Posts in Category: Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone! Roadside Mule Deer
Mule Deer: Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — We saw surprisingly few Mule Deer in Yellowstone. This one was right beside the road with its mother and another fawn just coming into the park from the Silver Gate entrance, crack of dawn as they say. Taken from the car window at the maximum ISO I allow, 25600. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400Di3 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed (with noise reduction) in Photomator.
Beartooth Highway: Above Timberline
The strange alpine landscape of the Beartooth Mountains just east of Yellowstone National Park, above timberline. Lots of lakes in the deep valleys. Sony a5100 with E10-18 f4 at 15mm equivalent. Superior Auto with Landscape scene mode selection. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Sisters
American Bison: Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — Two bison moving along side by side makes a good portrait. They are massive animals and it is hard to appreciate the scale in a photo. I would have had to zoom out to 300mm to fit these in the frame. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di3 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Bison bugle
American Bison: Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — You have to be aware all the time when photographing Bison from the Lamar Valley road that there are, very possibly, bison behind you, just over the ridge where you can’t see them…and that they will sneak up on you when they are ready to cross the road to the rest of the herd. This bull bison had his harem behind us, but fortunately was in a challenging mood, and sounded off as soon as the herd, and its rival bulls, came in sight. He was still pretty close already when we turned. He did lead his harem across the road, and it looked for a few moments like we were going to see two dominant bulls go head to head…but nothing came of it…there is lots of space on either side of the Lamar road, for as many bulls as you might like to see. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400Di3 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds in flight and action modifications (just because that is how the camera was set from a sequence of head butting young bulls across the road). Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Butting bison
American Bison: Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — The rut was really over by the time we got to Yellowstone, but there was still some rutting behavior among the young bulls. Just play but fun to watch. Head butting is part of the dominance ritual, and helps the herd to know who is boss. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Yellowstone! A little Bison rolling action
American Bison: Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — We found a particularly active and even feisty herd of Bison beside the road in the Lamar Valley. Dust bathing, or dust rolling, is a common behavior among Bison. It combats ticks and other insects that would otherwise make their home on the Bison’s hide. It can look pretty odd and the bison get into all kinds of contortions doing it. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400Di iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Yellowstone! Spruce Grouse
Spruce Grouse: Blacktail Plateau, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — Grouse are generally shy creatures of the forest, and relatively hard to find. This one was right beside the road and in no hurry to get away from us at all when we pulled up beside it. It just ambled deeper into the brush as we watched and photographed it. Sony a6700 with Tamron 30-400 Di iii. The first shot was out the window of the car at 382mm equivalent. Close! The other two shots are at 600mm from the same distance and then as it moved away from us. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! From Blacktail
We made one more run up over Blacktail Plateau, past where the carcass was earlier in the morning, just to see what was happening. The scenery was gorgeous…the light just coming across the plateau almost horizontal, and picking out the mountains to the north. Sony a5100 with E10-18 f4 @ 15mm equivalent. Superior Auto with Landscape scene select. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Pronghorn speedster
Pronghorn: Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — The Pronghorn is the fastest land animal in the Americas and is only outpaced by the Cheetah on the African plains…and that only by a single mile per hour, and, over a short distance. The Pronghorn can run faster and longer than any other land creature. They are built for speed. This shot was just an amble by Pronghorn standards. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 600mm. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and Luminar Neo (to remove motion blur).
Yellowstone! Marking territory
Pronghorn: Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — Not a rutting behavior specifically, Pronghorn bucks are in the habit of attacking sagebrush plants with their horns…vigorously. They are actually marking the plants with scent from scent glands at the base of the horns, letting other bucks know that they have claimed this territory. It must be pretty powerful scent to stand out over the sent of the brushed sage itself. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.