Kissin' Cousins

[bulldurham]

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Nice shot

 

[Derrel]

Yeah, nice shot indeed.

 

[kap55]

Once in a lifetime shot... and you nailed it.

 

[WesternGuy]

Nice capture - right place, right time. How long were you watching these two before this happened?

WesternGuy

 

[bulldurham]

They were on a closing course with one another. I think this might have been a mother and her yearling as they continued to interact with one another. I was going to post this one instead and title it:

"Listen, Do You Want to Know a Secret."

 

[WesternGuy]

The second one is good too. Always interesting to watch a mother and her young interact. I get to see a lot of that on my trips to Africa when I watch a lion pride frolic on the Savannah.

WesternGuy

 

[Didereaux]

Cousins? Must have taken that in the Ozarks someplace.

 

[baturn]

Great stuff!

 

[Dean_Gretsch]

I like the second as much as he first. Nice set.

 

[unpopular]

Am I missing something, or is the cute factor over looking the lack of framing and distracting background. I get that you have to take a shot like this when and where it happens, but as an art-object, I don't get what all the fuss is about.

 

[bulldurham]

These aren't shot in a zoo. To get this shot I have to hike into areas loaded with Water Moccasins and rather large and aggressive alligators. I do bide my time to some degree and having shot many deer interacting, I do know what to look for in their behavior patterns but there are no guarantees. I take the shot when it presents itself and that moment is always fleeting. You don't get to choose your backgrounds and most often have to shoot from farther out than you would like to stay upwind so framing is always an issue. Art object is a bit odd to use as a descriptor of a wildlife shot. This isn't like shooting a still life or a portrait where you can control every aspect of the shot. Come down here, hike into the swamp, make the same shot and show me a better way. I'm always open to suggestions.

 

[Achaicus]

Am I missing something, or is the cute factor over looking the lack of framing and distracting background. I get that you have to take a shot like this when and where it happens, but as an art-object, I don't get what all the fuss is about.

Yes, the drive to make every image about art leaves you blind to how something can be interesting as documentation. I'd think less of this image if I learned that he'd deleted a telephone pole "coming out of the deer's head".

 

[unpopular]

Am I missing something, or is the cute factor over looking the lack of framing and distracting background. I get that you have to take a shot like this when and where it happens, but as an art-object, I don't get what all the fuss is about.

Yes, the drive to make every image about art leaves you blind to how something can be interesting as documentation. I'd think less of this image if I learned that he'd deleted a telephone pole "coming out of the deer's head".

That is an interesting point I hadn't really considered. However, I think there do have to be aesthetic standards before we're willing to give the level of praise we're seeing here.

In my view of things what you had to do in the swamp doesn't matter to me. I can appreciate that, but it really does not play into whether or not the image is successful or not - whether you 'nailed it' or not. There's truly excellent wildlife images out there, and I am sure you have a few yourself - but this, despite your efforts, isn't there in my opinion.

But likewise, this isn't a statement on your skill or anything like that - only on the image itself. Perhaps under the circumstances it requires a lot of skill to achieve, but I don't really critique on skill level or difficulty of the shot. That's admirable. But it not the photograph I'm critiquing, but rather of the photographer.

 

[Achaicus]

This image shows relationship, interaction. This photo isn't great art, true, but it draws a response in a similar way that Nick Vujicic does in his inspirational speaking. He's less than beautiful physically but he is in spite of that.

This isn't as emotionally tugging as Nick can be but that's why the picture/s are appealing.