Tracy Kaminer
October 2026 - Survivor
Original
About the Image(s)
I took this photo a couple of weeks ago in South Dakota, at Custer State Park. We had a wonderful opportunity to photograph bison. They were not afraid of people and many could be found close to the road. I waited for this grazing one to raise his head and took my shot. But when I edited it, I found that the second eye wasn't as compelling as the other one, so I decided to do a half crop. I know partial portraits of animals don't tend to do well in competition, but I rather liked the curve of this one. Would love to know what you think. ISO 1600, 363 mm, f10, 1/2500.
13 comments posted
Correction: this was taken in the Badlands in SD. Posted: 10/06/2026 17:45:30
I think I see where you were going with this composition which is an interesting way of making the portrait more dynamic. However, I'm distracted by a few things. The damaged horn pulls my eye to that area. I don't think the bison had a beard but it looks to me like a beard cut off, which draws my eye out of the frame. I might suggest taking a look at it with an even tighter crop, leave out the background on the left and concentrate on the mouth and eye, and maybe the start of the horn. Posted: 10/08/2026 11:47:11
Got it, Mike. I'll give it a try. Bison do have beards, but I agree that it is cut off. Posted: 10/08/2026 17:24:16
It's hard to pass up on photographing bison. Finding a unique way to present the bison in a photograph can be a challenge. I like that you are trying to draw the viewer into an intimate view. I agree with Mike's suggestions. I'm not sure if you have lost some detail in the crop as to me it looks soft overall. I would suggest cleaning up the piece of grass by the mouth and try sharpening or maybe clarity. Posted: 10/10/2026 22:54:32
Thank you, Pamela. I agree that it's not the sharpest, but I like the grass hanging out of the mouth. It's a little detail that makes him stand out. I know not everyone would agree, though. Thanks for commenting. Posted: 10/12/2026 19:27:42
You could also consider a crop that has both horns and eyes. I find it interesting that this bison broke off part of its horn, that might make an interesting nature story. I see that she might not be making full eye contact but still, the asymmetry is interesting. You are good at animal portraits, whichever crop you choose. Posted: 10/13/2026 17:24:57
Thank you, Polly. I'll go back and try your suggestion. Posted: 10/13/2026 18:19:22
I like that you were thinking "outside the box" about how to present this. Did you consider dividing it right dow the middle and using the right side instead of the left to get an intact horn? I think if you have enough pixels you could go in even tighter. Overall the image appears a little bit soft to me, so I am not sure how much closer you could go but it might be worth a try. Posted: 10/13/2026 18:32:37
Yes, it probably is a little soft. Maybe need to upscale it. An interesting idea, Sharon. Thank you. Posted: 10/19/2026 21:13:08
I agree with Sharon on your thinking outside the box with this image. I played with some of the others suggestions that I agreed with and also whitened the damage horn to draw attention to it. Your thoughts? Posted: 10/19/2026 20:33:32
Thank you, Tom. I appreciate the help and the whitening of the horn is a good idea. Posted: 10/19/2026 21:12:12
This is a magnificent animal. For me the half face doesn't do justice to him. I would much prefer cropping to include the entire animal with some of the background for context. Posted: 10/22/2026 19:41:12
Thanks, Judith. I know what you mean. Posted: 10/22/2026 19:42:36