Big Horn Sheep in a Snowstorm

Thanks to everyone for your feedback.

Nick, I need to look at the images closer and see about the color noise. It's interesting that the big blurry snowflakes all seem to have a greenish tone. Image #1 was shot at ISO 4000 so it is pretty noisy overall even though it was properly exposed. #2 was shot at ISO 800 but I underexposed almost a full stop. However, moving the color slider doesn't seem to have any affect. #3 was properly exposed at ISO 2000 and moving the slider doesn't do much. #4, it seems I underexposed about 1/2 stop at ISO 1250 but I don't think the noise came from adjusting exposure. That shot, I further processed in NIK Color Efex and I seem to have introduced color noise in that step so I'll have to go back and figure out where that happened. Thanks for prompting me to study that closer.

Very nice series :)

Thanks for the explanation of using the shoulder to increase stabilization. I would never have thought of it and look forward to trying it. However, I always use my right eye to look through the viewfinders, so I'm guessing that using the right shoulder perhaps requires being a bit of a contortionist. On the other hand, I've never tried using my left eye at the viewfinder and that may not be out of the question.

Is this the right time to ask about back button focusing? :D

Terri;

These are just beautiful and I could see #3 in Nat Geo :) I commend you for being able to capture these images under the conditions that you describe. I have been known to be a bit stubborn and it's nice to know I am not alone and I smiled when I read this:

Quote:

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But I'd made the trip and wasn't about to hang out in the hotel all day.

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It would drive me crazy to be stuck in the hotel.

Do you have special gloves that keep your hands warm and still allow you to operate the camera controls?

Thanks Binnur.

Mike, can you have your wife take a video of you trying to use your right shoulder? I'd like to see that one :D

Shane, thank you. I wear a regular glove on my left hand and a hand-knitted wool fingerless glove on my right. I also have a pair of wool fingerless gloves that I knit for my husband that have a mitten "flap" that can be pulled back to reveal the fingers. I think you can buy these type glove/mittens in the hunting dept but the ones I've seen in stores tend to be too bulky for my taste. I guess you don't have much need for these type things where you are! :)

Hi
Hope you don't mind, I had a try at this one by importing it into lightroom 4 and moving the color noise slider, in the details panel, to about 24. Do you see any difference? I don't know what you use for NR, but lightroom 4 is very effective for color noise in my experience.
http://i61.tinypic.com/fav8gl.jpg

Thanks, Nick for taking the time. I do use LR5 for almost all my processing. This particular image was also run through NiK EFEX which apparently introduced some color noise. Moving the LR5 slider on the Nik edited image as you suggest does seem to get rid of a lot of the green color noise but there is still some red. I think I need to figure out where I introduced the noise in Nik and try again.

I appreciate your edit!

All are nice but, my favorite is #3...

Terri, great shots, great environment shots. Seeing these images brings to mind one of my favorite movies...Jeremiah Johnson. FWIW noise (whatever there may be) doesn't bother me, it only adds to the overall gestalt. Makes me dread the coming storm/winter.

Everything slows down in extreme cold!

I love your work...and your insanity!

Thanks, guys. I'm glad you enjoyed them! :)