alan frost photography

The Hare

I freely admit to the fact that I am not a wildlife photographer. I don’t have the right equipment, nor do I have the patience to stay in one place long enough to take photographs of rare birds or other animals. I also acknowledge that I take an eclectic mix of subjects; the one thing they all have in common is that they are in monochrome.

However, if the opportunity presents itself then I am more than happy to take a wildlife shot. It rarely happens but it does give me pleasure when the result, in my opinion, is worth sharing on my blog.

This image of a hare was taken whilst walking our spaniel across some heathland in Norfolk recently. I had my camera out as I was hoping to take some photographs of our dog, when my wife quietly drew my attention to a hare on a path over to our right. The hare sat in late afternoon sun just long enough for me to focus and press the shutter. The hare must have spotted us or our dog, probably both, before running away. A fleeting moment.

I do belong to a camera club and I might be tempted to enter this picture into a competition, but I know what the judge will say – “I wonder what it would be like in colour?” or “I wonder why the author has chosen to convert it into black and white?”

Well let me try and answer this question. For me photography is all about light, line, tone and texture, and colour in an image can so often be a distraction. Because of the time of day this shot was taken, the colours are vibrant, with a mix of strong autumnal yellows and greens. Although the hare is bathed in sunlight, the colours are too much of a distraction and as a consequence the eye does not rest happily on the main subject, which is of course relatively small in the frame. In monochrome the hare stands out, the line of the path is a clear compositional element and most importantly for me, the light and contrast in the shot is there for all to enjoy.