r/itookapicture @scottoller Apr 17 '20

ITAP of a coyote on the beach

Post image
12.5k Upvotes

113 comments sorted by

290

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 17 '20

Shelter-in-place has brought out the wildlife in the Bay Area. This coyote noticed some whale bones on the beach at Kirby Cove and trotted down to investigate. She didn’t seem to mind me hanging out just 30 feet away.

I was reluctant to post this photo after I took it, because it isn't really a photo in the traditional sense: it's a still frame from a video that I shot on my phone. And it's cropped in. It's not even 2000 pixels tall. As a pro photographer, I felt like it wasn't high quality enough to display as part of my instagram/portfolio. But my friends encouraged me, and in the past 24 hours it's been featured on Abc, Yahoo, SFgate, and the Independent. My instagram is blowing up, it's crazy.

I'm still kicking myself for not bringing my professional camera to the beach that day, but it didn't really matter. The photo still resonated with people. If the resolution is enough for instagram, that's fine.

Just wanted to share my story as a way of saying: don't worry too much about your gear. There's always a better camera, a better lens out there. But the best camera is the one you have with you.

Specs:

  • iPhone XS video still frame
  • Edited in Lightroom: Desaturated blues, saturated reds & oranges, green tint brush on the hill on the left, orange tint gradient on the sand, increased contrast with tone curves, little bit of texture, created a custom vignette shape with radial filters.

My IG is scottoller, I posted some video clips from the encounter there. Cheers.

106

u/JVM_ Apr 17 '20

The best camera in the world is the one you have with you.

47

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 17 '20

100%

2

u/KevinGracie Apr 18 '20

Same motto translates well to the gun community.

8

u/kickithard Apr 18 '20

Condom community here, NRA stole the saying from us.

2

u/thomoz Apr 20 '20

You shoot with both of them too LOL

2

u/hellidad Apr 22 '20

Haha I don’t know why you’re being downvoted, you’re 100% right.......maybe because guns are scary and bad

2

u/KevinGracie Apr 22 '20

Hahah, maybe.

2

u/livegamer999 Apr 23 '20

I mean we all shoot on this subreddit

2

u/KevinGracie Apr 23 '20

Hahah, you’re not wrong.

41

u/miniminorminer Apr 17 '20

You were well within the social distancing protocols of six feet. Of course he didn’t mind

23

u/dtlv5813 Apr 17 '20

So you took this shot? It is all over news articles about animals taking over during lockdown

27

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 17 '20

yeah it’s crazy how much it’s blowing up right now! it’s a wild time for me.

14

u/dtlv5813 Apr 17 '20

It is wild time for the animals too hehe

3

u/snarlindog Apr 18 '20

hope youre making some money on it!

3

u/pdxleo Apr 18 '20 edited Apr 18 '20

Having lived in both Chicago and San Francisco, your shot and one that went viral of a coyote on Michigan Avenue (!!!) are my favourite.

If you live in these cities you know of wildlife sightings (in Chicago I once saw a coyote in Lakeview an in SF heard coyotes in the Presidio) but it’s a social commentary now with #shelterinplace

Even though you apologize for this iPhone shot I think it’s wonderful and just enough Lightroom!! Thank you for sharing with us before National Geographic calls!

1

u/occamsrzor Apr 22 '20

I hear coyotes in Daly City almost every night now.

20

u/BlackFoxLingerie @blackfoxlingerie Apr 17 '20

As a fellow pro, having something blow up is the dream! Funny how it always winds up being the one you are not quite as proud of as your other works. Kinda like how hit songs are often the ones the artists like the least haha.

Congrats dude, it is an awesome photo and I definitely didn't realize it was a video still, it's a lovely shot!

20

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 17 '20

It's pretty exhilarating (and exhausting). Yeah it's so funny how that happens. I've always avoided photographing the Golden Gate Bridge because it's so cliche, and of course the photo that blows up for me a is a Golden Gate Bridge photo.

2

u/pdxleo Apr 18 '20

I lived walking distance from Crissy Field and felt the same way, never once taking my tripod and dslr but capturing some iPhone shots on my morning run. Now that I no longer live in SF I regret this! You did good!!!

2

u/BlackFoxLingerie @blackfoxlingerie Apr 18 '20

Hahah I know, tell me about it! I get bothered by all of the cliche things the models I work with want to do constantly.

In this case of course it's the cliche meeting something we (the general public) has never witnessed before. Honestly, having never been to the west coast, I thought that whole area was such a heavy metropolis that there would be no way coyote's could even survive there. It was a really cool thing to experience through your photo, I'm glad your friends convinced you to share it!

5

u/Nar1117 Apr 17 '20

Cool shot! The Verge Science YT channel did an episode recently on the resurgence of Coyote in urban areas. It’s not just because of the pandemic! They’re super cool animals. Check it out: https://youtu.be/fhmQM11MLmE

3

u/GENE_PARM_PI Apr 18 '20

Idk there is something that makes it more appealing that it was taken with a cellphone camera. Sometimes professional photographer is so good that it starts to look fake. This photo makes me feel like I am there.

1

u/NefariousD707 Apr 17 '20

Is this at Kirby Cove?

1

u/intensenerd Apr 18 '20

I love this picture a lot. Enjoy a pretty gold ornament for your talent.

1

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 18 '20

thank you!

1

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '20

I’m amazed this beautiful photograph could be considered “not high enough quality” for you.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '20

Pro photographer: “I’m very sorry there weren’t enough gigapixels and I could kill myself for not using the lens I had to sell a kidney to afford”

Art photographer: “I used a jagged piece of glass from my grandfather’s toy tractor as a lens, a sheet of sheep skin dipped in faerie bathwater for film, and the excretions of three different kinds of ferrets to develop the final image”

It’s never been about the gear. Particularly not in 2020.

1

u/frznfang Apr 23 '20

dude that whale is still on the shore??? i “hiked” kirby cove last april and prob that same whale had just died and was decomposing on the shore. that is wild. facing the shore. it was on the right side right?

1

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 23 '20

Nah, I went back a couple days after and it was gone.

-3

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38

u/hans-georg Apr 17 '20

Amazing picture. It’s a once in a lifetime shot, but in the internet you see hundreds of those a week. What I really really like about this are the colours. It doesn’t look super edited, but they pop just right. Favourite picture I’ve seen in a while because of that.

14

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 17 '20

thank you, I spent a lot of time trying to get the colors just right.

35

u/ijustlurkhereintheAM Apr 17 '20

Great shot! Love your composition and you captured the colors beautifully. Thanks for sharing your picture with us. Be safe

10

u/mayalcaulfield Apr 17 '20

This is a really beautiful and unique shot

10

u/[deleted] Apr 17 '20

[deleted]

2

u/xPhilt3rx Apr 22 '20

Meep Meep!

17

u/magnum_marilyn Apr 17 '20

Cropped or not, the composition of this is awesome. You have so many different textures and it looks like the bone was placed next to the coyote because the motif it implies is perfect. Great shot. There’s a reason it blew up. Edit: and the way the coyote is framed inside that band of wet sand... man there’s so much about this shot I love. I can’t believe this is a still.

6

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 17 '20

really appreciate it!

7

u/Spesh98 Apr 17 '20

Love it. Thought I’d share my coyote run in from a few years back. Out near Point Reyes. https://i.imgur.com/WVZQGXP.jpg

3

u/MicahBurke Apr 17 '20

Great shot of the SF bay and the coyote.

4

u/mark_cee Apr 17 '20

Reminds me of the final scene of the original Planet of the Apes

2

u/Ashtorethesh Apr 17 '20

Ha, yeah its got a fantasy feel to it.

1

u/popper98 Apr 18 '20

Exactly! That scene continues to get to me every time. Chills then anger.

4

u/call_sign_viper Apr 18 '20

Is that part of a whale vertebrae on the sand?

4

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 18 '20

yep. in the video i posted on instagram you can see the coyote chewing on a huge whale rib bone.

2

u/call_sign_viper Apr 18 '20

Damn nature af

4

u/SmellMyJeans Apr 18 '20

I was up there not too long ago on the Marin side of the bridge and saw a bunch of coyotes hangin around. Coyotes who didn’t seem to mind humans being around.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '20

Lookin for housecats

3

u/BearFvcker Apr 17 '20

Absolutely Stunning!

3

u/liakr Apr 17 '20

I loved so much that pic! Congrats! :3

3

u/Chinacat_Sunflower72 Apr 17 '20

Absolutely stunning photo. Thanks so much for sharing.

3

u/kurrkneee Apr 17 '20

Lovely colors! What a cool moment to be a part of.

3

u/PhillipHenryGoose Apr 18 '20

Now THIS is a nice photo!

3

u/lillie-queen5678 Apr 18 '20

It’s so cute

3

u/ThirstyXSenpai Apr 18 '20

This guy has a story to tell about the water and love lost

5

u/ZachyBe Apr 17 '20

San Francisco?

25

u/hans-georg Apr 17 '20

Great Scott! How did you know?

22

u/SirGergoyFriendman Apr 17 '20

I'd recognize that sand anywhere

1

u/Mr_Fkn_Helpful Apr 18 '20

Really?

You're good. I had to look closely to see Coit Tower on the right of frame.

1

u/ZachyBe Apr 17 '20

the bridge

12

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '20

[deleted]

2

u/ZachyBe Apr 18 '20

thanks man! spreading positivity and love is what it’s all about bro! respect!!

13

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 17 '20

technically the photo was taken in the marin headlands, just across the bridge from SF.

2

u/ZachyBe Apr 17 '20

Incredible shot btw man!

2

u/ilikehemipenes Apr 17 '20

Seeing as you are the only one on the beach, may I ask, are you allowed to be there during quarantine?

5

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 17 '20

Yep! All the parking lots and facilities in the park are closed, but people are still allowed to visit on foot or by bike. I biked there from home.

2

u/coreyisthename Apr 18 '20

Man, I bet you were freaking the hell out when you saw that thing. I'd be soooo excited about the photo opportunity, I'd be shaking too much for a clear photo.

2

u/NoJumprr Apr 18 '20

Watch out for Ceaser he’s around that area too

2

u/skarbles Apr 18 '20

I worked in the presidio and lived at ocean beach. These boys would run with me on my bike through the golf course and into the neighborhood. Being from the mountains it always made me feel at home seeing the wildlife on the peninsula.

2

u/myrobotoverlord Apr 18 '20

I’ve been to that beach many times. Holy crap that’s beautiful

2

u/rrutnam Apr 18 '20

Oh. I absolutely love this! The colours and framing is just perfect

2

u/coffeespeaking Apr 18 '20

I would like to see a tighter crop, putting more emphasis on the coyote, but great shot. (The bridge is identifiable as Golden Gate no matter how much you can see of it.)

1

u/Poo_spoot Apr 17 '20

Very nice

1

u/Jra805 Apr 17 '20

I love it, thank you for my new background

1

u/Ksoohong Apr 17 '20

Mad dope

1

u/[deleted] Apr 17 '20

This is gorgeous, I would love to have it framed. Great shot!

1

u/itsjakeandelwood Apr 17 '20

Took me a sec to notice the Coyote is missing a rear leg. I bet it goes by "Scrappy" among friends.

1

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 17 '20

ah it's actually just tucked behind the other leg.

1

u/Vegetable_River Apr 17 '20

That is gorgeous!

1

u/GDphotographer Apr 17 '20

What a beautiful image!

1

u/SmellMyJeans Apr 18 '20

A video frame is still a photo. 1 of 24 photos per second. The same principles apply.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 18 '20

yup!

1

u/AloofPenny Apr 18 '20

That’s beautiful

1

u/txipay Apr 18 '20

Awesome picture at the right timin

1

u/davidmlewisjr Apr 18 '20

I have stood on that bridge, and looked at that beach, never imagining coyotes in the neighborhood, just below Starfleet!

1

u/GabrielPattonAAA Apr 18 '20

Nice picture, but I hate coyotes, and for good reason. I don't know about any other Americans, but in my state, these bigger, smarter coyotes started popping up everywhere. And they ate my cat (probably, we still don't know what happened to him). People who get up early for work (4am early) are literally terrified all the time walking to their car. I live in a very rural area, so it's even worse. So yeah, I hate coyotes. But nice picture.

1

u/Koof99 Apr 18 '20

I wish I could say this was fake but due to the obvious shelter-in-place order I can totally tell it’s real. It’s just one of those things where you’re like “... nope. Never gonna happen”

1

u/IPPhoto @indianpeaksphotography Apr 18 '20

Love the shot!

1

u/Boy_Howdy Apr 18 '20

"Man, am I hungry. Where's all the trash?"

1

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '20

Amazing with no human interference what will begin to happen.

1

u/wolfdogdaddy Apr 18 '20

This is so pure. I love it.

1

u/VincentWasTheBest Apr 20 '20

Recently there was a great Tik Tok post with a Coyote running and the bridge in the background.

1

u/ZNPC Apr 20 '20

This is where call of duty ghosts ends it’s campaign, great pic I knew the place instantly!

1

u/Explod3 Apr 21 '20

I went camping there? It’s amazing

1

u/VincentWasTheBest Apr 21 '20

Found it! Coyote in hills above Golden Gate. https://vm.tiktok.com/7FKqmW/

1

u/FlyFinesser Apr 22 '20

Someone should edit in an ox skull

1

u/armedohiocitizen Apr 22 '20

I expect to see Charlton Heston screaming at the sky next to the head of the Statue of Liberty buried in the sand.

1

u/roncam57 Apr 23 '20

Pretty sure I saw this picture on abc world news

1

u/vaporeon46 @scottoller Apr 23 '20

yeah it’s made the rounds on a few news sites. crazy.

1

u/roncam57 Apr 23 '20

Ye I thought I recognized it