Pika at Mount Rainier

I was very fortunate to find a Pika while at Rainier a few weekends ago.

These cute little alpine rodents have been an especially difficult challenge for me. I've encountered them several times previous to this, but was never able to get an image of them that I was pleased with.

An hour or so of waiting on the rocks paid off, however, as after just a short time the Pika became less nervous and eventually showed himself at close range. In fact, once he came out and sat on a rock that was too close - the minimum focus distance of my 400 2.8 is 10 feet, and he was well within this range! Time to get extension tubes

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That second picture is really awesome! The colors are amazing. What a cutie.

fav #2---super composition.

Congrats on nailing this -- that second shot is terrific!

Awesome shots!

Jaci

Beautiful shots! I've never seen one of these guys.

Nicely done.

Like a real life pikachu

Who said rodents can't be adorable?

Now, that's a cute little guy! Great shots!

Tom,

Love the second pic of the pika. These guys are not easy to shoot, believe me I have tried on numerous occasions. Hard to believe that they are members of the rabbit family.

Brent

They're not rodents? Wow! That's cool, I didn't know that.

Well, that certainly explains their cuteness, then. "Rodents = creepy" rule stays intact.

Gorgeous shots, Tom. Your patience paid off.

Excellent images Tom. Did you shoot them in different light or process them differently? I'm wondering why the color tone is so different. Sometimes I have the white balance set wrong on the camera when I take a shot but I correct it in DPP.

I haven't heard from you in quite a while. Its good to see you post some pictures here.
Bob

Thanks for the comments, everyone - they are appreciated.

Snow Goose wrote in post #8604376
Excellent images Tom. Did you shoot them in different light or process them differently? I'm wondering why the color tone is so different. Sometimes I have the white balance set wrong on the camera when I take a shot but I correct it in DPP.
Bob

Hi, Bob! Good to hear from you!
These shots were taken on two different days. I didn't process them much too differently, although there are some minor differences in the processing adjustments. The first shot was actually "cooler" originally than it appears now. I adjusted it up to a color temperature of 6799 degrees Kelvin.

The second image was warmer than the first originally, due to the different light on that morning, the differently colored rocks, and the fact that I was aiming the camera in the opposite direction for that shot than I was for the first one. Even though the image appears to be much warmer, as you see it here the color temperature is actually much cooler than the first - it's 5579 degrees Kelvin.

I thought the cooler look for the first image was appropriate, as it fit the rocks that the Pika was on and the "socked in" mood of that morning. And I liked the apparent warmth of the 2nd image, as it best shows the purplish hues in the rocks.

Funny how the first one is actually "warmer" than the second, if you go strictly by degrees Kelvin.

Here's another Pika image - it falls between the first and the second, so far as color temperature is concerned:

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Nice captures!

Tom Reichner wrote in post #8601415
I was very fortunate to find a Pika while at Rainier a few weekends ago.

These cute little alpine rodents have been an especially difficult challenge for me. I've encountered them several times previous to this, but was never able to get an image of them that I was pleased with.

An hour or so of waiting on the rocks paid off, however, as after just a short time the Pika became less nervous and eventually showed himself at close range. In fact, once he came out and sat on a rock that was too close - the minimum focus distance of my 400 2.8 is 10 feet, and he was well within this range! Time to get extension tubes

wonderful shots Tom .

ed rader