Excellent Photo Adventures: Yellowstone Fall Rut 2

As I lie in bed in that dreamlike, semi-awake state when thoughts drift like whispers through my consciousness, memories of the past few days begin to take shape and form, images appear to illustrate my thoughts in vivid, living color and I am transported back to that moment when the shutter clicked when we worked a herd of pronghorn  in Yellowstone this week.

I can feel the bite of cold in the air in my fingers, my toes and my nose.  The earthly smell of dirt, the musky smell of the antelope and the pungent tang of sage are all as strong as if I was there.  I can see the brilliant yellows of the cottonwoods as they give their last hurrah before dropping their leaves in preparation for winter.  My total experience, all my senses, my heart and soul goes into each image that I create, each click of the shutter, each amazing wildlife encounter…

Nikon D4, AF-S 500mm f4 VR

I was there, I not only have the memories of the actual experience, I have the images to trigger those memories time and time again.  How, as a photographer, can I share those moments with you so, that you too can experience as closely as possible, the moment in time I am trying to share in my images.  I include (or exclude as the case may be) elements that provide a sense of time and place.  The yellows grasses and foggy morning suggest fall to me so, I include enough in this image of a bison to convey that information…

Nikon D4, AF-S 500mm f4 VR

By pulling back even farther, I include more of the surrounding landscape adding another clue, a sense of place…

Nikon D4, AF-S 70-200mm 2.8 VR II

As the sun rose higher in the sky it began to burn through the fog revealing even more of the landscape.  The sky was filled with clouds reflecting the rays of the sun and the land was bathed in the warm glow of a fresh new morning after a passing storm had washed it clean…

Nikon D4, AF-S 28-300mm 3.5-5.6 VR

As midday approaches, you can either put your cameras down and wait it out or continue exploring and seeking out interesting subjects to photograph.  Mid to late afternoon is a good time to visit Le Hardy Rapids so that’s just what we did, whiling away a couple of hours while worked the water.  With very little color to begin with I felt they soft flowing water would make a good B&W…

Nikon D4, AF-S 28-300mm 3.5-5.6 VR

But, then I pulled back and aimed my lens at a different ripple and included the fall colors reflected in the the slower moving water upstream…

Nikon D4, AF-S 28-300mm 3.5-5.6 VR

Yellowstone and Bison go hand in hand.  Cars line up for miles to get a glimpse of a wild bison.  They do have a certain appeal and the cows with their young calves are irresistible.  One calf was particularly young, it’s light brown coat a giveaway to it’s youth.  I hope it gets enough nourishment and grows quickly or it won’t survive the winter’s hardships and predators.  A bull waits in the background for the cow to come into heat and receptive to mating…

Nikon D4, AF-S 28-300mm 3.5-5.6 VR

There are too many scenic highlights in Yellowstone to hit them all but, we sure did give it a good try to make the most of each location.  Undine Falls after the sun had dropped below the horizon was lit by the reflection of last light against the sky and then bouncing into the falls.  It was a soft light and was easy to slow the shutter down to blur the water…

Nikon D4, AF-S 28-300mm 3.5-5.6 VR

A visit to the Mammoth Terraces no matter the time of day or the weather always provides something to photograph.  When the temps are cold, the steam rises and adds mystery to the scene, with warmer temps, we were able to see more of the patterns and colors of the travertine flows…

Nikon D4, AF-S 28-300mm 3.5-5.6 VR

No visit to Yellowstone is complete without a visit to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone to photograph the falls.  A distant storm added drama to the scene so, I dialed in a five stop bracket, braced myself and let ‘er rip, capturing enough exposure information to show detail in both the shadow of the canyon to the bright sky and clouds…

Nikon D4, AF-S 28-300mm 3.5-5.6 VR

Wildlife encounters and beautiful landscapes continued throughout the week.  I have many more to share.  Stay tuned.