Maine! Old Faithful
Red-tailed Hawk: York County, Maine, October 2024 — Only with less of the old and less of the faithful! Still this hawk has haunted the edges of the marsh along one of my favorite trails for more than a year now, and has given me many photo-ops. I had not been out to the marsh since getting back from Yellowstone (due to heart issues), but I went yesterday for a short walk, and there she was, right where I thought she might be. Not great light…but still. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications and +1.7 EV exposure compensation. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Mousam and Roger’s Pond
I got out for a walk around Roger’s Pond by the Mousam River in Kennebunk, Maine yesterday and caught some of the now fading fall color or Southern Maine. Not in full sun, so a bit on the subtle side, but that is okay. It is the season. Sony a5100 with the Sony E 10-18 f4 zoom at 15-27mm equivalents. Superior Auto with Scene Select (Landscape). Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Attendant
Moose: Floating Island Lake, Yellowstone National Park, September 2024 — As I mentioned before, this bull moose was in attendance on the cow and calf. I am not certain how the cow and calf felt about it, but the bull was staying close. Here he appears to be attempting to herd them up over the ridge behind the pond, or, on the other hand, he may be trying to keep up with them as they go over the ridge. ? Anyway, it makes a great shot…and at the distance, about 300 yards, the Tamron at f6.3 keeps them all in focus. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! White Dome Geyser
While standing at Surprise Springs on the Firehole Lake Drive in Yellowstone National Park, we had another surprise. White Dome Geyser took that moment to erupt. It apparently erupts on an irregular schedule with an average interval of 20-30 minutes, but it has been known to be as short as 8 minutes and as long as 3 hours. It is among the tallest dome geysers in the park, though its plume only reaches about 30 feet. This shot is from between a quarter and a half mile away. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 273mm equivalent. Program mode. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Hoping to get lucky
Moose: Floating Island Lake, Yellowstone National Park, September 2024 — It is rutting season in Yellowstone, and this bull moose was in close attendance on the calf and cow we found feeding at the edge of the reeds in Floating Island Lake…I am told that it is a rare sight to see a bull “guarding” a cow with a calf the way his was, but I think maybe he was just hoping to get “lucky”. He seems to have romance on his mind in this shot. The cow may be somewhat reluctant as she still has this spring’s calf with her, but if he catches her in just the right 12 hour period when she is receptive, he might have a chance. He does seem determined. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Canary Springs outflow
From below with the my telephoto zoom, this is the outflow on the Upper Terrace of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. Rock in the making as we watch and more layers of travertine are deposited. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Cow and Calf up to their necks
Moose: In our first early morning encounter with the moose family at Floating Island Lake in Yellowstone National Park, both the cow and calf were in the water, walking (or swimming in the case of the calf) along the edge of the reeds, feeding below waterline on the wilted vegetation. With the warm direct sun, and the reflections in the pond, it was a sight to see and a treat to photograph. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Old Faithful
I already shared the close up shot of Old Faithful. We arrived at the lodge, after about 30 minutes of looking for parking, just in time, according to the geyser clock in the lobby, for the next eruption, and made it out to the nearest corner of the boardwalk with seconds to spare. It does not matter how many times you see it, or how many photos or videos you see, there is nothing like being there. One second the mound of colored rock is all there is to see, and the next, after a tentative spurt of steam or two, there is a column of boiling water and steam 130 feet (or more) tall. The roar. The rush! I barely had time for a few shots with the a6700 and the Tamron at 75mm equivalent…and then to switch to the a5100 and E 10-18 f4 at 27mm equivalent, which you see here. Superior Auto with Landscape scene mode selection. Processed in Photomator. Next time video 🙂
Yellowstone! Mountain Goat
Mountain Goat: Yellowstone National Park, September 2024 — Though we made two attempts on the Beartooth Highway were people were seeing Goats close, this shot from high on the rim above the Madison River was as close to a Mountain Goat as we got…and this is a 1mp crop from the full 26mp Sony sensor. It amazes me that it is even this good considering the distance (876 yards by my friend’s rangefinder), the light (the mountain side was in shadow), and the extreme crop needed to make the Goat big enough to see. 🙂 Mountain Goats love this kind of terrain…these little shelves in the sheer rock faces of the the volcanic mountains of Yellowstone and the Rocky Mountains in general. I hope to see one close up one day. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Firehole Springs?
I think this is called Firehole Springs. It is on the Firehole Lake Drive at any rate. A common thermal feature of Yellowstone National Park, these boiling springs are fascinating. Dangerously so. You do not want to put your hand in there. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 75 and 508 mm equivalents. Program mode. Processed in Photomator. Video assembled in LumaFusion and resized for upload in VDIT.