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Photo Critique Part 2

Lesson 11 from: The Art of Wildlife Photography

Tom Mangelsen

Photo Critique Part 2

Lesson 11 from: The Art of Wildlife Photography

Tom Mangelsen

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Lesson Info

11. Photo Critique Part 2

Lesson Info

Photo Critique Part 2

gen two's and antarctica um you know goes backto I've seen a lot of colonies have been to five times now and this um I'm trying to find the subject I'm trying to find a place to settle my eye and I don't know exactly none of the birds take me there I see this obvious appear which is pretty I see this over here which is beautiful in the you know the fog in the landscape um it is difficult on these this is a nesting colony in this is guano bird poop and that's this red uh from there eating crustaceans and things shrimp creole um so it looks kind of dirty and that's what you know that's where is but the main thing is I don't see I don't see what the photographer wants me to look at for sure about this bird over here who has probably a but cut off she had to be really careful like this is get over here and there's no way is really different when you're shooting this many birds it's really difficult to crop you know I mean crop it in the field crop it later um but I think it lacks these guy...

s are a little mixed up uh think it's pretty maybe but it's like it lacks a little bit of of of um subject sounds stupid but it's it because it's a lot of stuff there but it just needs the moment where the birds especially these these birds right in here are confused to me and it needs to be just a little cleaner overall and that I don't mean the guano but this is fun because you don't know that that's a shadow or another oh kyle back there so it is kind of a fun picture um does this belong to anybody okay um this would this be mammoth courses mammoth so take it on the lawn at mammoth and gaston so I recognise that as the lawn and mammoth that's only because I live there but uh so it's a fun picture of ah of of elk and they've become sort of domesticated there yeah uh but was this shot recently or a while ago ah a little over a year ago okay uh when the wolf came tto were reintroduced they scared some of the I got a mammoth for awhile now they're going back as some of the wolves had gotten shot off but anyway it looks like a manicured lawn which it is and I want to see the elk in a in a wilder place but it's kind of a fun picture and it's also tells a story so the story is you know these elkan kind of hide out in a place like mammoth hot springs near the visitor center and be safe from wolves so you khun kind of put that kind of spin on it too so you know for ah article or story that would be useful just anybody's here uh these trumpeters are where were these taken where yeah it's sophie's island portland oregon okay look trumpeter swans not with things wants your tundra swans right you know the difference I don't know the difference anyway it's quite nice the wings were beautiful um light is you know that back light and the the wings where you see through that translation is very nice I think maybe it needs to be you know this is again very picky you need but the birds may be too far apart or you need a third bird or they need to be closer together minutes all picky on it's lovely but I feel like it needs another bird or closer that's really stupid isn't it I think there was one in shots that were either before or after that one yeah but the light in the in the wings was only well the light no wings is lovely thank you thank you this is fun uh you know I always like to see these little guys just go over the ledge is this anybody's here okay so no no it is it could be glacier olympic or some place um I like this first of all see his head turned a bit so they see a part of his face it mean it's kind of interesting you know going off the edge kind of fun this is what I sign about earlier about the time of year you shoot mammals in the time of year you shoot birds and this other guests would be middle of summer sometime and uh because the hair is pretty matted and looks like it's shedding so the animal doesn't look that good okay just that's kind of like needs a new hairdo uh it looks raggedy you know this is being again kind of picky on but when you're shooting mammals you know they always look better in the fall or winter it's it's in a light but I do like they just included a little bit of before god in this matter it gives you a really great sense of space that this is high country mountainous country and here's his loan animal out there trying to face the world anybody here beautiful moose great rack in velvet um because it must be um late july or something because of taylor's air are full but not you know still involvement everything green always difficult not to have seymour lakes you know use all those pictures we took I took hundreds of them that you know the legs were missing in the video they saw order and it's so nice to see more like investigation okay and I get the idea of the height of the willows and an older bush on dh but it really it's a it's a great environmental shot gets a lot of space mountain's air nice um and you could either say you want more sharpness more depth of field or you want to focus on him so I think it could go either way you could have gotten those mountains sharp with uh better you know higher depth of field and but I'm not sure it matters so I think it's just it's a nice picture and it says um uh last year canada I'm not sure where and it certainly says some summer time this is so close so close to being really nice kids you've got beautiful fonz and beautiful flowers very nice light even though it's probably late morning or evening this guy's gorgeous listens great that way but her head needs to be up you know or at least not buried in the grass and even if it even if the head was up in you could see the eyeball that would probably work it's just that that that head is just not up you know not up enough but otherwise I think it's really sweet and it had to be a moment you know a moment before this when you work it you know like we saw those dear pictures you just work it you just stay there with him obviously they don't care they don't worry about you and you just work it and stay there and tell they all have good gestures just time stick time and I guarantee that would have been beautiful beautiful bear um it's like a salmon stream in alaska um obviously this fish parts laying around here um just so busy you know this stick going into the back if you had this bear against that dark background is this anyone's here where's this but cat meyer somewhere northern british columbia hannah creek and creak cannot create beautiful bear I just it just a little bit too much stuff behind it and but it's got great for me a lot of times bears this is early fall um did you see this red leaves and things and it's in prime shape its fat been eating a lot of sam looks like and again I think they just might have been a better moment I mean obviously I'm looking at you is great um and I just think that this this is busy this is distracting and this this could probably you could probably live with that just need a little clear background I just want to point out really quick in case anyone missed that er hugest were able to tell what time of year it was based on the fur of the animal when you talked earlier about knowing your subjects and researching and understanding and getting that experience that's that that's exactly what that is is knowing these animals well enough you can tell the time of year is based on the firm well that was it just amazing man I want to point it out thank you yeah it is and and that's the thing is that a lot of people go photographed bears in july and june and stuff and they're losing their hair a lot of most of and I prefer like august august to me is in canada and alaska is fall you know the latter part of august anyway and so they look so much better than from a hair standpoint now you don't mind I get the little tiny cubs which is in the spring and the summer so it's kind of a trade off in some of the some of the bears holder for longer than others and they looked better but when you see a big fat bear like that with a short beautiful you know that new here that's that's winter here pretty nice pretty nice I love fog as I've told you and the moose drinking in this early morning light um I mean you know if I was going criticised at all it's a little mean this is really picky on me now okay because he's in the water is drinking is beautiful is for this is a little I don't know what the next step might have been if you'd be be here a little separated from that that root ball back there whatever that is this is the root ball from that tree I mean that's really picking any but that's the kind of thing too you know just a few feet sometimes make a difference but um I don't know I don't know I kind of like this too and I don't want to really mess with cropping but let's just crop um a little tighter say say here leave yeah there you go leave this you go and pull this down a pit the top part down justo is probably dumb exercise but so I know does that help it any or not slightly maybe so maybe a little tighter lands or you know after afterwards you could tighten it a bit there you go yeah I think the one in between is actually gives it more more environment but yeah very nice shot overall um very nice hummingbird flight again we've seen obviously we've seen a lot of hummingbirds these days and that ten years ago you go wow you know so now you're competing with the white background I don't know it stands out nicely in the greens match nicely with the top it's quite nice I there's nothing I could do with it and uh I would like to see a splash of color maybe flowers or something but it's uh it's a nice a moment with the hummer I think I would just giving it a bit more space it's a beautiful bull um oh I think I want to see just little bit more down here but it's lovely here I think it's quite nice looks like I might have a cataract but he's handsome very handsome and light is very soft and sweet and I love the sage brush behind him this is really nice you know it's obviously cropped assume that scrap anybody has boned anybody here I mean this begs to be that in how long panoramic assuming shot is a thirty five maybe stitch or maybe was panel that way but love the reflections in the water and the light on the pelicans and they're all in the same it's that repetitive pattern that's um very nice

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Last Great Wild Places
Adorama Gear Guide
Elk in the Willows
Elk River Crossing
Lighting at Magic Hour

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

There is probably just one word that comes closest to describing Tom Mangelsen’s photography. Glorious. There are other good words too, of course. And they are also inadequate. Mangelsen’s panoramas are (cumulatively and separately (any one of them)) the best I’ve seen. Mangelsen teaches by example and his examples are exemplary. I’ve seen several photographers giving courses on CreativeLive lately many of whose photos I would love to have taken - but with Mangelsen I envy his possession not just of his photos but of their subjects too. And he does possess his subjects in ways many outstanding photographers fail to - possesses them and then leaves them to continue on with their lives. There are other reasons I’m grateful for this course too - his field trips and critiques have shown me (as with other CreativeLive courses) just how lazy I’m being with my work. And if his critiques aren’t motivation enough I only have to view his slide show ‘Last Great Wild Places’ for more inspiration. The photos in this series are revelations all on their own - even without commentary. Thank you CreativeLive for continuing to bring us the finest wildlife and nature photographers at work today - and thank you to photographers like Tom Mangelsen for giving us a look at the way they work.

user-5a9732
 

I could not stop watching this class and set aside time each day until I finished it. I guess you could saw that I binge watched it. Then I was really sad when it was finished! Like a good movie that stays with you and that you don't want to end! This is a wonderful class and the best I have taken at CreativeLive. I learned so much and have a great fondness for Tom Mangelsen. He really knows how to pull you into his passion. I am so grateful to have taken this course and grateful to Tom for all that he has done in his career to further his craft and to share it. I am inspired! If you are going to purchase and course from CreativeLive, this is one to be sure to take!!! Thank you again.

Dub Maitland
 

Excellent class! An incredibly talented photographer who has a vast knowledge of the subject matter as well as an outstanding ability to deliver the information. It was as enjoyable as it was informative. I first saw Tom's work in an office in Denver in 1991 and have been inspired by him ever since. Thank you Creative Live, for giving us the opportunity to spend this time with the Master! And thank you Tom for your willingness to share your talent with us! Dub Maitland, Missoula, MT.

Student Work

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