Out of the Blue, a photo from Alaska, West

Photographer's Note

This taken at Point Adolphus, a very popular location for whale watching. We had high expectation of seeing whales as people told us they've seen many the day before. However, we never expected to see any coming out of the water like this and I was actually pointed my camera at the right place.

It was a 4 hour tour Small boat tour. There were only 4 people plus the captain of the boat. We just started out from the dock for 30 minutes and it was our first sighting of the whale. We saw the back of 2 whales. I was just getting my camera ready and suddenly one of the whale just leaped up into the air from the calm surface of the water, I was not able to capture it since I was not expecting it and was not prepared. Also I was just so in awe with what just happened. My heart was pounding and my jaw dropped. two other tourists and the captain of the boat. We all screamed out "Oh My God!" I didn’t even occur to me to take pictures. I just watched with amazement as these two whales taking turn in breeching. Fortunately they did it about 4 or 5 times even though it is hard to know where they will come up but I was lucky and fast enough to catch some of it. they were really close to us my zoom lens of 180MM is almost too close. As you can see I nearly missed on the left side where it came out.

ikeharel, cornejo, pajaran, InasiaJones, rigoletto, kwekwekan, Subhogen, nikkitta, annjackman, jjcordier, papagolf21, Apurba20, timecapturer, chawax, PaulVDV, COSTANTINO, mkamionka, CLODO, jcpix, Vague, Gigidusud, delpeoples, Sonata11, Didi, adores, Angshu has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

yquem46 (38752) 2014-01-23 10:32

Hi Way
What an action shot ! At the right instant to have the whale in its better position outside the waters
nice neutral bg for this excellent wildlife portrait
Bravo, have a nice day
patrick

ManuMay (36447) 2014-01-23 10:39

Hi Way!

GHreat shot!!

The right moment, pure power and motion, very fine timing to capture every detail...Great work!

Congratulations...

Manu

cornejo (61504) 2014-01-23 10:51

Hello Way, very good shot to make this interesting and beautiful picture, excellent capture this exciting time of amazing show, should overwhelm see out of the sea as impressive animal, excellent and really interesting job very well done, congratulations my friend, thanks for share your experience.

Good afternoon and happy weekend.
Best regards from southern Spain.
Angel.

boa (8039) 2014-01-23 11:05

Hi Way,
fantastic shot, excellent captured in the right moment! I love the power and the energi in this scene, it is fabulous! A picture to be proud of, congratulations!

Have a nice evening/
Boa

pajaran (115989) 2014-01-23 11:12

Dobro vece.
Interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Jedinstven trenutak ...
Ovo treba videti i doziveti.
Dobar trenutak snimka i kontrast, lepo pokazan trenutak.
Dobar rad, lepe boje, moje cestitke na ulovljenom trenutku.
Prijatno vece i sve najbolje.
Paja.

Good evening.
An interesting and good text ...
A unique moment ...
This should be seen and experienced.
Good time recording and contrast nicely demonstrated moment.
Good work, beautiful colors, my congratulations to the caught moment.
Good evening and all the best.
Paja.

willperrett (14215) 2014-01-23 12:12

Hello Way
A classic wildlife shot, and captured at a real decisive moment. I guess it takes concentration not to be shocked/awed by such an event, but to keep your wits about you, and your eye to the viewfinder! Excellent timing and exposure (in particular, perfect shutter speed). I'm glad you recovered your composure in time to capture this great shot!
Regards
Will
Will

GyurMaster (24840) 2014-01-23 12:17

Free Willy! :)

dta (98848) 2014-01-23 12:19

Hello Way ,
Quelle chance d'assister а ce spectacle impressionnant ! Et une belle rйaction pour capturer l'instant .
Bravo

ruisc_pt (11594) 2014-01-23 12:22

Phenomenal.
Congratulations Way
R

chrislo (4099) 2014-01-23 12:36

Hello Way,
What a gorgeous shot, you really caught the power of this moment so well and you were so lucky to see this. The picture is incredibly sharp, showing great detail in this frozen action. Awesome capture, exceptional moment and scene. Well done !
Kind regards,
Christian

EstudioChispa (2182) 2014-01-23 12:55

They are impressive, awe-inspiring creatures -- and you did not "nearly miss" this one. You nailed it.

Awesome work, Way!

Best regards,

Russ
Austin, Texas

carlo62 (81265) 2014-01-23 14:01

Ciao Way
questa и una grande foto da professionisti, inutile ogni commento.
Complimenti sinceri.
Carlo

Kamilutka (8107) 2014-01-23 14:30

Hello Way,
I think to witness this beauty is one of the most extreme experiences in life - I can only be jealous and congratulate on it. The shot is superb and since it has been taking with dynamic object - very difficult to execute. Well done for framing and keeping it sharp. The colors are very natural and I enjoyed it a lot.
Thanks for sharing
Kamila

InasiaJones (31566) 2014-01-23 16:16

Hi Way,

You are such a crazy shooter... What a timing! As the whale seems to be in full extension and at the peak of its propulsion, with both pectoral fins out, Mr. Waylim was ready to press the shutter at the perfect moment.

The light was quite low, but I think it serves your photo nicely. The dark background and the clarity of your photo suggest that your ISO were surely cranked up, and I really like the way you have frozen the moment, with water drop in suspension. I also like the pattern created by jets of water along the wale's belly, accentuating the velocity effect.

Your description offers a good sense of the event, but I am sure that this is the kind of spectacle that words can't totally defined the experience.

A very high quality shot. Respect.

Andrй

kwekwekan (1078) 2014-01-23 16:31

Hello Way,
Breathtaking timing and what superb details of the underside of this great (if I know my whales right) humpback whale.
Best wishes,
Caleb

rigoletto (34279) 2014-01-23 16:40

immaculate timing! you should have had an instict about when the whale would be jumping, otherwise, should have received an SMS from the huge mammal "get ready way, i'm gonna jump now". what else can i say, that is perfection of a moment. bravo!

Subhogen (4067) 2014-01-23 17:20

Hello Way,
This is a superb wildlife shot of this gentle giant in action! Perfect timing to catch the whale mid air. I wonder about the thrill you must have experienced to see this in person. A photo to be cherished and be proud of. Excellent photography, my compliments on a fabulous photo. Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Subho

nikkitta (17070) 2014-01-23 17:50

Hola Way

Interesting the note to introduce this impresive in action whale, captured just at the moment of jumping out of the water, seems like a flying dancer, out of the blue

Must be a great experience to be so close, quite understand you take your time to watch and enjoy them

Super well composed and quick composition with soft colors, a true lesson of photo nature
Enjoy watching the whale so close and me so safe...
Congrats

Maria

abmdsudi (95869) 2014-01-23 18:37

Sabaidee Way
Wow!!! an amazing rare action shot and real close captured at 1/1600 so pin sharp. You are so lucky but you make the effort you deserve this super capture. I know how difficult it is to capture a photo like this, the whale really well in mid leap diagonally depicting the majesty and power of this huge mammal. Your title is apt this looks as if an arrow is piercing from below with great force. A tremendous image timely shot to perfection, tx for sharing this amazing stuff, Congrats
Best regards

adidas5nb (5743) 2014-01-23 20:34

this is a stunning shot and brings out a sense of ecstasy.thats a rare sight and well framed.
regards
dwaipayan

annjackman (23019) 2014-01-23 22:35

Hello Way,
What a fabulous, and difficult, moment to have caught. I like the positioning of the whale in the frame with all that disturbed water giving a sense of just how powerful this whale is. A moment to treasure - thanks for sharing.
Kind Regards, Ann

jjcordier (79299) 2014-01-23 22:56

Way
Une photo trиs impressionnante et d'une grande beautй. Un moment comme cela doit rester graver а vie dans sa tкte!
Amicalement
JJ

emka (158204) 2014-01-23 23:20

Hi Way, You have better photos than National Geographic. After the fishing bears now this one! I would be very very happy to see it and be able to make photo. What an incredible timing and the composition is also perfect, as if it posed for you. Spectacular shot.
I watched whales near Cape Town, it was mother with a kid, but they didn't jumped or show tails. Anyway, my camera is too slow for such photos.

Warm regrads malgo

papagolf21 (152607) 2014-01-24 2:02

Bonjour, Way,
Fйlicitations pour cette superbe prise de vue. Il faut se montrer trиs rйactif pour pouvoir saisir une telle image.
Trиs bonne journйe.
Amitiйs.
Philippe

holmertz (102774) 2014-01-24 2:56

Hello Way,
What an amazing animal this is, and what a forceful and dynamic photo you have captured. You describe it honestly as a fairly lucky shot, which doesn't in any way decrease its value. Fabulous.
Kind regards,
Gert

wolf38 (30) 2014-01-24 3:03

Hello Way. Today you show a photo of a totally different profession. Instead of a magnificent landscape I see an impressive whale. Really exciting and masterfully presented. You have pressed the shutter of the camera in the ideal moment. Rgds, Wolfgang.

trevormoffiet (3112) 2014-01-24 3:19

Hello Way,
This is a truly impressive photo. It is no accident that you got this shot when the situation was presented to you. It is the type of shot that many of us dream about taking.
Best regards,
Trevor

timecapturer (49288) 2014-01-24 4:46

Hello Way
awesome to see and an awesome capture too! Just fantastic!

Enjoy the weekend - B.

ikeharel (113427) 2014-01-24 6:24

Hello Way,
This is an outstanding photo, show a most impressive moment as the gib whale was up on the air, almost in full length of its body.
Water spray also immaculately collected.
I wonder how many shots you had to take, until achieve this masterpiece picture.
Cheers for this beauty, have a nice weekend,
Ike

chawax (20764) 2014-01-24 8:16

Hi Way,
Fantastic shot ! I saw whales on my trip to Iceland last june and could see too a whale leaping up from th water. But it did it only once so I could take no picture :( But it was really an impressive moment and, as you said, my heart was pounding at that moment !
Have a nice week end,
Olivier

PaulVDV (62978) 2014-01-24 16:42

Hello Way,
WOW! Whale watching can provide unbelievable shots!
That must have been some experience.
Wonderful clear and sharp wildlife picture.
Best regards, Paul

HimalAnda (10671) 2014-01-25 0:10

Hello Way,

What an impressive picture! You managed to take the picture at the right time, well done.

Stйphane

saxo042 (38078) 2014-01-25 7:42

Hi Way,
A massive and very impressive performance. This whale really provide a good diagonal line in the picture. Well captured and well done by the whale.
Kind regards
Gunnar

COSTANTINO (116580) 2014-01-25 8:27

Hello
it s a great action shot incredible
nice timing to capture this
excellent and really interesting
you are a very lucky photographer
but according to your useful notes
you never expected to see this
comi ng out of the water like this
bravo you did it
regards
Costantino

mkamionka (74535) 2014-01-25 12:49

Congratulations Way!
It is quite a catch! I am so jealous.
You captured the whale diagonally in the frame and almost out of the water. The animal is so sharp. It is an incredible wild life photo.The tile is so funny and accurate, I like it too. This seems like a very fruitful trip with the bears fishing and now this successful whale watching.
Excellent work! Jaw-dropping!
M

CLODO (45116) 2014-01-26 6:07

Hi Way

You were lucky but also ready to press the shutter! really impressive shot!
CONGRATULATIONS
CLODO

jcpix (14030) 2014-01-26 18:59

Hi Way,

Your note had me singing the theme song to Gilligans Island..."A four(or in their case, 3)hour tour..." :)

Compliments for composing yourself quick enough to grab this extraordinary shot, I can only imagine the adrenaline rush seeing this live!! Wow! A truly remarkable moment caught, and to have done so this well under the circumstances is just divine. Ready or not, this turned out to be a terrific and well documented image...and I'm sure another one that you'll be able to relive over and over just by seeing it in your collection. You should have mimicked him and jumped in yourself with a belly flop! :) Enjoy the day ahead.

Friendly wishes,

Jason

Vague (307) 2014-01-28 1:04

Hello Way,
Wow. Just wow. Amazing shot. Perfect preparedness, frame and timing. The whale did the rest!...

Best
Vangelis

Gigidusud (21679) 2014-01-28 2:28

Hello Way,
Amazing capture, great work! Love it!
Best regards.
Gigi

mesutilgim (0) 2014-01-28 12:14

Hello,
Great capture with perfect timing !
Many interesting notes makes your entry a perfect TE job.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

delpeoples (60342) 2014-01-29 4:05

Gidday NBF

And you said you didn't get a very good shot! Wow this is stunning, I love the seaspray coming off the whale, the grey tones are magnificent and you got an excellent sharpness. Really beautiful photo of a decisive moment that not many people get to witness up close. Congratulations.

I hope your family are ok, thinking of you all
Lisa

macjake (98456) 2014-01-30 11:28

Hi Way
beauty of a photo!
what can I say....you have the money shot here.

the classic shot of the whale emerging out of the water, and i love seeing the spray and mist, and the underbelly of the beast :)

excellent work to get the 1/1600 shutter, that should stop the whale in its tracks very well.

great luck, but skill too! it all worked in your favor.
cheers
craig

SimoAle (646) 2014-02-03 11:54

Ciao Way
ci proponi un altra delle meraviglie della natura cosм rare da incontrare! Sorprendente scatto cosм perfetto e surreale! I tuoi viaggi sono invidiabili e ti porterai sempre dentro un enorme bagaglio di emozioni!
Bravo my Friend! !!
Simona

fabbs99 (17179) 2014-02-06 22:31

Hi Way,

Classic shot of this monster taking a leap out of water.Excellent pov and sharpness. Very well done ,TFS.

Regards,Farhat

Didi (61589) 2014-02-10 10:08

Hi Way
That's great you lucky man !
A fantastic decisive moment a scoop picture document
Well done my friend
Best regards

adores (46979) 2014-02-17 5:24

Hi Way!
What a great shot! You captured the whale on the best moment! I like the composition and the sense of movement. The water gives a great effect also. Very good series!

BennyV (34748) 2014-02-18 11:40

A joyful celebration of life on planet earth.
Let's count our blessings...

A terrific picture, dear Way.
Thanks for posting.

Benny

Periko (9107) 2014-02-26 21:40

Hi Way
Very impressive shot. Interesting frozen motion. Good light and focus.

Regards
Pedro

Angshu (56760) 2014-08-06 2:24

Sabaidie Way
While lauding you for the excellent picture, I thank you for your note as well which allows us to almost be there with you...well though the 'almost' is a big 'almost'!
I wish some day I can see a spectacle like this...I heard from my sister that there is a similar place in S.Africa..
Marvellous capture with the high speed, freezing even the droplets of water at the same time providing enough proof about the movement...light doesn't seem great but doesn't affect the scene a bit.
Fantastic!
Best Regards
Angshu