Photography | Moose Peterson's Website

Seeing The …

Nov 7, 2023 | Landscape Photography

Caddo Lake Cypress captured by Z 9 / Z600f4 TC

Much of the ancient Cypress of Caddo Lake is in spectacular fall color right now. You normally see Caddo’s cypress as either silhouette in a dramatic sunrise or, in splendid fall color. But there is another side that you see here. There is an evasive worm that shows up in September. This worm is veracious and eats all the leaves off the trees. It doesn’t harm the trees, they leaf out all green next spring but right now they look like this. No leaves but gads of moss that is basically the same color as the trunks. The pattern just sucks me in! To bring it to you, I go tight which means shooting with the Z600f4 TC (handholding and shooting from the boat). As the boat floats by, I look for the patterns and once I find what I like, I shoot as we continue to float by as the slight change in angle can really make a difference. It means seeing the trees from the forest.

Caddo Lake Cypress captured by Z 9 / Z600f4 TC

Eroding Away The Yellow Stone

Nov 2, 2023 | Landscape Photography

Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon captured by Z 8 / Z70-200f2.8

The view to the left is one of the most spectacular on the planet, Lower Yellowstone Falls and the Yellowstone River cutting through the Grand Canyon! Sharon & I were wondering to ourselves how many times we have ventured to Artist Point and how many hours have we spent staring at its unfathomable beauty. The upper observation platform is only open during none snow months where I feel the best views and photographs are to be found. Once you walk up on the platform you’re sucked into the view up the canyon, it is mesmerizing. This last visit was a coolish morning and fog was dancing through the canyon. The saturated light sucked up the colors and put them on display, It was gorgeous! I always shoot from this platform with a longer lens, this time going out there with the Z70-200f2.8. As I watched the fog I was turned from the falls to across and down the canyon. That’s when I saw the textures and patterns time had created on the walls of the canyon. I’m not really sure I had truly noticed them before. I had seen them but that’s not the same. This time I saw the scale of the canyon, the colors and how time and gravity was slowly pulling it down. I soon forgot the falls and spent time taking in every square inch of this “new” view. I came away with a couple of clicks I like that you see here. I feel though there is much more to be had requiring more visits. I’m good with that. Such a treasure, Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon, eroding away the yellow stone.

Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon captured by Z 8 / Z70-200f2.8

Deer Through The Looking Glass

Oct 31, 2023 | Wildlife Photography

Mule Deer captured by Z 8 / Z400f4.5

The snow was steadily falling but not really building up. The temps weren’t cold as Montana goes but cold enough to create a layer of ice for the snow to fall upon. It was the first snow of winter and Yellowstone, more accurately its visitors, weren’t ready for the white stuff. Before long the roads of Yellowstone were being closed not so much because of a thick carpet of snow, but because of accidents and all that is required to pull a car off the side of a narrow, two lane road. And there I was outside of the park …

We had already had two amazing days in the park with wolves, Bison, the usual critters and super dramatic skies and light from the incoming storm. Everything was lining up for some killer photography and there I was “stuck” in my room. We were at the marvelous Park Hotel and its giant windows look into the northern entrance of the park. It’s a gorgeous view, when it’s not “forced.” I wanted to shoot really bad. Then this little band of five Mule Deer walked in front of our window (we were on the second floor). They were inside this sudo fenced area munching on the brown grasses. At first we just watched them and then I couldn’t handle it and grabbed the Z 8 with the Z400f4.5. If I got on the kitchen chair so I was standing at top of the big window, I could shoot over the fence. Yeah, I was shooting though the window but I found a clean, none scratched porthole. It was a challenge and at that point, it was welcomed. There was some great biology going on but much I couldn’t shoot because of the fence. But for an hour at least I wasn’t bouncing off the wall. I had the deer through the looking glass.

Mule Deer captured by Z 8 / Z400f4.5

Mule Deer captured by Z 8 / Z400f4.5

Shoot, Share & Celebrate!

Oct 30, 2023 | B&W Photography, Random Thoughts

Old Faithful captured by Z 8 / Z24-70f2.8

We are incredibly fortunate to be living at this time with the tools, techniques and passion we use to celebrate life! It seems really hard right now to turn the world off though in that pursuit. Not saying ignore it, but just turn the volume down or off by applying what it is we all do naturally. I’m suggesting that we find those moments that make us smile when behind the camera, one simple click, and share it and celebrate our good fortunes.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to witness Old Faithful reach for the heavens hundreds of times. No two explosions of energy are ever the same. Last week, clouds on the western horizon darkened the sky in the background so the steam condensed in the cool air providing a natural drama. All that was required was to be there. It’s the perfect example I think of what we call should be doing with our photography right now. Shoot, share & celebrate!

Work it Baby, Work It!

Oct 25, 2023 | Wildlife Photography

Common Raven captured by Z 8 / Z70-200f2.8

The Common Ravens in Yellowstone Nat’l Park are smarter than the average Raven. And they know it! For example, in the winter time they have learned how to unzip the cargo bags on snow sleds to get sleeders lunches out. They know which windows in snow coaches are open and how to fly in and grab food and get back out. And there are those who don’t read the signs and feed them outright. Then there is me. What these ravens don’t know is that my beautiful bride had a pet raven, Edgar who taught me a few things, one being the raven chortle. This soft speak is what pairs use to commuicate. Though I have no clue what I’m saying, the raven are totally confused to hear it coming from a human. So while it was looking for a handout which wasn’t coming, I made the chortle causing it to cock its head. If you look in the lower photo, you can see me in the reflection of its eye. With the little bit of snow on its mandible and that great background far off in distance, all I could say was, work it baby, work it!

Common Raven captured by Z 8 / Z70-200f2.8

Whata Lake!

Oct 25, 2023 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography

Yellowstone Lake from Lake Hotel captured by Z 8 / Z24-70f2.8

It is so vast that coming up with a moody photography of it is often a huge challenge. Yellowstone Lake stretches further than you can see so either you have bald skies or clouds here or there, mere dots in the sky. The Park closes in a couple of days for winter and Mother Nature is doing here part with a little wx coming in and that brought for a short time, some dramatics clouds (the sun was out and skies clear about a hour later). Can’t make this stuff up, droved up and parked, open the door, the Z 8 set to Monochrome, clicked and was done. It was a gorgeous moment in this magical place, Yellowstone which of course is home for whata lake!