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Mama 'n' Me


Mama 'n' Me
Photo Information
Copyright: Silke Force (Silke) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 729 W: 98 N: 1707] (5458)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-01-30
Categories: Mammals, Ocean
Camera: Nikon Coolpix 5700
Exposure: f/5.5
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-03-29 9:09
Viewed: 4013
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I loved my trip to California, an adventure taken over two years ago. I had gone down to take a workflow class at the Lepp Institute of Digital Imaging. I gave myself two extra days after the course to explore the coast and was delighted to stumble across the sea lion colony on the shore of San Simeon. This is one of a series of shots I took that day.
Elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris, are true seals, or earless seals, members of the pinniped suborder. What marvellous creatures they are: huge blubbery males with the pendulous noses that give these beasts their name; winsome females whose faces seem to be etched with a permanent smile; and endearing plump babies with big brown eyes.
In the 1880's northern elephant seals were thought to be extinct, harvested by shore whalers and sealers for their blubber. The oil obtained from elephant seals is second in quality only to the sperm whale. A small group of between 20-100 elephant seals that bred on Guadalupe Island, off Baja California, survived the ravages of the seal hunts. Protected first by Mexico and later by the United States, they have steadily expanded their range. Today they are protected from hunting and harassment by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. The total population estimate for northern elephant seals in 2003 is around 150,000.
The breeding season begins in late November when mature bulls begin to arrive and fight to determine dominance. The females start arriving in the middle of December and continue to arrive until the middle of February. The first birth is around Christmas, but most births usually occur during the last two weeks of January. The females remain on the beach for about five weeks from the time they come ashore. Amazingly, the males are on the beach for up to 100 days. The seals are fasting while they are on land, and both males and females lose about 1/3 of their body weight during the breeding season.
Elephant seals form harems, in which the dominant, or alpha, male is surrounded by a group of females.
For complete information see: http://www.elephantseal.org/
Tech: cropped from top and bottom to focus on the little family, resized, sharpened edges only, added border and signature
Thank you everyone for your visits and critiques
I shall pop around to your galleries over the coming week (my excuse to take breaks from moving)
jaycee, Silvio2006, Adanac, valy67, scottevers7, pablominto, zeca, delic has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

good focus and interesting subject slight over exposure on parts of the mom.

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2007-03-29 11:31]

Hi Silke,

Wonderful shot of a wonderful moment. What an opportunity! The details are great and I like all the shades of grey.

Jane

Hi Silke, lovely composition with splendid family scene, great focus, very well done, ciao Silvio

Hi Silke,
What an adorable picture. Good captured.

I just love the situation. It looks like they, or at least mommy seal, having a big laugh.

Great,
Christian

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1273 W: 1 N: 6188] (21378)
  • [2007-03-29 18:21]

Hello Silke,
What a touching moment you captured here with very good camera work, Thanks for sharing the capture and the great note.
Rick

Hello Silke !
What a beautiful picture ! You have caught a great moment between this mother and her child ! They are lovely and they seem to enjoy the sun, look at the face of the mother ! Thank you for sharing this very special picture with us !
Valerie.

Hi Silke,
An excellent shot on this Sea Lion mother and pup. YYou handled the bright sunlight well. A great moment captured here.
Scott

Hello Silke,
Cute and interesting!
Situation is well captured, with nice details...
Well framed!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • juanjo Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 167 W: 8 N: 27] (1142)
  • [2007-04-01 18:30]

hello Silke

funny picture of the seal and its son in a strange position

bye

Juanjo

  • Great 
  • dkaved Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 259 W: 17 N: 431] (2114)
  • [2007-04-09 16:50]

Hi Silke,
This is a cute pair and good to hear that they are protected and safe.Caught in a lovely pose with them snuggled together and resting on the beach.You handled the monochrome very well making them distinct and clear.Wish you all the best with your move.
Regards, David

  • Great 
  • zeca Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 373 W: 14 N: 539] (2887)
  • [2007-04-18 1:02]

Nice captured, Silke! And the title is very well choosen. I will show this to my son because he loves this animals. Well done!
Regards,
Zeca

  • Great 
  • delic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 440 W: 6 N: 310] (898)
  • [2007-05-01 17:05]

Hello Silke,
That's a very cute picture. Such show of affection... Exposure is very good. Well-seen and captured. Regards,
Hakan

This is a nice and touching image Silke. I like this proximity you captured between those two beautiful animals. Exposure and POV are very good and so are your notes. Thanks,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2007-07-04 8:33]

Hello Silke,
Tender shot of mother and child! Nice capture of the Californian Elephant Seal. The two are depicted sharply and set in a nice composition with good lighting.
Thanks for digging this one out and good luck with the move!
Ivan

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-07-04 20:22]

Hello Silke

I am marking the post for now .


Rob

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