Jan 25, 2010 | Wildlife Photography
Said our good-byes to a really great group of photographers, moved our base of operation and headed over to the Lamar Valley region of Yellowstone. Even if I never make a single click, I just like the total change the north end of the park provides. How many times have I cruised the road in the last 30yrs? Oh man, no clue but it never gets old. In fact, it offers up challenges and new opportunities each pass of the road which is probably why we love it so. And it’s one place I can easily indulge my passion for Bighorn Sheep.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3079.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The herd that travels through the North Entrance in fall / winter is a great herd to work because they are so busy just being sheep. I also really love to photograph them in habitat not typical snow covered slopes or brown rocks (though I do plenty of that too). This day brought some great opps working with the rams in sage.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3324.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Another thing I love to do is photograph sheep in low light. Shutter speeds are often down around 1/60 but the quality of light on the pelts speaks about each individual uniqueness. While photographing the sheep today, I recorded 32GB of video clips. I hope to get a little sheep photography tutorial created and posted in the future. That aspect of the D3s I find very appealing.
Photos captured by D3s, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 22, 2010 | Moose Adventures, Wildlife Photography
This was one of those magical days in a career you know will come if you put your time in. So you drag your butt out day after day long before sunrise is even a hint on the horizon just waiting for it. We made the bend in the road at Seven Mile Bridge when Steve says, “Is that a Wolf?” There, beside us is a Gray Wolf pulling on an elk carcass. Could have grabbed its tail by reaching out the door! It’s just after 7AM, the sun won’t rise for another 30min but it won’t help, it’s snowing. No matter, even with the worst possible light we stop and get out cautiously.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP1719.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
It was a no win situation from the get go. A moving subject in no light on white snow. There was no way to make the great image or even making any real image so with nothing to loose, I advised cranking up the ISO so that this rare opportunity could be captured at least for their memories to reflect on later in time. I grabbed the D3s, attached the 200-400VR and slipped out. I made the handheld shot at 1/30 at f/4. It will never make it on the wall or in a magazine but it is forever embedded in my heart!
Shooting in no light with the subject under a tree making things worse with an high ISO that you knew would produce noise because of the light, I made the decision for myself to ditch stills and go to video. A reason for having video in our DSLR. This plan had long sunk into my shooting as a possible option before this moment so it only required a push of the LV button to put into action. I am so glad I did, see why.
01.01.2013 Pages are in the process of being updated. In the meantime you can watch our videos on our YouTube Channel as well as all Videos are available on iTunes as Podcasts!
This video was shot at ISO6400 and while it will never win an Academy Award for technical excellence, it was more than acceptable to the wolf biologist Jesse who came by after our encounter. He had been tracking the Canyon Pack with telemetry and with the video playback, could confirm it was that pack and with that, an exchange on information occurred. I like Jesse, smart kid and I’m sure he’ll have a long career in wildlife management. We talked biology, he provided great insight into the pack which help be decide to spend the whole day on the kill and even cameback to tell us of a Bobcat up ahead (stuck with the carcass, blew off bob). I just love biologists!
What an amazingly spectacular day, one that is one of the great rewards of this profession. To see such a wonder as wild wolves, being able to share it with photographers wanting to improve their wildlife photography and coming back with a couple of snaps too, what a gift!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2476.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Photos captured by D3s, 200-400VR / 50f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 21, 2010 | Moose Adventures, Wildlife Photography
It was simply a marvelous day! Simply put, we took the group to a part of the Yellowstone ecosystem that few others ever explore and learn about. After a great morning we ended up with one of my favorite species, Rocky Mtn Bighorn Sheep. For the majority of the group, it was the first time they had ever seen a Bighorn let alone photograph them so it was a learning experience all the way around!
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7887.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Here’s one of the afternoon rams, pretty sweet example of a ram if you ask me. The light is nice, not perfect but a good start. The background though is a little busy with the head, tan in color, blending in with the background which is a pretty similar shade of brown. So first thing we need to do is improve the background.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7949.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
OK, while we can fine tune the background a little by our moving, most of it has to be done by the sheep’s moving which means putting in your time and waiting for the right moment. So the ram moved into a little nicer light and with a little better background but we can do better by just waiting a little longer.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7955.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
The subtle change in the head, the gesture, makes all the difference to making a better image. This takes not only waiting but knowing that better can come and that the better is a simple head gesture.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP8107.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
But making the shot I love the best from the afternoon required waiting four hours, for the light to go almost flat and improve the angle of the camera to the ram. I just don’t like the warmth the afternoon light brings. I don’t like shooting straight on the ram, rather shoot up slope a little and like the biology than the portrait. These are the basics for sheep photography. FWIW…all images shot wide open at f/6.7.
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 20, 2010 | Moose Adventures, Wildlife Photography
This might sound really weird and contrary to common belief, but Bison in Yellowstone, those massive, historic herds have just not been around for the past month. The popular theory is the warm winter has left open meadows higher up so the Bison have had no need to move down to the thermals to graze. Not that the 3″ of snow received today was any great dump, but we finally found some Bison to work.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp1173.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Just after the sun rose (but still hidden in the snow storm), we found some lone bulls and with the knowledge of the day before, we parked, waited and worked them while we could. Nowhere near great stuff, it was good lessons in Bison biology (two main traits, food goes in, crap comes out). When this bull moved out of range, we wiggled down the road. A while later we were in Hayden Valley and there we found the herds that they day before weren’t present.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7486.swf, 465, 600 [/swf]
Both of these photos demonstrate the one aspect of Bison in winter I’m lookin for, that crusted snow on the face. Neither one of these photos (bull top, cow bottom) is the final image I’m looking for but it’s a good start. We’ll keep working the herds in hopes of making that one clean, snow crusted face shot.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7488.swf, 465, 600 [/swf]
And then there is this shot. You might be thinking this should have the cut line of “The End” but that’s not actually what I was seeing. The symmetry of this pregnant cow just caught my attention. True, it’s an ass that only a bull could love but I found it photographically pleasing. And I’m going to leave that and that!
Photos captured by D3s / D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 19, 2010 | Moose Adventures, Wildlife Photography
Have you ever seen that photo of a Coyote frozen in mid air as it pounces on a mouse under the snow? Well right now in Yellowstone if a Coyote tried that, its nose would be smashed back into its head. There is no snow here for all tense and purposes! This Coyote demonstrates the hunting style when there is no snow, cocking the head and licking.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7339.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
With that said, we had a great day! No, not a Bison to photograph. No, the sun didn’t make an appearance. Yeah, it’s literally +50 degrees too warm but it still produced some really cool images. How? Simple, you push the envelope, you open your mind to new ideas and try a lens you would never thought of using before. Yeah, coming back to the lodge in the snowcoach I thought to myself I didn’t do so well today behind the camera. Total frame count for the day was only 287 but then I looked at my images and now I’m very excited to go out again tomorrow when the forecast is for more the same. It’s going to be a great week, I just feel it!
Photo captured by D3s, 200-400VR (handheld) on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jan 6, 2010 | Moose Adventures, Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/Yellowstone8065.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Oh man, yeah, we’re hooked bad! Yellowstone is just so gorgeous and we love sharing our long time love affair with this park with others. So we’re goming back in 2011 to offer a five day Yellowstone Adventure. Based out of West Yellowstone, we go into the park and surrounding area each day with one goal, shoot! Wildlife and wilderness are our subjects as we travel in the luxury of a snow coach throughout the park.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/Bison8081.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
This is just a small sampling of the photographic possibilities. With just one vehicle and our permit, the possibilities are limited by only one thing, time. We’re in the park before the sun rises and out by the glow of headlights. The party is limited to just five (with staff of 3). You spend your entire day with Moose (yeap, stuck in the same van with him) receiving one on one instruction for probably more time than you want. It is cold, it is white, it is long days and it is a lot of photography! The dates are 07-11 Feb 1st week, 14-18 2nd week, 2011, price is $4295 (half down to reserve spot) and includes instruction, snow coach transport into the park and lunch. This year’s trip (which starts in a couple of days) sold out in a couple of hours so don’t think about it too long. 760.924.8632
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
