A Summer Itch

This young bull moose must have been bothered by mosquitoes like the rest of us along the moose pond trail in Grand Teton National Park. His mother would have nothing to do with him as if to say, "Grow up".  It was tempting to go BBC and add the sound of scratching.  Enjoy.

 

Grand Teton Icon

 

The Cunningham Ranch view is spectacular but a little tough to shoot. Fill flash is no problem but getting the window square is harder. A short walk out from the cabin is also a great place to watch the clouds.

 

Grand Teton Motion

I usually think of bears or moose when I think of Grand Teton National Park but the smaller creatures caught my attention when I was there last week. 

Technical: All flight scenes were slowed by 50%. Butterflies shot with a Canon 7Dmk2, 24-105 lens, bluebirds with a C100 and 100-400 lens using a 1.4 teleconverter.

Teton Color

We just returned from traveling to Grand Tetons NP and Yellowstone. The Tetons were a first for us, except for a half day visit 30 years ago. Most of the time was spent exploring its back roads but the last evening we watched sunset while waiting for bears to appear. More to follow.

Morning in the Wild

My last post was of an intimidating bull walking toward me on the parade ground in Mammoth. This bull was on Swan L. Flat heading toward a solitary cow. While head shots are nice this seems much more intimate with me peaking over the sage. Now that I am back in Minnesota with internet access I'll be posting daily until the images run dry and fall color begins here.

Technical: All wildlife images are stills taken from C100 video footage.Only two wildlife images were taken with the Canon7D and both were pitched. My transition to wildlife video is about 99% complete.

Death in Yellowstone

Poor Joseph. This tiny boot caught my attention when I was wandering through the Fort Yellowstone Army Cemetery. Joseph died in Yellowstone when he was 5 years old.  I had to find out more about him. Many other children are buried there, most have no dates, a few are only named "Infant".  I had to find out the mystery of Joseph and the rest of the children. The book "Death in Yellowstone", by Lee H. Whittlesey, provided the answer to this question and the other deaths in Yellowstone since it first became a park. How did Joseph die? A true tragedy, he was murdered by his mother! 

An Hour at Norris Geyser Basin

I arrived late in the afternoon to photograph the basin with warm light and found this composition. I wandered around taking in the atmosphere, inhaling the vapors, and getting some shots until I saw the same composition in different light. The time between the images is 1 hour, 10 minutes. Both shots developed to maximum potential in Lightroom

Artist's Paint Pots

I have not been below the northern tier in Yellowstone for several years but made a short trip to Norris Geyser Basin area one afternoon in October. Short should be quantified becasuse of the 30 minute delay due to road construction. The Artist Paint Pots have subtle colors but what I saw when I approached them was the heat, light, and steam. Note the distant fence to get a sense of scale.

Cloud over Lamar River

With the early arrival of winter it's a perfect time to review images from Yellowstone last month. A bright rim of light on the western horizon one evening encouraged us to stay in the valley after sunset. My daughter and I worked the edge of the river as the color was changing. Shadows were brightened in Lightroom.

Stormy Skies

Not everyday is a blue sky day in Yellowstone, in fact, it would be interesting to know just how few there are. The character of the sky adds to the mystery and excitement of the Park and I prefer the cloudy days which usually bring a little wind with them. Recorded at the top of the S curves.

Clouds over Mammoth Terrace

I am having a hard time moving beyond Mammoth with my images taken while visiting Yellowstone last week. There is so much to see and explore without leaving "civilization". The terraces have an even more mystical quality in low light with the subtle colors of the sky changing their colors.

Mammoth Terrace Sunrise

On some days you get to see the sun once. There were two cloud levels and we actually saw each layer light up so you could say we saw two sunrises on this day which was mostly overcast after this brief burst of color. What a treat!

Casper the Yellowstone Ghost

I took this shot a couple mornings ago and thought of the ancient TV show. Dawn to dusk in the mountain air is exhausting but also very refreshing. Happy Halloween!

I think winter is over.

This bison crossing walking through snow exemplifies the feeling I had in March while watching it's struggle. Bring on the birds!

Hot Springs Tracks

We are in Yellowstone for a few days to refresh after a long winter. One might ask why go to the mountains for more snow when spring is so close. the answer is simple, I like winter. However, this winter's temperatures have been a little rough on the morning get up and go. Each of us sees Yellowstone in a different light. I hope to show you my view of it over the next several postings.