# Reindeer-mania in Lapland



## Alex_B (Sep 18, 2008)

A small selection from my September reindeer images.

1: Reindeer in a distance. 
I set up camp on this high plain (a 20 km long valley) close to Saltoluokta for 2 nights. First I encountered only smaller groups of Reindeer, 5 to 10 animals, but then more and more gathered, many herds of 50 and more reindeer. Everything started to taste and smell like reindeer, the air, the water, my food, and I myself!






2: More reindeer in a distance





3: Reindeer panning





4: The bad boys





5: mushroom, yummy!





And just for the sake of completeness, a nightly visitor who has its own thread: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138561


----------



## Overread (Sep 18, 2008)

Very good series of shots - mushroom shot looks like you were very close to that one! 
I must say I really love the colours you have captured - especialy in "the bad boys"
*now comes the inevitable* what kit did you use *question*


----------



## matt-l (Sep 18, 2008)

Really like the first shot!! great series Alex.


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 18, 2008)

Thanks both 



Overread said:


> Very good series of shots - mushroom shot looks like you were very close to that one!



Very close indeed, but it ran away seconds after that shot 



> *now comes the inevitable* what kit did you use *question*



Canon 5D (it is much more weather proof than people think), most of the shots in this thread are with the 24-105mm f/4 L, but on my trip I also used the 17-40 f/4 L, 300mm f/4 L and the 50mm f/1.4, a B+W Kaesemann polariser, several Lee ND grad filters. Could not be bothered to carry much more since this was basically a hiking/wilderness/outdoor trip for weeks. OK, also had a tripod and cable release of course.


----------



## BoblyBill (Sep 18, 2008)

Yay!!!! Pictures!!!! Nice! I like this series...


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 18, 2008)

BoblyBill said:


> Yay!!!! Pictures!!!! Nice! I like this series...



Thanks 

Thats it for tonight though .. I am too lazy to prepare more for posting today.


----------



## Antarctican (Sep 18, 2008)

I really like these, Alex!  The shades of gold and brown in the first two shots are just gorgeous. And I'm in awe of how close you got to the mushroom eater, to get that shot. 

It looks like you really got 'up close and personal' with nature on this trip. You lucky sod!


----------



## Dmitri (Sep 18, 2008)

Beautiful pics! I am both jealous and jealous of your adventure. I like the white Reindeer, very different.


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 18, 2008)

Thanks!

If time allows, I might start posting some landscape shots tomorrow.


----------



## invisible (Sep 18, 2008)

I'm not very fond of the blurry shots, but all the others more than make up for them. Probably your set that I've liked the most here on TPF. The colours on the first two are surreal, and "The Bad Boys" is really badass


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 19, 2008)

THanks 

On the last one, blurriness results simply from the darkness and the slow shutter speed needed.

In the other image of the running reindeer, it is intentional


----------



## terri (Sep 19, 2008)

I didn't even know there were white reindeer! That is a wonderful shot, and I bet it was a very cool moment for you.  

I like all of these, the panning shot and "the bad boys" in particular. What a beautiful area! 

Nice work.


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 19, 2008)

terri said:


> I didn't even know there were white reindeer! That is a wonderful shot, and I bet it was a very cool moment for you.
> 
> I like all of these, the panning shot and "the bad boys" in particular. What a beautiful area!
> 
> Nice work.



Thanks 
What you call _area _though, is more than that. Lapland (home of the Sami) stretches over vast parts of Northern Scandinavia, including  parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia  - mainly at and North of the Arctic Circle. I usually travel the Swedish part.


----------



## Peanuts (Sep 19, 2008)

These are stunning, my absolute fave is the panning one, imagine that one blown up big! I get giddy just thinking about it!  Stunning stunning work!


----------



## bigalbest (Sep 19, 2008)

Peanuts said:


> These are stunning, my absolute fave is the panning one, imagine that one blown up big! I get giddy just thinking about it!  Stunning stunning work!



I really like that one also, great job!


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 19, 2008)

Thanks. I also agree that it looks better at its original size, when you can really see more of those reindeer parts which are not blurry.

So here continues my Lapland collection:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1383182


----------



## MissMia (Sep 19, 2008)

"Bad Boys" photos gets my vote! Beautiful shots Alex!


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 19, 2008)

Thank you 

I have plenty more of Reindeer images, but I think I will leave it at these. Time to move on


----------



## Tangerini (Sep 19, 2008)

Oh so lovely Alex!  What an adventure you've had, I'm happy to live vicariously through your amazing photographs!


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 19, 2008)

Hmm, so I have to post more images tomorrow??


----------



## rubbertree (Sep 19, 2008)

The panning one!! OMG that is gorgeous!!!
Yes please! More photos kind sir!


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 20, 2008)

rubbertree said:


> The panning one!! OMG that is gorgeous!!!
> Yes please! More photos kind sir!



Thanks 

The panning one seems to be controversial 

Anyway, got some work to do today, but will try to post some more Lapland images tonight.


----------



## rubbertree (Sep 20, 2008)

yes, why is that? I love a good panned photo.
In fact, I just won 3rd place in a national camera store photo contest with a panned photo! Done correctly (or a lucky shot), they are wonderful.


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 27, 2008)

rubbertree said:


> yes, why is that? I love a good panned photo.
> In fact, I just won 3rd place in a national camera store photo contest with a panned photo! Done correctly (or a lucky shot), they are wonderful.



But not everyone likes them 

I do though!


----------



## TrickyRic (Sep 27, 2008)

Nice shots. I bet those first 2 woul look fantastic in extreme wide angle - Maybe crop them both in half vertically, leaving only the golden bottom half?


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 27, 2008)

TrickyRic said:


> Nice shots. I bet those first 2 woul look fantastic in extreme wide angle - Maybe crop them both in half vertically, leaving only the golden bottom half?



Well, all that would not change the angle, only the aspect ratio and the composition 

But I know what you mean, I left the greyish darker rock in there intentionally though to keep some more context in the image.

A 4x1 or better 3x1 crop could work nicely, I agree, but I would not totally reduce it to the bright parts only.


----------



## TrickyRic (Sep 27, 2008)

Well obviously a true wide angle would be impossible with post processing, and a processed wide angle effect would likely be noticable, but wide crops work well too I find . Here for example, is one of my extreme wide crops and it really brings out the golden colours, at least in the glossy printed version. http://picturepostbox.com/images/image572.jpg


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 27, 2008)

I do 4x1 and 3x1 quite often, posted quite some 3x1 this month here on the forum actually 

your link is a 2x1 ot 16x9 or something close I think.


----------



## TrickyRic (Sep 27, 2008)

Not sure what the exact ratio was in that one, I don't always stick to conventional sizes as I usually border to a 4:3 print in the end regardless. Looking again though I'm wondering why I considered it extreme, LOL. Maybe I have another crop hiding somewhere :-/.

Anyway, we all have different tastes and I think I'll have to disagree with your preference on those dark tones =). Maybe growing up in rainy England gave me an over the top taste for the sun...


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 28, 2008)

Well, I grew up in a rainy town myself, and I lived in England.

I did not say it would not be a nice image. I only said I decided to create something different. This is a decision which is coupled with intentions.

If you or someone else had posted an image cropped as you described, I would have probably praised it and liked it. So my point is not as strong as you might think


----------



## TrickyRic (Sep 28, 2008)

Tastes, intentions, preferences - Everybody differs in them all .

Anyway, don't get me wrong they're definately great shots however you choose to present them.


----------



## Alex_B (Sep 28, 2008)

ok, thanks again!


----------

