Memorable Photos

     I'd like to try a few posts that recall certain photos that are most memorable to me. I snap photographs almost every time I see a new animal, bird or beautiful landscape.
     I don't snap many people pictures, not because I don't like people but because I don't want to disappoint them, interfere with them or disappoint myself with the results. People are difficult to capture because we each have a personality that is unique and I think the photograph should capture that to be real. Once in a while it does work for me but mainly by accident rather than design.

Polar Bear Marathon Churchill, Manitoba
 

     This people picture works for me. It shows some activity, adds some questions and describes the landscape. You can see that the track is icy by slight reflections. You can judge the time of year by the angle of the runners shadows and you can tell the temperature by the frost on their beard and face mask. The polar bear tells us that we are running in the north somewhere and the background landscape shows very stunted trees, rocks and windswept snowdrifts so we must be far north. There is a good story being told in this one photo. With a couple more pictures, the story could be complete without any words written.

     It is the personality of the animal or person that I think bring a photo to life and make it memorable. It is the personality that we can relate to through our own experiences and universally recognised body language. The anthropomorphization of wildlife is natural to me when I see them act so much like we do. Whether it is a cub bear or caring birds, I often recognise fear, worry, empathy, sorrow, caring and love for their own family members. This is the shot that I hope to capture. I am trying to portray the emotions of the animal in that moment that we can all relate to.

What's Happening Mom?

    



     This photo is almost self-explanatory. We can sense the cub's anxiety of what it is seeing. We can see that he is questioning and curious but unsure enough, that he seeks answers from behind his mothers security. We do not need to know the cause of their concern but we do see that it has their undivided attention until they can identify the issue. We also see that Mom is guarding her cub, placing herself between her baby and the threat. She is not standing in any kind of threatening pose but she is confident in her ability in this moment.

Safe and Sound

     I like to see and portray family comfort and security. We can all relate to a Mother lying with her kids piled on top of or cuddled in close to her warmth and security. This is a common sight when mother with cubs lie down in their day-beds for a snooze. Mom will find a vantage point that is protected from the wind and generally tough to see. In this situation, she has her back and sides protected from attack from any danger to herself or cubs. This particular spot is situated very close to a busy road so predatory male bears may feel insecure wandering so close to human activity. This female has probably learned that humans in this region are generally nothing more than an annoyance rather than a threat. The cubs are also learning this knowledge from their mother for use in future years. Seeing the cubs cuddled up to their mother also reminds me of the times when my own young children would sneak into the warmth and comfort of our bed when they were frightened or felt insecure.

Foxy Discussion

     This pair of foxes are obviously having a disagreement of some sort. We can only guess what it is about.  I guess the dark fox is the husband and the red fox is the wife. From the body language, I am guessing that he made a suggestion that she has vehemently disagreed with. I like the option we all have to decide for ourselves what she may be snappy about. Since we don't know for sure, we also have the option of calling the red fox the husband and the darker fox the wife. How does this change affect your question? The photo itself is not a good photo but I like it more for the discussion than the quality.
     
     I will post a few more photos over the coming weeks to add to this discussion. Please add your own comments or interpretations of the above photos. What emotion do they remind you of? What questions do you ask yourself  or this photographer about the image?
    


www.wildviewfinders.ca