MooseNewsBlog

So after our Lamar Valley tour, final class meeting and portrait, we headed back to see if the bighorns were active. It was doubtful with the cold temps and skies, but had to check. We found the rams but they were way up the mountain and just munching away. So when we turned around and started back up the road, coming down the road was a ewe group. We stopped to watch as they proceeded past us and down to the river.

I’ve never seen sheep get their feet wet, rather, they do what comes naturally which is jump across the water. That’s what you’re seeing here. This ewe and yearling jumped over to drink and eat and then jumped back again to go up the mountain. It was just another example of the great week of photography we enjoyed.

Photos captured by D3, 200-400VR on Lexar UDMA digital film

note: all 200-400VR posts this week were taken hand held.

While the clouds might have come in, they didn’t put a damper on our day. We hooked up with the led wolf biologists in Yellowstone for a peronsal show of griz and wolf. We just missed the wolves but the griz was really cool. We had two this week, that’s amazing! While we couldn’t photograph everything we saw, it was very rewarding to be with photographers who, like me, just loved being there. Yeah, we made a few snaps too today like these sparing Bison.

We spent some time at Mammoth Hot Springs as well. We were able to work the hot springs and the elk that call it home. It was a marvelous morning to further explore the wonders that are Yellowstone. And Lamar Valley, just as special as ever.

Photos captured by D3, 200-400VR on Lexar UDMA digital film

Bringing the little gem update, Nikon released a firmware update for the D300. It contains the following:

• The Highlights playback option has been moved from Display Mode > Basic photo info > Highlights in the playback menu to Display mode > Detailed photo info > Highlights.
• The size and color of “Demo” displayed in the monitor with playback when No memory card? in the Custom Settings has been set to Enable Release have been modified.
• The range of settings available for ISO sensitivity settings > ISO sensitivity auto control > Minimum shutter speed in the shooting menu has been increased from 1/250 - 1s to 1/4000 - 1s.
• When shooting in hand-held live view mode and the frame is magnified prior to autofocusing, operation has been modified so that display returns to the magnified display rather then the full frame display.
• Images captured with Rotate tall, in the playback menu, set to On, are not automatically rotated for display immediately after capture (image review).
• A Copyright information has been added to the setup menu. When Copyright information is enabled, the copyright symbol ( © ) is shown on the LCD display,  Shooting info menu.
• Recent settings can now be displayed in the place of My Menu.
• Custom Setting e3 Flash cntrl for built in flash ( e3 Optional flash when an optional Speedlight is mounted on the camera) can now be added to My Menu using the Add items > Custom setting menu > Bracketing/ flash.
• The degree of the High ISO NR setting can now be confirmed in the shooting info display while the High ISO NR setting item, in the shooting menu, is being applied.
• Ankara, Riyadh, Kuwait, and Manama have been added to the Time zone options for the World time item in the setup menu.
• When a GPS device is used and no heading information is available, –.–° is now displayed for the Position / Heading option in the GPS item in the setup menu.
• When shooting in live view mode using Camera Control Pro 2 (ver. 2.2.0 or later) with a PC-E lens, the aperture setting can now be adjusted from the computer.
• Focus acquisition performance in dynamic-area AF mode has been improved.
• Focus acquisition performance with contrast-detect AF has been improved.
• Auto white balance performance has been improved.
• The fourth digit in seconds display for GPS latitude and longitude information is now rounded off rather than omitted.
• The current MB-D10 battery type setting can now be confirmed in the shooting menu display when R6/AA- size batteries are used with the Multi-Power Battery pack MB-D10.
• An issue that caused an increase in noise when shooting in [M] exposure mode at a shutter speed setting of bulb with the shutter held open for less than 8 seconds and Long exp. NR enabled has been resolved.
• An issue that prevented shutter release at the specified shutter speed when no operations were performed for 30 seconds in mirror up mode has been resolved.
• An issue that caused abnormal image display when Image review was set to On and the playback zoom in button was pressed immediately after shooting at the following settings has been resolved.
• • Image quality: NEF (RAW) + JPEG
  • NEF (RAW) recording: Lossless compressed or Compressed
  • Image size: S or M
• When the Speedlight SB-800 was mounted on the camera with flash mode set to distance-priority manual (GN) mode, and the camera recovered from standby mode triggered by the auto meter off function, the distance information in the SB-800 changed. This issue has been resolved.

Up and out before dawn to another beautiful day in Yellowstone. Wish you could be here, it’s just a grand place to simply find the majesty of the wild world this time of year. And man, did we find it today! We had a great morning, marvelous lunch location, field class and then went out looking for Rocky Mtn Bighorns. We found a group of 5-6 rams, all of whom were trying to claim the throne. The activity took place on a cliff over the road, more or less closing the road with all the rocks the rams were knocking down on it.  These two rams decided to take a break from the action until they heard the clash. Than they were up checking it out.

And here’s just one of the many clashes we witnessed and photographed. The action was hot and heavy, filling nearly 30GB in an hour. Now that’s wildlife photography!

Photos captured by D3, 600VR on Lexar UDMA digital film

Our amazing morning which included shy subjects like Porcupine was filled with this fellow. Like most Coyotes of Yellowstone, we found him in the middle of the main road. But shortly after introductions he led us into a parking lot where we spent nearly an hour photographing him. He had obviously been fed a lot by folks (which sucks) which I discovered when I made a quick hand movement to drive a fly from the truck which it mistook for food being handed out. Our encounter ended with me lying on the blacktop flat so as to put a green background behind him.

Our afternoon started off just heartbeats after setting  up our rigs so we could shoot from the vehicles. This loan bull was taking an afternoon swim and came out right in our laps. He was a brief but very cool experience. I’m in the midst of editing the 1800 images from the day. I wanted to get a couple of images up just to bring you into the world of Yellowstone in fall. There is more to come.

Photos captured by D3, 200-400VR on Lexar UDMA digital film

We started off our day on the Madison with a glorious, glorious sunrise! The wonders of Yellowstone surprise me every moment I’m in the park, they always seem to be new or amazing. It was great this AM to share some of those wonders with the new friends we’ve made at Base Camp. It’s great to see, after such an experience nothing but big smiles! The best part, the day has just begun.

Photo captured by D3, 14-24AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film

We ventured to one of my faovrite places, West Thumb. It was interesting that they are now calling it a small caldera and not a thermal feature.

I love working the small details and finding elements that while are small, suggest something else. It was just simply fun to play!

Photos captured by D3, 24-70AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film

The afternoon was great, fun photography. Had a Bison jam which I always enjoy. We were in the very back so didn’t always have bison with us. But it seemed to be the day the ravens followed me. This one was literally right out my window and just watched me, so I photographed it.

Then it came to the bison. For some reason I just couldn’t make the shot. I don’t know but the elements just didn’t line up to make the shot. Gotta figure out what’s going on there, my head just wasn’t getting in gear.

Photos captured by D3, 200-400VR on Lexar UDMA digital film

The Norris Geyser Basin was going nuts, socked in with its own steam. We just hada stop and play!

We made the loop through Canyon so those in our group who hadn’t been to Yellowstone can see the gorgeous falls. Being pretty familiar with it, I took a new approach photographing it by getting in tight on the water and the start of the giant ice cone the forms in winter.

Photos captured by D3, 200-400VR on Lexar UDMA digital film

What the first day didn’t offer us photographically, our 2nd day more than made up for. We started off with a sweet cow group of Rocky Mtn Elk. It was just cold enough to barely see breathes but not cold enough to make it the subject.

We then cruised around Canyon and found this lone Blue Grouse. Being a grouse lover, we had to stop. It gave us not only a good show but provided great learning opps for the group. It was a rock and roll morning!

Photos captured by D3, 200-400VR / 600VR w/tc.17e on Lexar UDMA digital film

I presented on the Lexar stage at Photo+ and this was across the top of the walls. While Lexar was talking about memory as it pertains to flash memory, it think it just as rightly applies to our experience this afternoon and more importantly as wildlife photographers.

We went out shooting and to be honest with you, didn’t find any wildlife that wound the film. Yeah, bison and elk were out but they just didn’t light up the pixels so we didn’t even point the lenses. We came across a car jam and found out it was a grizzly bear on a bison kill. What was incredibly cool was the griz was perhaps 30yards away. The griz was lying on the hind quarters of the bison, it’s stomach cavity missing so the griz became headless and it stuck its head in for a bite.  The griz, a large one for Yellowstone, was dark, fat (700lbs) and beautiful fur ready for winter. All of this and not a shot to be had. It was back amongst deadfall and tight trunks. No matter, we got to watch for a long while one of the great spectacles of nature, a griz and UP close. Those who have shot with me know what I mean when I say, we broke the jynx.

For a photographic inspiration, check out what Jake captured yesterday. Schweet!

Rolled into Yellowstone at 2AM and was out by 07:00. Darn good to be in 12degree temps, seeing your breath and the thermal breath frozen to the trees again. Quite morning, had a bull for a brief moment of entertainment. More to come once my mind is working…old age or travels setting in.

Photo captured by D3, 600VR w/1.7x on Lexar UDMA digital film