Shooting me shooting moose

[NorthernFocus]

The other day when I was taking the shots that I've already posted, another photog that I was shooting with got me in the frame. The DOF effect of the telephoto makes it look like I'm right on top of the moose. The second shot is one I took at nearly the same moment that was shot at 350mm so clearly I wasn't all that close (IOW I'm not quite that stupid).

[Donald]

... so clearly I wasn't all that close ...

Still looks helluva scary!

Yours is a superb image.

[Nancy Moran G]

I saw a bull moose from inside a car Along a river inear Baxter St Park, Maine. I was eating lunch inside the car because of huge horseflys, and out of the brush stepped this moose! I choked on my food and gave my hubby quite a scare. They are freakin HUGE!!
I am glad you weren't" close, and good photos too!
Nancy

[FootLoose]

They are freakin HUGE!!

I have never seen one, but I have been told by Canadians that meese (mooses?) attack greyhound buses. So I guess they must be quite a size to take on a speeding vehicle of those proportions.

[John 2]

The trouble is that I would guess that a Moose can do 350mm in about 5 seconds. There again if you didn't take these risks, we wouldn't see these great shots.

[Colin Southern]

I'm reminded of an "incident" at Orana Park in Christchurch where you used to be able to drive in and watch the lions being fed from the safety of your vehicle. You'd drive in through the first 20 foot high gate - they'd close it behind you - open the 2nd 20 foot high gate -- and you could then drive through into the enclosure. We were warned to stay in our vehicles (No sh*t!) with windows up - and to sound the horn if we had a problem.

A few years ago I was surprised to see that that part of the park had been closed off and re-developed with it no longer being possible to drive in for the feeding. Apparently some non-English speaking folks got out of their vehicles to have a picnic!

Nobody was hurt - luckily. I can almost tell what the lions would have been thinking: "Hey Burt - look at that - fresh meat" - "Naahhh - it's too easy - something's wrong - must be a trap".

[NorthernFocus]

The trouble is that I would guess that a Moose can do 350mm in about 5 seconds. There again if you didn't take these risks, we wouldn't see these great shots.

I'm a fairly risk averse individual at this stage of my life. While shooting any large wildlife is not risk free, if one pays attention I'd rate moose much lower risk than driving to work every day.

Colin, it's disappointing to hear that the situation with the lions was dealt with in that manner. When we visited your bit of earth a few years ago I came away with the favorable impression that common sense was still much more broadly applied than in the US and there was still a reasonable expectation of personal accountability. It's a shame that society has to govern to the lowest common denominator.

That said, I doubt that our situation with the moose in the valley here will last indefinitely. There is a growing reputation and I routinely run into foreign photogs and video crews who have traveled here specifically to shoot the moose in our little valley. Many of them have no knowledge of the species and do get into high risk situations. I suspect it is only a matter of time until someone is hurt or worse. When that happens in typical US fashion the authorities will likely over react with restrictions on access.

[Digital]

Dan, what is the acronym IOW mean?


Bruce

[Kris V]

Dan, what is the acronym IOW mean?


Bruce

It stands for "in other words".
I'm not Dan, but I just saw your message......

[Digital]

It stands for "in other words".
I'm not Dan, but I just saw your message......

Thanks Kris.


Bruce

[Brownbear]

Hi Dan,

Gorgeous image as all of your images are... How close were you?

I agree, driving can be far more dangerous especially so in some foreign countries when someone else is doing the driving and they think they are in the Indy 500 and that the rules of the road don't apply to them. Give me a moose any day. Albeit I have yet to find one in Vancouver....

[NorthernFocus]

...How close were you?....

EXIF data indicates 29.9 meters.

[Brownbear]

Thank you Dan. I can't see that data and I was curious because it looks like you were just a couple of meters away which I thought unlikely.

EXIF data indicates 29.9 meters.

[Colin Southern]

Colin, it's disappointing to hear that the situation with the lions was dealt with in that manner. When we visited your bit of earth a few years ago I came away with the favorable impression that common sense was still much more broadly applied than in the US and there was still a reasonable expectation of personal accountability. It's a shame that society has to govern to the lowest common denominator.

Maybe we were wrong about them?

http://news.msn.co.nz/worldnews/8733...th-african-man

Nah!