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Beast of the Ice Age


Beast of the Ice Age
Photo Information
Copyright: Pieter van der Horst (sAner) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1490 W: 72 N: 1427] (4744)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-05-25
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon EOS 350D, Sigma AF 100-300/f4.0 EX APO, RAW @ ISO 100, B+W 82mm UV-HAZE
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/250 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: sAner & sAndra in AlAskA
Date Submitted: 2006-06-12 14:49
Viewed: 1819
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
We have been to Alaska and had a blast. Wildlife is abundant there and people are few. If you have the chance: go to Alaska!

General info:

The musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) is an arctic mammal of the Bovidae family, noted for its thick coat and for the male's strong odor, hence the name. It belongs to the Caprinae subfamily, being more closely related to goats than to oxen, but is in its own genus, Ovibos. Both sexes have long curved horns. Musk oxen are usually around 2.5 m long and 1.4 m high at the shoulder. Adults usually weigh at least 200 kg and can exceed 400 kg. Their coat, a mix of brown, gray, and yellow, includes long guard hairs that reach almost to the ground.

During the summer, musk oxen live in wet areas, such as river valleys, moving to higher elevations in the winter to avoid deep snow. They graze on grasses, reeds, sedges, and other ground plants, digging through snow in the winter to reach their food.

musk oxen have a distinctive defensive behavior in which, when the herd is threatened, the bulls, facing outward, will form a stationary ring around the cows and calves. This is an effective defense against predators such as wolves, but makes them an easy target for human hunters.

musk oxen are native to the Arctic areas of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska. The Alaska population was wiped out in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, but musk oxen have since been reintroduced to Alaska.

Info from wikipedia.org

The musk ox you can see in this picture belongs to a farm which is located near to Palmer. Here you can find the only domesticated herd of this big, shaggy beasts in the world. The farmers harvest Qiviut, the incredibly warm, soft and pricey (60 USD per ounce) material made from the musk ox's soft undercoat.

Info from "Lonely Planet - Alaska, April 2006, p. 204
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Exif data-

Shutter Speed: 1/250
F-stop: f/5.6
Focal length: 126mm
ISO Speed: 100
White Balance Mode: Auto
Exposure Compensation: 0
AF Mode: AI Focus AF
Weather Condition: Sunny
Time: 15:32:50
Tripod: no
Flash: no
Filters: B&W UV Filter
Image Quality: RAW
PP software: PS CS2
annagrace, thor68, marhowie, red45, dew77, coasties, flagman, PDP, scottevers7, Fisher, thistle, AndyB, Janice, aido, slrnovice2 has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Janice: Hi JanicesAner 2 06-17 20:09
To annagrace: AnnaPDP 1 06-13 20:32
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Critiques [Translate]

Great capture, Pieter! I won't even tell you what I thought this was from the thumbnail (look at it tiny and you'll see what I mean, LOL).

Interesting POV, I wish the musk ox was turned a bit more towards you but I bet you didn't want to alarm him. The light on the antler is amazing and the grass color is wonderful contrast against the dark fur. Well done, can't wait to see more!

TFS,

Alli

  • Great 
  • valy67 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1880 W: 59 N: 2915] (8733)
  • [2006-06-12 14:55]

Great shot ! I love your POV, it is unusual but really wonderful, we can see this beautiful animal from another angle.
Excellent sharpness and details, wonderful colors, very good composition, light and DOF. i love the contrast between the dark fur of the ox and the green grass. Very well done !
valérie.

Where is Sid?
Hi Pieter, nice to see again a post of you.
What a mighty animal, I wouldn't go so close, I'm a little affraid of them.
Very interesting POV, I like it, very well done, bye bye
Sabine - wihsnugaruda

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3064 W: 231 N: 6154] (21022)
  • [2006-06-13 3:09]

Hello Pieter,
So good to see you, and to see one of your excellent photos.
And such an unusual animal to boot. : )
Although I wish I could see more of this musk ox's face, I find this POV very interesting, with this big beast staring into space. A wonderful composition. The sharp details on the fur give a lot of texture to the thick coarse hairs on this big guy.
Thank you for sharing, and for the visit. *smile*
I hope to see more of the wildlife of Alaska. : )

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2006-06-13 3:10]

Hi Pieter!
Welcome back! Alaska must be great place for nature photographer! I love POV of your photo. Looking at thumbnail I thought that this is kind of tail :-) Beast of the Ice Age, but [fortunatelly!] we don't see any sign of ice or snow :-) Today in Poland about 30C degrees.

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2006-06-13 4:52]

Hello Pieter,
Very nice capture.I liked framing and composition a lot.Yes,taking photos in Alaska is one of my dream.
TFS...:-)

Hi Pieter

Great to see a post from you. Excellent POV, creative work. All the techo stuff looks spot on. Thanks.

Hi Pieter,
This is an interesting slant on a profile capture..Technically very nice, but most of all, it requires the viewer to take that longer look to appreciate it fully...
I like it!
Very well done.

Hi Pieter
An unusual POV, but the composition and space has made the most of it, as Manyee has said. I'd prefer to see more of the animal's face in a more traditional portrait as well, though. Any more?

Andy.

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2006-06-13 20:31]

Hi Pieter, interesing angle. I think it would have worked better if there were a catchlight in it's eye. Well worth posting though. Nice work, well done.

Hi Pieter,
A more unique POV here. You feel like your standing next to him instead of looking at him. Great colors and detail in this shot.
Well composed and framed. It is good to see some different angles.
Scott

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2006-06-14 17:41]

Hi Pieter,

Well done on this portrait and composition. Nice view.

Mike

Hi Pieter, Dit gaan heel goed met my. :)

The angle is interesting and the subject is something I hope to get in my sights. Yet I feel that something is a miss (..you are still wearing the helmet??) :) I guess if you included more landscape to leave the impression of the ox looking at the landscape it would have had more impact. An interesting photo and fresh approach none the less.

Hoe gaan dit met jou?

Hello Pieter,
Very interesting shot!
First of all because of the subject, I think not very common on TN. The second thing is the POV. I quite like it though I agree with Gerhard that a little more landscape there would probably make it better. The green space in a little empty of you know what I mean.
Overall, a very interesting post!
WELL DONE!

PS. Alaska was always on my list, as many other places that abundant wildlife and few people ;-)

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1391 W: 32 N: 1350] (3982)
  • [2006-06-17 10:45]

Hello Pieter,
You certainly do a lot of travelling,I'm quite envious being stuck here most of the year!Alaska sounds like a great place to go and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work from there.
I really like this POV and you've handled the exposure very well.
Excellent detail and a good clear contrasting background.
Nice work,well done.

TFS

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3316 W: 149 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2006-06-17 17:11]
  • [+]

Hi Pieter, so this is a musk ox and not a buffalo. They look similar, do you think? I'd love to see his face, but the composition is good. So do the owners shear them like sheep for their Qiviut?
I'm looking forward to seeing more of your Alaska photos.
Janice

  • Great 
  • chiliu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1494 W: 0 N: 1175] (6494)
  • [2006-06-17 23:20]

Hi Pieter,
Great POV and composition, very nice colours and good details.
Thanks for sharing!

Hi Pieter,

Good detail, colours and sharpness. exposure and lighting are good. unusual but good POV and well composed.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of your shots from Alaska.
Thanks for posting, enjoy the rest of the weekend.

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1044 W: 156 N: 1218] (4046)
  • [2006-06-24 18:52]

Hi Pieter,
An unusual and artistic approach to this shot, I think the POV and composition is well thought out with the horn just framing the eye, and good leading space to the right. Excellent colours, great details and textures in the hair. Nice work!
Regards,
Adrian

Hi Pieter. Seems to me we too often get the head on shot and it makes me wonder what could it be like to see the world from the subject's POV. If anything I'd be tempted to get a lower POV as well as one from behind the subject but I like your shot very much. It shows an interesting composition and a creative approach, TFS :)

Hi Pieter,
The last part of your note explains this shot, as I really wondered how you could get this close! We have musk ox in the wild not that far from where I live, and they are considered most dangerous as people have been seriously injured and even killed in their efforts to photograph...
This one is nicely framed in an interesting composition, showing some of the characteristics of the beast!
Greetings,
Pablo -

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