Piles of Fun

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Piles of Fun
Photo Information
Copyright: Paul Prince (PDP) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2964 W: 366 N: 3848] (11733)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-11-24
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX APO RF, Digital ISO 200, Hoya skylight (1B)
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/1600 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2005-12-09 4:35
Viewed: 1874
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 67
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This warthog was found on a trip out with Japie. She looked very pleased to find this water, I wonder if it is any good for piles, I can almost hear the sigh of relief :-)

She spent a few minutes splashing and rolling around in the water and then as she was leaving a large monitor lizard entered the water for simimlar pleasures.

Neither graceful nor beautiful, warthogs are nonetheless remarkable animals. They are found in most of Africa south of the Sahara and are widely distributed in East Africa. They are the only pigs able to live in areas without water for several months of the year. By tolerating a higher-than-normal body temperature, the warthog is perhaps able to conserve moisture inside its body that might otherwise be used for cooling. (Camels and desert gazelles have developed a similar mechanism for survival in hot, arid environments.)

Habitat;
Warthogs are found in moist and arid savannas. They avoid rainforest, deserts and high mountains.

Behaviour;
When water is available, warthogs drink regularly and enjoy wallowing in muddy places. As part of their grooming they also take sand baths, rub against trees and termite mounds and let tick birds pick insects off their bodies.

Warthogs live in family groups of a female and her young. Sometimes another female will join the group. Males normally live by themselves, only joining the groups to mate. Warthogs engage in ritual fights in which they charge straight on, clashing heads when they meet. Fights between males can be violent and bloody.

Warthogs sleep and rest in holes, which at times they line with grass, perhaps to make them warmer. Although they can excavate, warthogs normally do not dig holes but use those dug by other animals, preferably aardvarks.

The descriptive notes are taken from this website

I hope you like it.

sandpiper2, red45, wallhalla15, AndyB, shirgold, gerhardt, dew77, Dave, Mousehill, chiliu, scottevers7, thistle, livios, coasties, moemf, marhowie, Janice, metcher, OWO, pablominto has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Xplorator: It's funnyPDP 1 12-10 13:01
To red45: SurePDP 4 12-09 23:45
To shirgold: Fill flashPDP 1 12-09 08:39
To gerhardt: ewwwPDP 1 12-09 08:21
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Critiques [Translate]

A very different type of shot from your usual English garden critters.
Nice pose and your usual high degree of excellence in terms of sharpness and exposure and composition. Nice one.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2765 W: 75 N: 7513] (25121)
  • [2005-12-09 5:14]
  • [+]

Yes, looks like she had got fun! Great, typical African scene like from documentaries from BBC. I like muddy colours, full sun, composition, but first of all cute ;-) subject.

Paul could you write few words about your SA trip and meeting with friends? I bet many of TNers are interested!

Hello Paul,
beautiful natural shot - very clear and colorful. Fantastic composition and great details. Superb colors. Well done & TFS. Have a great weekend.

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1593 W: 32 N: 1363] (3978)
  • [2005-12-09 6:08]

hello Paul!
Nice to see you again,its been a while.
Superb detail here and great detail.
Excellent,well done.
Hope you had a great trip.

TFS

Hi Paul,
Excellent capture!
Great details and compostion.
I do have to ask what was the reason for using a flash?
TFS - Shir.

Excellent picture with great detail. Nice Shot. Sheriff

This is my favourite so far... :)

I just love the "wet look of the hair at the back. The pose.colors and everything else just so nice. Wish I was there... I could sit next to it for similar pleasures. ;)

Hi Paul, this is a very good picture.
The brown colours are very nice. The POV and the pose are great. Well composed and very good details.
The light must have been very good if I look on the settings.
Ecxcellent work, my friend.

  • Great 
  • ddg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 881 W: 19 N: 923] (4953)
  • [2005-12-09 9:49]

Hello Paul, it's the fun for this Warthog!! Slendid colors and typical African atmosphere!! Composition is perfect, very well done. Good trip, Didier.

  • Great 
  • mrcrow Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 458 W: 123 N: 197] (2996)
  • [2005-12-09 10:11]

very cool..mud glorious mud..i watched on doing a bath in a mud pool and after it noticed us it shrugged off the excess and trotted off to find some other more private spot
i love the pony express..
its a good sharp shot...and a bit reddy..
?

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2005-12-09 10:21]

Hello Paul!
Funny capture.POV,clear details,sharpness,colors,lighting,framing and especially composition are excellent.TFS...:-)

  • Great 
  • Dave Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 517 W: 47 N: 663] (2127)
  • [2005-12-09 10:33]

So this is a warthog wallowing in the mire?
Great capture Paul! Expertly composed and delivered.
Thanks,
Dave

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3082 W: 231 N: 5811] (19540)
  • [2005-12-09 10:55]

This is an outstanding shot, Paul. The scene itself is very revealing of the habits of the warthogs. Also comical to our human eyes, though we can relate to the sentiment. As to the subject, excellent focus and exposure. I can FEEL the mud on this creature. Congratulations and TFS. : )

What a great expression in the face and eyes of this warthog. You can feel that he is very comfortable in his mudpool there. Technical an excellent image, TFS!

Hi Paul,
Friday Night Party night.
Only time to see this post deserves a big smiley.
TFS. Have a great weekend.
I'll return to give you the decent critique that this shot deserves.

  • Great 
  • carper Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2165 W: 124 N: 2567] (8208)
  • [2005-12-09 13:50]

wauw Paul you where with Japie in South Africa.
How is Japie, You captured a good photo there my friend. good job.
gr. jaap

Truely a great photo! Was that me at Woodstock after the mudslides, I cant remeber, I was that stoned! :) Lol. That little inevitable piece of grass kind of invades the space a little, nothing you cannot clone out if you want to make this available for stock (and you should!) otherwise perfect, P. Good to have you back!

  • Great 
  • chiliu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1549 W: 0 N: 1182] (6482)
  • [2005-12-09 16:37]

Hi Paul,
Very interesting capture!
I like the natural colours and scene,
the exposure is perfect.
Very well done and thanks for sharing!

  • Great 
  • klemmg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 302 W: 40 N: 484] (1719)
  • [2005-12-09 16:58]

Hi Paul,
great shot with heaps -piles?- of impact, reminds me of the comment on a warthog in a classic documentary where the narrator stated "a face only a mother could love".
Regards,
Gabi

Hi Paul,
To keep the insects off, we use a chemical spray. They take mud baths. Mud packs are suppose to help your complexion, but It dosn't look like it is working for this Warthog. Excellent photo with warm colors. Very sharp detail, with perfect DOF. Gotta luv that pose and scene!
Scott

  • Good 
  • ridfa Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 89 W: 0 N: 375] (4092)
  • [2005-12-10 2:21]

Original à souhait.....

TFS

This is beautiful, I mean the photo not the warthog ;)
I've always liked the warm colours and lighting in your photos and this one has amazing African mood created by them. Perfect details and perfect framing, of course ;)
I like it very much :)

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2309 W: 324 N: 4312] (16848)
  • [2005-12-11 14:35]

Paul, lovely lighting, pov, composition and colors to show us this very nice moment.

Great details and bg too.

Excellent news from Africa.

Hi Paul

Just back from an extended weekend. Have lots of unpacking to do. Sneaking this in inbetween. Nice work. Love the composition. Good POV. TFS.

Hi Paul,

Nice title! :) A very humourous picture! It certainly looks as if you have chosen an apt title. The light, focus and DOF was good. TFS.

Jan-Hendrik

  • Great 
  • moemf Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 117 W: 0 N: 160] (699)
  • [2005-12-13 9:17]

Hi

Great shot of the warthogs favourite pasttime. Excellent!!

TFS

Reinier

Very cool shot Paul. Excellent!!
Thanks you for sharing this one from your trip..

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3337 W: 144 N: 5637] (16707)
  • [2005-12-27 4:21]

A mudbath is good for your complexion, but it looks like it's taking a while to work for this beauty. I never realised that they had a hairy mane like horses do. Good capture and very interesting notes Paul. Thank you,
Janice

Hi, Paul.
Funny guy. Very good exposure on this one. I like the colors and the glimpse of natural habitat where this pig likes to be.
Happy New Year!

  • Great 
  • deud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 486 W: 2 N: 454] (2055)
  • [2005-12-29 3:56]

where is the bubbles? :-)))

perfect image as technical caracteristics.

i want to wish you a happy New Year and thanks for all your kind words and very useful critiques in my address!

  • Great 
  • OWO Silver Note Writer [C: 5 W: 0 N: 18] (120)
  • [2005-12-30 9:29]

This is the best warthog shot I've seen. Great! Such nice and cute animals aspecially when raising their tales when on the run.
Best wishes,
OWO

Hello Paul,
You have some very good pictures in your portfolio, but I guess you don't need me to tell you that... In particular I like the way you present your work as a unity, that is photograph AND words in title and notes... All very well worked out! I would not be surprised if I learn you work as a professional with communication, hehehe...
Regards,
Pablo -

Very nice and fun shot, Paul!!! the light is wonderful.

Hi Paul,
Excellent photo of this warthog enjoying its mud bath make over, allthough it wont change his appearance for the best, it probably feels real good. I might have to try that someday. :)

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