Tamarack Gold

This tamarack grove was in full display at Crex Meadows on an early morning last week. The cranes were flying out of the Refuge as they have for decades so I decided to explore other photo opportunities. The sun had just risen and the air was calm, perfect flying conditions.

Autumn Color

Increasingly I am shooting video with my iPhone. It is convenient to both capture and edit on one device without needing to transferring to the computer. the phone has definite limitations with primarily a wide angle focal length. It still requires a tripod and microphone for better capture.  Another tool to record beauty in the natural world.

Technical: It does not have the quality for a full screen view which is a function of the Blogger downsizing the file size.

Mule Deer Action

Visiting Badlands National Park to watch the mule deer rut is becoming a yearly event. Most of the behavior is bucks chasing does but occasionally things get real interesting. After watching a small herd for quite awhile I noticed the does had their attention directed to something behind the butte. Eventually I saw what the were watching. The following minute of action took place over about an hour in real time.

What was that?

I'm a hunter by nature. It's in my genes and every fall I hunt deer, well actually I hunt year round. I haven't killed an animal in at least 15 years but I still head out with a camera when everyone else is in the woods with a gun. Last week I went out looking for deer and came upon this unsuspecting little guy. I'm sure his mother is in the processing plant and he is getting by on instinct.

It's all how you look at it.

 I had a bad week with camera issues. My Sony took a beating in Yellowstone and will cost $600 to repair. Who would think a broken HDMI port with cost an arm and a leg? After 10 years of trail cam placement in public areas I finally had one stolen. It was only a matter of time but I'm a sucker for thinking the best in people. Heading to Menard's for a cable lock.

Overall this fall has been the one of best in years with more travel and photography than ever. I'm looking forward to November to catch up with editing. You will be seeing a wide variety of shots from Yellowstone and Kenya over the next few weeks.

Technical: first shot looking down into log. second shot taken with camera placed on leaves and shot using delayed shutter release. wide angle, f22 and f16

The End of Color

It's about gone, only tiny pockets of color remain. I've often thought November is the toughest month to reveal in a photograph. The difference between March and November can be subtle. Crisp leaves and intact puffballs are one of the few indications of the end of autumn. If you can find some color to photograph, go for it. You won't see it again for a few months.

Technical: recorded a couple weeks ago. Off camera lighting, converted to black and white in Silver Efex Pro

Rejected Ram

 

This is another short piece from my recent trip to the Badlands. The purpose of the trip was to capture big horn rut activity and this is the closest I came to it. The iconic shot of big rams charging each other is a rare occurrence and most of the time the "bumps" are like this. It is also clear the ewe is not ready and is leading the rams around. She would stop to urinate, the rams would check it, then joust for dominance.

Prairie Watch Dogs

These guys are alert for anything unusual, perhaps I accidentally got their attention when the camera bumped the door frame. In any event they soon settled back to their normal behavior of nonstop eating. Black and white seems appropriate for the monochromatic color of real life. I like the difference between the texture of their fur and the hard ground. Sitting in my car photographing prairie dogs was a way to spend a sunny November afternoon with a bitter northwest wind blowing.

A great day

 

The goal each day when shooting video is a sequence with a beginning, middle, and end. When shooting stills it is a shot with great action, emotion, or light. I'm not sure which one is more elusive. This was a good day for video with the battling bucks being followed later in the morning with this sequence, not your average day.

Battle of the Bucks

By chance I witnessed this duel between four bucks during the  mule deer rut at it's peak last week.  Several other encounters were recorded, this is one of the more dramatic ones. I love the way the dominant buck comes in low as of sneaking up on the other buck. After a couple minutes it was all over and life went on. 

Technical: As with most videos the selection of background music is as time consuming as the video edit. Natural sounds was white noise: wind. 

Second Attempt

I normally need three visits to feel satisfied with the exploration of subject. The first visit documents what I see but usually does not show any depth of vision for a subject. The second visit builds on the documentation seen in the first and is a more in depth exploration. The third visit confirms the completion of the subject or adds a minor twist to a previous image.  This image was taken the day after the first vision and shows more of the river that I was trying to capture. The sunburst adds time day to the time of year information seen in the leaves.

November Transition

I was out locally for the first time in a month and testing my new Sony. This image reflects both the transition of seasons and my transition in camera brands.

Yelllowstone Time

I visited Lower Geyser Basin earlier this month and while waiting for Fountain Geyser to erupt an interpretive ranger stopped to chat at the end of her day. She said this geyser grows at a rate of one inch per century and is currently 20 feet high on a 10 foot base. The numbers have been swirling in my head since then. Shortly after our conversation it had an eruption that I would have missed if not for the chat with her. This short experience has made me ask, " Is my life a race or something to be savored?" In my third act I plan to savor it.

Below the Overlook

I usually stand at an overlook and gaze to the horizon but the pale sky and was less interesting than what was happening below me. Once the composition had been chosen it was a matter of waiting  for the best wave to break on the shoreline. The cold wind and my enthusiasm to see it "all" eroded my normal patience level so we moved on after a few minutes.

Slow to Change

Nature usually moves on a bell shaped curve so even if I am a few days late or early there is usually a photo to be found. This maple was significantly later than its neighbors making it a great autumn subject.

Technical: overexposed one stop in camera, 1/2 stop added in Lightroom

Chapel Falls

This was one of our day hikes and circling the falls to the various lookouts gave lots of opportunities to explore its character and enjoy the autumn color. I usually shoot wide angle but a zoom was needed to pull the falls through the surrounding hill side leaves.

Michigan Color

We planned a trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore this fall and arrived just after peak color. Coincidentally Outdoor Photographer magazine also had an article on fall color in Michigan.  This is the place to be for fall color! Waterfalls and the Lake Superior shoreline against the back drop of autumn cannot be beat. This area has a different character than the North Shore and is a little later. Next fall consider Michigan.

Blacktail Plateau Clouds

It seems like all I took were cloud photos this time but the animal action was recorded on video.  Wildlife was also scattered and not very common this time so there was time to watch the clouds. These clouds grabbed my attention this image and short time-lapse that can be seen at: Yellowstone National Park Facebook

 

First and Last Sun of the Day

Yesterday I saw a hint of sunlight at sunrise. Overcast and raining has been the rule with heavy rain lasting for hours at a time. When the rain stops the autumn color almost glows.

Technical: no change in color saturation, Daylight WB

Yellowstone Fever

I'm heading into the park this morning and can't wait. I always avoid summer with its crowds so it seems like forever since I was last there in May. My assignment is recording crowds and crowd control as well as wildlife so I'll be busy. This shot is from last fall's visit, recorded with an iPhone.