Moose News Blog

Drove five hours (it was snowing when we left the house) and put in our time at the spot the biologists had emailed me about yesterday. What you see above is what I have to show for my time. Zip!

Why am I blogging zip? This is just as much a part of my success as an actual image. Wildlife is just that, wild life and it does whatever it wants to do whether I’m sitting there waiting or not. Coming back with nothing is simply part of the game.

And tomorrow, I’ll be in place before the sun comes up and waiting there until the sun sets. If things go my way, I’ll be spending my time tomorrow night going through images rather than blogging. If not, well, I’ll be looking at the same thing, an empty flash card. Either way, I’m still ahead of the game.

So, we’ve got these gorgeous *^+%#@# lillies in the house. They’ve been driving my nose to the extreme of sneezing explosions. But they are gorgeous, and they just won’t die! So, it occurred to me that I should get even in my own unique way, I’d shoot them bastards!

The lighting is a very simple two flash set up. On the lens (105VR) is a single R1C1 flash unit (the SB-R200) with a second R1C1 flash on a C Stand holding it right behind the petals. And this is what I came up with.

My bad luck, after shooting them, they are still gorgeous (didn’t even have to do anything in post) and still they live so back they go to the living room to continue on tickling my nose.

Photos captured by D3 (firmware 1.10), 105VR, 2 SB-R200 flashes on Lexar UDMA digital film

I’m a very firm believer that we need to know where we came from to have an idea where we’re heading. This is very true for photography! Now, since we don’t all have access to Joe McNally to ask him personally how it was way back when, Natl G has been good enough to put up this very cool timeline you can find here. Did you know the first wildlife photographer to use flash was a Natl G shooter back in the 1890s named George. The same guy helped get this little bill in congress passed called the Migratory Bird Act. It’s just dang amazing what photography and wildlife photography has brought to this world! Check it out, it might just help your photography.

Badger, dood, I asked but they just don’t ship these killer, yummy pancakes. I thought of you with every bite tickling my tongue, the ginger lighting up the pallet.

Joe, I thought of you too man, sorry you’re not here yet. I’m not sure Brad has the same sentiment though.

With two new feet of snow on the ground and more falling, it’s a great time to think of the warmth of summer, AND the great opportunities there are for photography. Sharon & I already have our plans so now it’s time to do the homework so we’re ready to go. One of the projects this summer involves Griz and as you all know, it’s a long time favorite of ours. One of the things I do to prepare is go through my old images to see what I’ve captured in the past, the images that work, those that don’t and how I can improve. At the same time, I think about what new camera gear and techniques I have to bring to an “old” subject to make it a “new” subject.

For example, looking through my old griz images, I noticed I don’t have many horizontal head shots. Lots of verticals like this bruin at Brooks Falls, but very few horizontals. Something to put down on the list to do. My collection of battle wounds, close up shots, is pretty slim as well, something to further investigate. Both of these shots mean getting tighter on the griz so that might mean taking the 600VR rather than the 200-400VR. I don’t know, it is a decision I’ll have to think about in the months to come. But that’s the benefit of looking at what I’ve captured so far so I can improve on what’s to come. Make those plans now, so you’re photographically ready to make the most of them when they’re in the viewfinder!

Photo captured by D1, 400f2.8AFS w/TC-14e on Lexar digital film