See @mabfoto on Instagram for more.
Arguably the most satisfying aspect of wildlife photography, indeed photography in general, is the ability to forever memorialize a second of emotion or action within the frame of your camera. When it comes to wildlife, this sensation often stems from the interaction between animals (playing, fighting, courting, etc.), or more subtly, from the occasional outward expressions of emotion of a single creature. Neither scenario is easy photograph. Both require extreme patience and dedication to sit and wait for the right moment to happen in front of your lens. I know in my own photography I often struggle with this; based on how I travel and work, I often do not have the time to 1) be in a location with wildlife and 2) Sit in one spot for hours. Thus, I’m always impressed with photographers who have managed to put in the work necessary to capture such interesting photographs. This week, that photographer is Malin A. Berdal, for their spectacular capture of a baby bunny playing.
Malin fantastically captured the element of play in their photo with one subtle action. That the baby bunny has its two front feet in the air makes all the difference. Malin froze the bunny in time the second before it bounded in the air (presumably). In doing so, the viewer infers the action of the bunny and the photograph begins to tell a story and elicit a feeling. Imagine if the bunny didn’t have its two front feet in the air— the photograph would still be good, but it would just be a bunny on the ground. By stopping the bunny in the process of its adorable action, Malin does a wonderful job at helping the viewer feel the joy of that bunny’s leap. Similarly, although it is probably a bit of luck, the bunny’s cocked left (its right) ear contributes to the feeling of playfulness in the photo. By having one ear flopping down a bit, the bunny takes on a goofy persona, making the viewer feel as if the bunny has a childish and comical innocence about it. If both of the bunny’s ears were both straight and erect, one might feel as if the bunny leapt more purposefully and in an organized fashion, thereby reducing the feeling of youth and play. The one aloof ear gives the impression of clumsiness; much in the same way that a human baby flops around as they begin to crawl.
Malin’s technical skills also shine through in this photo and contribute to why I find it so inspiring. For one, the background is gorgeous. In my own experiences photographing wildlife, finding the right background is arguably the most difficult task. Backgrounds are often cluttered with stray branches, leaves, and a plethora of colors. Here, Malin not only simplified the background to spectrum of green-yellow blobs, but also captured fantastic and soft bokeh. This in turn contributes to the overall playful nature of the photo: the background is soft and not distracting, it’s almost fairytale or dream-like. Likewise, as with any good wildlife photograph, focus is spot on, which forces the viewer to narrow in on the bunny and not be distracted by other elements.
Finally, as someone who has photographed rabbits myself, I know how difficult it is to get close enough to them to make a decent picture. Unlike birds, rabbits will scurry away even if you show no interest in them. Thus, getting close enough to have a baby bunny fill the frame is a feat in itself. Although I’m unsure what kind of lens Malin used, it doesn’t really matter, the photographer put himself in a position to get the photograph, and more importantly, selected the best photograph, and I applaud them for that.
All in all, the reason I picked this photo this week is that it struck me as fully embodying the idea of play. It reminded me of my childhood, when my friends and I had no qualms about playing in the grass on a warm summer evening. Also, it’s really cute— I mean, c’mon, how can you turn that photo down? Check out Malin’s Instagram @mabfoto for more photos of cute bunnies and other animals.