Friday, January 11, 2008

Serendipity

One of the most elusive animals that travels the Alaska landscape is the lynx. In my experience, the only other animal that I've encountered less is the wolverine. So, any opportunity to photograph one of these cats in the wild, in a natural settings, is a delight. This summer, I had one chance, although fleeting. I did not have time to alter the camera settings to make a technically perfect image (focus issues) but it is not bad, and usable. I shot 8 frames before the cat slid into the grasses never to been seen again.

Lynx along a grassy field, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Canon 1Ds Mark II, 500mm f4.0L, w/1.4x, (700mm) 1/160 sec @ f6.3, ISO 200


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Patrick,

I'm enjoying your photos and reading the blog about how you got the shot and what settings you used on your shots. I'm learning alot!

Thanks.

Patrick said...

Debbie,
Glad you are enjoying the blog, it is young and will develop further, with hopeful regular updates.
Patrick

Anonymous said...

hello Patrick,

this is Buck from www.buckswildlifephotography.com you mean now I get to see that image that you took at Katmai of the Lynx, great image. Hope your enjoying the New Year and also that new camera.
Love the new work you have done to your site,keep it up.
Buck Shreck
www.buckswildlifephotography.com

Patrick said...

Hey Buck,
Yes, finally getting around to working with those images. Its a tiny bit soft, but holds up well with a little sharpening. It is a blunt minus 40 below zero today, with clear skies born for a winter photo--which I'll pursue later in the day. Perhaps I'll see you in the field again one of these days.
All the best in 08
Patrick

Anonymous said...

Hey Patrick

Awesome photo - so many folks have no idea how hard it can be to even see these guys, never mind photograph one. I heard there had been a lynx spotted around Brooks, but I never found one. I did see one swim across the Teklanika River one evening in Denali, and another walk across a riverbed with a snowshoe hare in its mouth, but both times it was near dark, and the lynx was aways off. I got a few shots of one in Wrangell - St. Elias NP this winter, which was cool.

Your site is awesome man.

Cheers

Carl