Bull Moose on Snowy Lake

Congratulations! This is the Image of the Week selection for the Wildlife Gallery, week ending 3rd February, 2012! Bull Moose, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada - along Highway 60 (east size of park)
Canon EOS 5D mk II, EF 500/4IS lens

Last week I stumbled across an extraordinary photo op - these two bull moose walking across a frozen lake in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. I shot a couple hundred photos and was ecstatic when the two bulls came head to head and I had room to fit them both in the viewfinder (I ran backwards and switched to a FF body!). Exposing for the moose, the snowy background overexposed creating a surreal high key effect.

A few people have accused me of faking the photo, to which I responded that my photoshop skills aren't that good and the moose wouldn't cooperate in studio.

Please let me know what you think about the photo.

Very, very nice high key image of these two! I don't see anything that would even remotely think this was faked!

Thanks Randy, I think the fakery suggestion is simply because photos of moose in this scenario are unsual, especially high key. It seemed perfectly normal to me.... two moose on a snowy lake!

Hi

I don’t see any reason at this resolution to think these are faked – but I can understand why people nowadays almost always assume images are photoshopped rather than being reality. It starts with magazines where just about every model is photoshopped into looking a certain way and so that’s seen as the norm.

Nice shot btw and a great encounter to remember

All the best
Matthew

It looks terrific to me! Love it!

Looks great to me. Good detail in the moose. It's nice when all the stars line up

I like the high-key look. Doesn't look fake at all to me.

love this one!

This is wonderful Ethan. I particularly like the high key as I'm partial to that anyway, and there's just enough detail in the snow to keep them from looking like they're floating. Great pose and behavior too.

Perfect angle to capture the sparring interaction with both faces visible, and the setting is the icing on the cake!

Well done Ethan right place at the right time.
Steve R

Hi

Congratulations upon the iow !!!

All the best
Matthew

Love the picture,I need to visit Algonguin soon