Mini-challenge #201 - Animal Pairs

Cavalier · February 6, 2015

Greetings Mini-Challengers… my theme for #201 is – Animal Pairs.

The idea is pretty simple - images of two animals preferably of the same type, but if all else fails, different animal species are acceptable. Mirrored pairs would be even better.
(Please note that the challenge title doesn't say Animals Pairing!

)

Thanks for playing and have fun!
Jo

This challenge will run for 2 weeks - from today until Thursday, February 19 @ 5:00pm PST-USA.

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OUR UN-OFFICIAL GENERAL RULES
1. Have fun sharing and seeing what others share!
2. The host supplies a topic and YOU POST 1-3 IMAGES. The host judges the winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd) and is not eligible to enter. The 1st place winner becomes the next host, chooses the next topic and becomes the next judge.
3. Any photo you’ve taken is eligible, regardless of when taken or camera used.
4. Any amount of post-processing is allowed. However, it is helpful if you list your camera and lens along with your photo.
5. You may comment on other contestant's images. If you want someone to leave you some critique or criticism, just ask within your post.
6. The winner has up to three days (72 hours) to begin a new mini-challenge, or the honor goes to the #2 finisher and so forth.

Guidelines:
1. Enter 1-3 photos and put them in a single post.
2. Either embed your image in the thread or, if you must, supply a link to it. Keep in mind, however, most people don't want to click to open photos hosted elsewhere (i.e. on your website).
3. Also try and resize your photos prior to posting so they're sized appropriately for viewing without having to scroll (~800 pixels on the longest side works best.)
4. Give each image you enter a title.
5. Enjoy discussion with members about their images, don't let this just be an entry thread!
6. When quoting a post, change the IMG urls to a 200x200 size picture so it is clear your post is feedback and not another entry. (See here for help).
7. Don't be hesitant; share 'em and enter!

Mini-Challenge pointers:
1. Upon winning a mini-challenge round, your first step is coming up with a new theme and starting a new thread using the same format as others have used.
2. Make sure to notify the admin of this thread to update the main thread links with your entry thread.
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8. Remember, if you're the Winner, you run the next mini challenge!

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Examples:

Geese long-term couple
IMG_6269%20Topaz%20My%20CollectionLighter%20signed-XL.jpg

IMG_6269%20Topaz%20My%20CollectionLighter%20signed-XL.jpg

almost mirrored moon
CRW_0371%20crisp%20dark%20cont%20signed-XL.jpg

Sad pair of Cavaliers
Sad%20dogs%20T%20adj-XL.jpg

Raccoons playing Where's Waldo
Racoons%20bw%20with%20color%20and%20simplify%20crisp-XL.jpg

travelways · February 6, 2015

He, he... what an idea!

I thought I didn't have any, but I found some

1. Hungry goats

2. I'm gonna catchya!

3. Take me home!

Would you adopt a kitten? I saw them in a small pet store in Ottawa Canada. They were abandoned kittens from an animal shelter. The store is selling them for $129.00 to make sure they will be adopted by someone who really cares about them. Ottawa

sdways01 · February 6, 2015

Here are my entries:

A pair of moose in the spring time

Doe and fawn Whitetail Deer (I couldn't get any closer, and didn't have my big lens at the time)

Cows watching traffic go by the barn

Cavalier · February 6, 2015

What a great start to the challenge! Thanks for your entries Tatiana and Sdways01!

grandmaR · February 7, 2015

There were several categories of photos that I thought about including. I have a lot of horse photos where there are two horses, but ultimately I discarded them. I have a great numer of photos in aquariums. But eventually I found this one which was taken 'in the wild' - a pair of spotted file fish - Snorkeling in Maui

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A48SNkk_PKUE3IwZbiphOxpGa4f4Mh7mjm1lQNQuihYJ=w695-h526-no

Although this one isn't "wild" it is probably just as well that it is not. These are two baby Saltie Crocs at the Wildlife Park in Broome Australia. They had the babies for us to touch or hold with their mouths shut with bands so they couldn't bite us

This is semi-wild (i.e. not in a zoo) - two wood storks in the Everglades

hammy8241 · February 7, 2015

Blue Butterflies (NZ)

Seagull and the Shag

Gannets

TonyCooper · February 8, 2015

#1 Ear Bling

#2 Why are those people staring at us?

#3 Awww...a puppy and a kitten. What's not to like?

TonyCooper · February 8, 2015

NOT AN ENTRY, because I've already sent in my 3, but
I found this in my files today. It's titled:

"Don't make an ass of yourself. Stop playing in the dirt".

sapphire73 · February 8, 2015

1. Cheetah Brothers Playing (Masai Mara)

2. Lioness Nudging Her Cub (high ISO shot from afar, as the sun was setting in Kenya)

3. Mountain Goats in Colorado

kdotaylor · February 11, 2015

Here are my three:

#1.
14march_untitled_307%20%281%29-L.jpg

#2.

#3.

lkbart · February 12, 2015

Clownfish sex

Butterflies playing footsies

Snugglers

Alans Grin · February 13, 2015

Lovely images.

I'm afraid I can't compete because of travel commitments, but thought I'd add three just for interest - but not judging.

1) Annoying Snoring - Ngorongoro Crater

2) Motherly Love - Masai Mara

3) Common Blues - Just down the road - UK

With a good macro lens you can have a safari every day in your back garden.

Good luck everyone
Alan.

Earache · February 13, 2015

Ditto Alan... just for fun, not for judging.

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grandmaR · February 13, 2015

I saw those otters in Alaska, but couldn't get such a good shot of them.

Earache · February 15, 2015

grandmaR wrote: »

I saw those otters in Alaska, but couldn't get such a good shot of them.

Thanks grandmaR... my image is from Point Lobos State Reserve in central California. I got very lucky when this mother and pup came really close to the shoreline of a small bay.

DonRicklin · February 15, 2015

My set:

1) siblings in a bowl

2)Fox kits

3)Pals forever.

Don

redleash · February 16, 2015

Great topic! Here is my contribtution:

1. Pair of Labs (taken at a dog photography workshop)

2. Cat Bath (viewed through a window screen)

3. Watching and Waiting

puzzledpaul · February 18, 2015

Morning constitutional ... I assume they can 'do the other' whilst paddling ?

pp

puzzledpaul · February 18, 2015

Ice - o - lation

Taken a couple of weeks ago when we had some of the 'white stuff'

pp

puzzledpaul · February 18, 2015

Follow my leader ?

pp

(apols for the 3x attachments, PBucket (or me) seemed to be having a bad hair day

)

redleash · February 18, 2015

puzzledpaul - I really like your first shot, with the shallow DOF and the reflections on the water. The water looks like glass.

Lauren

Alans Grin · February 18, 2015

Lovely shots Paul
Alan.

puzzledpaul · February 19, 2015

Lauren, Alan .. thx for commenting - glad you found something to like.

Lauren, that first shot nearly didn't exist as it was taken on the first day I made an effort to get out before dawn
Initially thought I'd made a big mistake and considered going back home ... then the light changed

pp

sapphire73 · February 19, 2015

I am enjoying the images posted in this mini. But only have time to comment on a few...

PuzzledPaul, beautiful shots with a great POV! Immersed in wintry weather here, I am struck by Ice - o - lation but they are all great.

Alans Grin, thank you for sharing your shots from the Mara. "Motherly Love" has such wonderful detail, flies and all! My husband captured a similar moment, but from a great distance at dusk. There were seven of us watching these (and other) lions and none of us "saw" this as it happened.

The beautiful detail of your third shot is also amazing!

Happiness is... (taken by my husband and not an entry for this mini)

Cavalier · February 19, 2015

OK folks - time is up on Mini #201. Thank you all for posting such great entries. You've made my job of selecting finalists particularly difficult!! I'll post the results tomorrow (after much deliberation, sweating, hair-pulling, and general angst). Thanks again for your great shots.

puzzledpaul · February 20, 2015

Gretchen ,,, thx for the comments, pov is, of course, down (haha) to getting as low as possible ... typically less than an inch of daylight between lens hood underside and water. When there's ice, it simplifies the gig even more ... plastic bag on ice, beanbag on p. bag, cam on beanbag

Plastic bag stops beanbag material sticking to the ice and allows for smoothest tracking and translation of the rig.

However, there wasn't any ice in the third shot ... I just liked that title more that 'tufties in snow' ...
It's also a stitch up, having added a chunk of the following shot as extra canvas to (hopefully) increase the sense of isolation ..

pp

Cavalier · February 20, 2015

sapphire73 wrote: »

I am enjoying the images posted in this mini. But only have time to comment on a few...

PuzzledPaul, beautiful shots with a great POV! Immersed in wintry weather here, I am struck by Ice - o - lation but they are all great.

Alans Grin, thank you for sharing your shots from the Mara. "Motherly Love" has such wonderful detail, flies and all! My husband captured a similar moment, but from a great distance at dusk. There were seven of us watching these (and other) lions and none of us "saw" this as it happened.

The beautiful detail of your third shot is also amazing!

Happiness is... (taken by my husband and not an entry for this mini)

Gretchen - thanks for posting Keith's Happiness Is.. photo. He's captured not only the perfect setting and DOF, but has caught a beautiful moment between parent and cub. The look on the cub's face is priceless! You both have some wonderful shots in the Masai Mara gallery.

sapphire73 · February 20, 2015

Cavalier wrote: »

Gretchen - thanks for posting Keith's Happiness Is.. photo. He's captured not only the perfect setting and DOF, but has caught a beautiful moment between parent and cub. The look on the cub's face is priceless! You both have some wonderful shots in the Masai Mara gallery.

Thank you! Masai Mara is a beautiful place to visit with much to see and try to photograph.

Cavalier · February 20, 2015

The results are posted in a new thread.

Mini-challenge #201 - Animal Pairs

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