Jun 16, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP6199.swf, 396, 600 [/swf]
If you look to the north, you have the Osprey nest, look to the south and you have Yellow-headed Blackbirds. MT has always been a YHB producer for me and today was no different. During the nesting season before the nests are filled with eggs, the males just go nuts trying to attract a mate. Until you here their crazy call and see them perform, you just ain’t livin.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP6066.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Their show includes all sorts of body contortions when a female even gives them the slightest hint of attention (males just never learn). So on top of the thinnest, playable reeds in the marsh where the wind whips them around, they show off their moves all in the hopes of love.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP5934.swf, 396, 600 [/swf]
Keep in mind these are dirt common birds, there is nothing unique or special about them. No matter, we spent hours with them and in between ducking for cover from the thunderstorms, Jake & I made a couple thousand clicks in the darkish light. We think they just look cool! I ended up with lots of images I really like and didn’t have in the files previously so I’m a happy camper.
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 16, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP5769.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
One of my great rewards is to have our son Jake get involved in the the “family” business. Shooting with him is great fun, even more fun is sharing some of my old haunts with him. While he lives in MT now, there are still some portions of the state I know a trick or two.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP5783.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Dodging the thunderstorm showers, we went out to work the many bird species right out the door. On a section of the Bitterroot River that has always produced in the spring, we photographed a Osprey nest. There is a “rule” in bird photography, don’t shoot against a gray sky. In the upper image, you can see why. The exposure just don’t fly, pun intended. The problem is the solid slat gray sky with no change in the tone. The bottom photo is a little better because there is a slight variance in the gray. Of course, when you’re working a bird in flight and you get a sharp image, you tend to ignore such details. In the game of making the image, background is everything, even the sky.
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 13, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP5262.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Time, it is just so bloody important to the wildlife photographer.
Putting in your time on every aspect of your photography is a must and when done, it pays back big dividends, guaranteed. This is probably no truer than when trying to get a photograph of elusive subjects. This is a Mountain Goat photographed today in Glacier Nat’l Park. For six days we kept going to the slope they haunt only to see them way in the hell up the hill where, only goats go. I knew that if we put in the time, we would eventually get a shot at the goats.
Sitting, waiting, watching, getting “skunked” in that all we garnished for our time was information and no pics, it is so hard for wildlife photographers to just sit and watch, put in the time. Well, we put in the time one more time today and wam, their they came down the hill and into our viewfinders. No, it’s not the best photo. No, it’s not the greatest light. No, it’s not the best background. But it does show that time is still the most important aspect to photography. And that kid looking from behind mom is damn cute!
Photo captured by D3x, 600VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 11, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3902.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Wildlife photography requires a huge skill set that goes beyond f/stop and shutter speed. At Base Camp we go over and practice and many of these as there are opportunities to do so. There is nothing more cooperative than small ground mammals like this Columbian Ground Squirrel. We found a large colony that was great to photograph. Jake found a great family group that the campers could all work for hours producing some great images.
We had been hearing the American Tree Sparrow singing and singing but with their small size, they were hard to pick up. While photographing a squirrel, one walked up to me through the grass like a mouse. A heartbeat later it T’d up perfectly in front of me and I was able to get glass on it. It is the first time I’ve photographed them, look forward to doing it more, they are a great little bird.
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 11, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3626.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
The weather finally gave us a break today, no rain, snow or black skies so out we were to see where the Mtn Goats and Bighorn Sheep were spending their time. We arrived to find that they too were enjoying the great warmth of the day, high up the slope. So while we waited to see what they were going to do, we photographed the gorgeous Swiftcurrent Lake.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP3644.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
While scanning the slope, Jake picked up this Grizzly Bear mother & cub crossing the talus. They were on a mission, booking across the cliff face is breakneck speed. In the process, we watched the goats and sheep and their response to this king of predators. It was a great show for an hour and incredibly educational to me. The ewe group bristled at the site of the griz and moved up slope. In this photo, you can see two big rams who other to turn their head, didn’t give the mom & cub a second thought. Even if I could, there was no way to get up to where the action was happening with the speed the griz were crossing the slope, so I just took some handheld 600mm shots to remind me that there are so many rewards to wildlife photography.
Photos captured by D3x, 24-70AFS/600VR on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 9, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
We had an interesting cast of wildlife characters to photograph today. Starting with this cow Rocky Mtn Elk. It would seem by her actions she lost her calf. She stormed around looking and calling for it. Her stressed condition presented a number of photo ops in which she looked odd. Great biology to get on film. The fact she was all wet from the rain and just about finished with her summer molt helped the whole look.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2776.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Then there were the two Am Black Bears we saw a number of times during the day. They preferred to stay on the shadow side of every tree, rock, shrub or road. It was down right rude if you ask me. So I thought I would go artsy fartsy and just shoot at the slow shutter speed and blur all motion. This one kinds turned out kinda neat (other than cutting off a foot). Wasn’t a shot otherwise, so, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Photos captured by D3x, 200-400VR (handheld) on Lexar UDMA digital film
