Leaping wolf snatches photo prize

[accadacca]

Sweet Shot! :five:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/sci_nat_enl_1256135662/img/1.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8318000/8318226.stm

[JP]

Awesome shot :2thumbs: :2thumbs:

[Don]

If only I could get that print on a tee shirt...

[LOAH]

:roflol: :roflol: :roflol:

[devo_stevo]

I'm bumping this one to the top in order to inform you all of this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34979410?GT1=43001


Was award-winning wolf wild or a model?
Wildlife photographer stripped of prize for shot of leaping critter

LONDON - Organizers of a wildlife photography competition have disqualified the winning image of a leaping wolf after an investigation determined the animal was trained, not wild.

Judges for the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition had praised Spanish photographer Jose Luis Rodriguez's image featuring an Iberian wolf for its "fairy tale" quality but later became suspicious about its authenticity.

Competition spokeswoman Louise Emerson said Wednesday that judges had investigated and decided that the wolf is probably "an animal model that can be hired for photographic purposes."

The competition's rules said the use of captive animals must be declared. Rodriguez was stripped of the award.

Emerson says Rodriguez denies using a model wolf.

[CarpeyBiggs]

huh. i must've missed this one the first time. but yes, it's not a wild animal. there was a lot of dispute about it shortly after the contest. glad to see the organizers officially recognized it as a fake.

[JP]

Great shot anyway :nod:

[Redpb]

almost as cool as...
http://www.birkoph.com/Wolf%20T%20Shirt%20Long%20Sleeve%20Mens-Large_files/borntoroamls.jpg

[denaliguide]

so, if i go out and set up a camera and tripod on a game trail, and the camera is attached to some type of tripwire or laser type triggering device which allows me to be no where near the camera when the photo is taken, and a fantastic photo comes out of it, am i really a great photographer?

i don't think so.

[Deathcricket]

so, if i go out and set up a camera and tripod on a game trail, and the camera is attached to some type of tripwire or laser type triggering device which allows me to be no where near the camera when the photo is taken, and a fantastic photo comes out of it, am i really a great photographer?

i don't think so.

I think the shot gets exponentially more difficult when you are tracking a wild animal vs a trained one though. For me, one of the amazing aspects of this photo would be thinking he captured this via a tripwire at that exact second vs standing there and shooting 10 photos and picking the best one. So while I agree the photo is superb. The skill level in getting a shot like this is lowered a bit IMO. Wolves are extremely hard to track down and photograph that close IMO.

Another example... This snow leopard footage from Blue Planet series. Just knowing how vast the terrain is and the fact it's first time footage. And how very rare these creatures are.... The footage is amazing, but the other facts weigh in to make it exponentially more impressive IMO. Just thinking about the they years spent in the mountains trying to find and film these, "ups the ante" for me.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FboCdMVH0tE&feature=PlayList&p=4BD6C2E0716FE099&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=6

[CarpeyBiggs]

so, if i go out and set up a camera and tripod on a game trail, and the camera is attached to some type of tripwire or laser type triggering device which allows me to be no where near the camera when the photo is taken, and a fantastic photo comes out of it, am i really a great photographer?

i don't think so.

well, considering that is hardly what it takes to pull this off, i'd reconsider.

the guys that are shooting remote cameras are still setting up complex lighting schemes, AND trying to plan for an animal that actually has to show up. It takes an even better photographer to pull it off.

Like this one, which was also very controversial a couple years back. But, it's a simply PHENOMENAL photograph, and it was because the photographer's brilliance in obtaining it.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/06/snow-leopards/winter-photography

this series won a handful of international awards. and lots of photographers were irate because they are remote triggers. but, bottom line, the photographer did some amazing work here, much harder to pull off in my opinion than simply "being there."

now the difference between the two, is that with a trained animal, you know it's going to show up. with a snow leopard, perhaps the most elusive animal on the planet, you have to hope, do research, preplan, and get lucky. takes one of the best photographers in the world to pull it off (and to afford the trip logistics...) the two are in no way comparable. the national geographic photo is legit, and amazing (and he has a whole series of other images to demonstrate it wasn't a one-shot wonder). the wolf is a beautiful photograph, but it pales in comparison.

now, if it was a wild one, i'd be in awe, because that would suggest either a moment of pure luck, or a significant amount of research on the part of the photographer (which is probably the most difficult thing to master as a wildlife photographer.)

[CarpeyBiggs]

and here's the video of how the snow leopard was photographed... compare that with photographing a trained wolf. and?

it's not traditional photographic talent, to be sure. and it's not my style. but, it's amazing nonetheless.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vQDZXlXaAI

[JP]

Thanks for the links , Dan. Like that NatGeo one :2thumbs: