Motif: Cougars (C)

D1x/200-400VR@200/iso125 1/500 F7.1 FF-1

Hello NatureScapers...

Not too many takers on the motif this week, so I thought I better give it a try. Dappled or uneven light has always been a challenge for me. I've tossed a ton of pictures made in this type of light. But it can work and I've seen other photographers handle it well. For me, it seems to work when the spot lighting hits the subjects eye in a portrait type photograph or emphasizes the action depicted in the photograph.

Fill can be used to decrease the depth of the shadows in the field. Back at home/office post processing of the digital capture (particularly the shadow highlight tool Greg Downing describes in the e-magazine section) can help even out the uneven lighting situation and get the photo under control. Like anywhere else, usually it works best to expose for the brightest area and try to save the shadows with fill and/or post processing. The challenge with this type of light is the extreme dynamic range, particularly when working with slide film.

Hopefully you will find this photo a successful example of uneven light spotlighting the action depicted.

Thanks for looking and for any comments or suggestions..