified the drama. The local weather condition is well coped with just enough clarity for this appears so subtle as well as natural in colour tones. What a great and interesting capture of this unusual not an everyday subject matter to share with us. My compliments.
Best reqards

kabel (1930) 2014-03-07 7:19

Hello Way, you really expressed exactly what I thought about the once in a lifetime moment and you were ready with your camera. His eye looks like he is looking right at us. Amazing. Of all the times that I have been whale watching I have not seen a whale come out of the water like that.
A great photo with amazing clarity and sharpness. Perfectly captured. Lucky...
TFS,
Karen

ikeharel (106931) 2014-03-07 9:14

Outstanding nature's photo, Way, admirable creature and you were just on the right moment and place to show us this.
Upwards thrust is superbly collected here. Photojob as always most impressive.
Have a nice weekend,
Ike

fritzi007 (14698) 2014-03-07 12:11

Hello Way,
for me a fantastic photo, just great!
regards
Wolfgang

lousat (131289) 2014-03-07 12:26

Hi Way,what say about this pic! This is absolutely fantastic!!! A very lucky meeting that you caught in a very professional way,i dream to do the same one day..ehehe...Have a nice weekend and thanks,Luciano

ACL1978 (7511) 2014-03-07 18:50

I'm glad to see recently so many wildlife shots from you, Way - it's not a style I've seen you do before, but the results have really been stunning and this is not an exception. You should shop this shot back to the whale watch tour company for use in promotional materials! I doubt they have much better. Great timing, perfect exposure, and amazing clarity - really a winner. Thanks!

Andrew

siudzi (34141) 2014-03-07 23:13

Hello Way,
Now, this is totally impressive one! I agree with you that you were at the right place and in the right moment to capture it plus the result of your work is amazing! Love it! Perfectly executed and composed image. Bravo!

Have a nice weekend!
Gosia

Didi (61589) 2014-03-08 9:53

Hi Way
Fantastic picture
With a 200 mm you were not so far from the whale, you were very lucky to catch this decisive moment
Best regards

jcpix (14030) 2014-03-08 10:36

Hi Way,

Whoa, and I thought your previous breached picture was dramatic...this one takes it up a notch. Fantastic! It's like a movie scene where the action is being played in slow motion and then comes to a freeze frame moment where you make eye-to-eye contact for that split second before returning to full speed. Absolutely captivating and, I'm sure from your point of view, heart pounding. :) This captures the excitement and splendor of nature with sharp detail and moody atmosphere from the darkened skies. Love it! Have a great weekend. Take it easy.

Friendly wishes,

Jason

Cricri (176) 2014-03-09 11:27

Hi Way
Fascination devant une telle image, capturer au bon moment, la qualité d'image, netteté et couleurs, une vraie merveille, félicitations
Belle soirée
cricri

ktanska (40891) 2014-03-10 12:52

Hi Way,
This makes a superb pair with the earlier shot. This has more elegant feeling. The whale is in almost vertical posture blowing steam and having a look at your ship. (I guess, I have no idea if whales can see well above water.)
Excellent shapness, cool simple all buish grey colours.
Kari

HimalAnda (10671) 2014-03-10 13:59

Hello Way,

That's another great picture of whale! The sharpness is perfect, the position of the whale too. You managed to take this picture at the right time.
Congratulations!

Stéphane

delpeoples (60326) 2014-03-11 1:45

Ciao NBF

Wow that's close. The definition and detail are truly amazing, and I especially like the spray coming from the whale breaching the water like that. Perfect composition, wonderful light management and colour. Simply stunning.

Hope you're well and behaving yourself ;)

Lisa

subhendu_bagchi (26091) 2014-03-11 4:31

namaste Way,
this is dramatic again. What a place for seeing whale so frequently. I can remember your earlier whale-shot, which was a gem (I can assume both are different shots by those different shutter speeds). It is also a very good catch but the posture you got in previous one is excellent. In this frame other photographic criteria are fulfilled masterfully. Great catch once again. Tfs.
S

nikon_ron (153) 2014-03-11 10:53

good capture, perfect depth of field and shutter. people say that many times its "lucky" that someone was there to capture a shot, but you still must be ready with the settings in camera so that the opportuniy is not missed, and that takes some forethought. well done!

Robert1969 (7160) 2014-03-12 1:35

Hello Way,

Beautiful moment and a picture with a beautiful
quality. Can be used for a calender.

Friendly regards,
Robert

blueaquan (34) 2014-03-13 5:28

Hi Lim,
I wish I could give you a hundred points for this shot. As you've mentioned, its a once in a lifetime shot, you are one lucky guy!
I wonder how the hell you got everything right, the sharpness, the horizon is perfect, I can even see it exhaling. Send it to Nat Geo or Discovery!

Congratulations, Blue

Kielia (24077) 2014-03-14 9:34

Hello Way,
this is really a highlight here!
I think this is a very beautiful portrait of this fascinating creature – you have captured it excellently in its natural element. The light and the moody color of the water make the image very attractive. My compliments also for the excellent composition. I also enjoyed reading the interesting notes!
Warm regards
Harriet

mkamionka (63352) 2014-03-17 6:02

Hi Way,
This is so beautiful! I don't think I have ever seen a photo with the whale jumping so high! Usually the tail makes an impressive photo already. You got it all here! Fantastic geometry with the whale crossing the several horizontal layers. It is so crispy sharp, I just cannot believe it! The weather seems quite difficult, it added a lot of atmosphere but it must have been really difficult to expose properly. I don't think my camera would be able to capture it.
Excellent work! No words to give it a justice!
M

ChrisJ (162350) 2014-03-18 16:01

Hi Way

A magnificent decisive moment shot of the majestic whale breaching the water. Good sharpness and well positioned in the frame. I like the graphism of light and dark tones too. The spray coming out of the whale's blow hole adds interest. Tfs!

i9l2y1m8a8t3 (4814) 2014-03-23 18:16

Superb shot, always at its best. What's new? Good thing this whale didn't knock your boat off, my God, I couldn't imagine. Anyway, this is one unforgettable and priceless experience. Perfectly timed. I love the mist and the Dark BG of the image, adds drama to the scene. Wonderful as always!

Best regards,
M

adores (46979) 2014-04-03 14:47

Hi Way!
Another fantastic photo of the whales! You captured it so perfectly, I like the effect of the water and the sense of movement. A very good quality shot!

papagolf21 (152605) 2014-04-09 14:45

Bonsoir, Way,
Une image animalière qui force le respect.
Tout est superbe.
Il suffit de contempler et d'admirer et de féliciter hautement le photographe.
Amitiés.
Philippe

fabbs99 (17179) 2014-04-09 23:18

Hello Way,

Just awesome.Excellent image of the monster whale jumping out of the water.Excellent image quality with good colors and sharpness. TFS.

Cheers
Farhat

taypejka (1689) 2014-04-11 13:36

Dear Way,

I will just say "wow" and that you are really a lucky man to have a chance to see a whale so close. Congratulations for being ready to shoot the photo.I guess you were all very wet afterwards:). Really unique photo.
best
emilia

samson (2250) 2014-04-22 7:53

Sabaidee Wayne

I nominate your photo as the cover shot for the next National Geographic magazine. Great shot.

And a Sawadee Pee Mai to you.

regards
sam

mvdisco (17798) 2014-04-25 7:41

Hi Way, Bonjour,
WoW! What a caught! at the perfect moment..
Fantastic and beautiful presentation..
A sharp and clear composition perfectly executed ,
All my compliments...very well done..
Michel

Oceania (5202) 2014-06-30 6:23

Hi Way,

In Juneau, Alaska whale watch tour offered whale sightings guaranteed tour. But with limited time in the port, I chose trekking on the Mendenhall Glacier. Yes, I missed opportunity to see whales. This is the excuse to return to the beautiful Alaska in the future.

Photo Information

Copyright: Way Lim (Waylim) (25436)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2013-07-18
Categories: Nature
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/1000 seconds
More Photo Info: view
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Yquem46's favorites 100-200, CLODO's selection XVI [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2014-03-06 12:03
Favorites: 7 [view]