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gopher playing possum
gopher playing possum
gazdi


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Free Study 2007-04 (Expert Editing*)
Camera: Canon EOS-20D
Lens: Sigma 50-500mm f/4.0-6.3 EX APO RF HSM for Canon
Location: Budapest
Date: Apr 14, 2007
Aperture: f/6.3
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/800s
Galleries: Animals
Date Uploaded: Apr 19, 2007

Shooting gophers without cover is fun. Laying in the grass, trying to find out how close you can get to them before they disappear in their holes, approaching them inch by inch holding the camera in hands and holding your breath. A nice feeling of hunting without empty bodies afterwards. One on one. Two winners.
This is how they look like when watching your step. Sticking to the ground, raising head once in a time for a short period, listening carefully. Tense in the air. They don't know if I'm gonna hurt them or not. I don't know how they react to my next hint of movement. They are ready to dive in the hole (which is actually in the frame, two inches in front of the gopher, covered by the grass in the foreground). You make your shots after every single "step", not knowing if that was the last. By the end of this series, I was about three metres (say 3.3 yards) away, so close to the minimal focusing distance. It took almost an hour to get there. I'll post that last pic after voting. It was fun. :)

PV: in the blog you can find out what "expert" editing had to be done

Statistics
Place: 352 out of 573
Avg (all users): 5.4970
Avg (commenters): 6.0000
Avg (participants): 5.3644
Avg (non-participants): 5.8163
Views since voting: 810
Views during voting: 240
Votes: 167
Comments: 6
Favorites: 0


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AuthorThread
08/15/2007 10:35:24 AM
Awesome shallow DOF.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/12/2007 09:40:50 AM
I love the little face peeking up above the grass. I can almost feel like I'm there watching him. Very nice capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/10/2007 09:37:13 PM
CRITIQUE CLUB CRITIQUE
by karmat

He looks like he is ready to do battle!

Compositionally, the little critter is in an excellent point in the frame. There is a good use of negative space that helps to emphasize the subject, and it is a stable, balanced feeling shot. I also like the low perspective you have chosen to use. I really like that you captured the "eye contact."

Technically, *I* like the shallow depth of field and how the grass in the foreground is blurry. Upon first glance, though, it gives the impression of the whole picture being out of focus, and in a field of almost 600 entries, a shot has to have immediate appeal, which it may not have done for several.

Also, the green is a bit drab which gives the picture more of a "ho-hum" feeling rather than making it *pop.* Obviously, that is difficult to control, but maybe playing with brightness/contrast or saturation *might* give it a bit of color.

overall, I think it is a good shot, and it made me smile. Be careful, though, they can bite!

Karma
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/08/2007 04:25:12 PM
So cute!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
05/08/2007 02:42:40 PM
This result really surprises me, I thought this would score much higher. The DOF was awesome and the way you caught him sneaking a peek at you is prefect.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/01/2007 12:12:46 AM
If only you got that eye sharp, it would focus the attention better 6
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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