I had a great ten days on the ground with polar bears...I left Montana on Saturday, November 4 and made it back home on Sunday, November 18, 2012. I took 12,120 photographs and 60 video clips; I drove 1656.3 miles; and I absolutely fell in love with my new 400/2.8L IS II.
The trip report is over 3,200 words, so I'll just link to it:
http://blog.shumwayphotography.com/2012 ... -2012.html
The photos are online here:
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... 046_qP4Pw7
Make the jump to go through the online gallery, I really do appreciate any comments/criticism you leave; you can even give your favorites a simple thumbs up, so I can get your opinion on the winners...thanks and enjoy.
As always if you have questions, ask... I have published the camera information with each image and added full keywords to share just about anything you would want to know about the images.
Happy shooting
Now it's time for the teasers:
A willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) forages as snow falls on a cold November day near Wapusk National Park. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 400/2.8L IS II + 2.0TC III in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 1 at ISO400, f/7.1, and 1/800th of a second. The camera was mounted on a Gitzo 3541 XLS with an Arca-Swiss Z1sp ballhead and a Wimberly Sidekick.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... X&lb=1&s=A
A Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) walks along a snow covered landscape as more snow falls near Wapusk National Park in Canada. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 400/2.8L IS II + 2.0TC III in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 1 at ISO400, f/7.1, and 1/320th of a second. The camera was resting on a beanbag.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... F&lb=1&s=A
Two Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) play in the light of the setting sun along the shore of Bird Cover near Wapusk National Park. These bears (one male and one female) are likely four or five-year-old siblings who recognized one another and decided it would be a great time to come together and play as they wait for the ice to form on Hudson Bay. Captured with a Canon 5D and III 400/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 1 at ISO800, f/6.3, and 1/640th of a second. The camera was resting on a beanbag.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... 2&lb=1&s=A
A Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) walks along the ice edge in Bird Cove, near Wapusk National Park, as the last moments of sunlight paint the scene with hues of purple. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 400/2.8L IS II + 2.0TC III in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 1/3 at ISO800, f/7.1, and 1/250th of a second. The camera was resting on a beanbag.
A dark spot was cloned out of the image.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... K&lb=1&s=A
Two male Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) spar just after sunset near Wapusk National Park. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 400/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 2/3 at ISO3200, f/2.8, and 1/800th of a second. The camera was handheld.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... F&lb=1&s=A
A Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) sits on the ice at the flow edge along Hudson bay, near Wapusk National Park. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 400/2.8L IS II + 2.0TC III in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 2/3 at ISO400, f/7.1, and 1/1000th of a second. The camera was resting on a beanbag.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... g&lb=1&s=A
The winter sun sets behind a grove of black spruce (Picea mariana) at the edge of the Boreal Forest (or Taiga). Captured with a Canon 5D III and 70-200/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of - 1/3 at ISO400, f/7.1, and 1/400th of a second. The camera was handheld.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... Z&lb=1&s=A
A female Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) shakes off the afternoon's accumulation of snow as she emerges from her day den in the willows as the sun sets, near Wapusk National Park. Captured with a Canon 7D and 400/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 1 at ISO400, f/4.0, and 1/500th of a second. The camera was resting on a beanbag.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... L&lb=1&s=A
A Cross Fox, a colour variant of the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes), bounds across the ice on Hudson Bay. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 400/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 1 at ISO16000, f/4.0, and 1/250th of a second. The camera was resting on a beanbag.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... 2&lb=1&s=A
A male Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) walks over a frozen lake as the rising sun reflects off the ice. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 400/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 1 at ISO400, f/4.5, and 1/1000th of a second. The camera was resting on a beanbag.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... 4&lb=1&s=A
A male Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) looks around as the rising sun breaks through the clouds illuminating the world with its colorful glow. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 70-200/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 1/3 at ISO400, f/8.0, and 1/400th of a second. The camera was handheld.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... 5&lb=1&s=A
A male Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) walks across a frozen lake as the wind violently blows snow. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 400/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 1 at ISO400, f/4.0, and 1/800th of a second. The camera was resting on a beanbag.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... v&lb=1&s=A
Ice
Captured with a Canon 5D III and 24-105L IS in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of - 2/3 at ISO400, f/7.1, and 1/400th of a second. The camera was handheld.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... H&lb=1&s=A
The top of a Black Spruce (Picea mariana) sticks out of a snow drift as light plays across the surface of the snow. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 70-200/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 2/3 at ISO400, f/11, and 1/250th of a second. The camera was handheld.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... X&lb=1&s=A
Northern Lights (Aurora borealis) dance in the night sky over Cape Mary. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 17-40/4.0L in manual mode at ISO1600, f/4.0, and 15 seconds. The camera was mounted on a Gitzo 3541 XLS with an Arca-Swiss Z1sp ballhead.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... 7&lb=1&s=A
An Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) runs through the tundra along Bird Cove, near Wapusk National Park. Captured with a Canon 7D and 400/2.8L IS II + 1.4TC III in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 2/3 at ISO200, f/7.1, and 1/500th of a second. The camera was handheld.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... c&lb=1&s=A
Strong winds blow snow across the barren lands (tundra) near Wapusk National Park. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 24-105/4.0L IS in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of + 1 at ISO400, f/11, and 1/500th of a second. The camera was handheld.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... w&lb=1&s=A
Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) tracks in the snow atop a frozen creek near Wapusk National Park. Captured with a Canon 5D III and 70-200/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of 0 at ISO400, f/7.1, and 1/1600th of a second. The camera was handheld.
http://www.shumwayphotography.com/galle ... X&lb=1&s=A