Posts in Category: action
Yellowstone! Big Grey Wolf
Wolf: Blacktail Plateau, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — I always feel the need to apologize for these photos. Even though it was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a wolf, I know I was in the wrong place at the right time. No one with any sense allows a wolf to come this close…about 3 yards…but she snuck up on me, coming up the back side of the ridge while I was sitting just down from the brow. By the time others alerted me to her presence and I stood up, she was right there, cresting the ridge. Too late to run (and that would have been the worst of ideas anyway) I simply tried to keep the camera steady and thought “I’m not in your way, just go around me”. I did not feel threatened in any way…and I would like to think she didn’t either, and she did turn and walk around me, keeping that 3 yard distance. Lots of head-shots…only cropped for composition, so full frame really with the Sony a6700 and the Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. (And glad for them because I certainly could not have thought about what I was doing at that moment any more than to point and shoot.) Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Blackie
Wolf: Blacktail Plateau Drive, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — Our first encounter with the two wolves on the carcass next to the road on Blacktail Plateau. His grey mate had already fed and headed down the draw next to us where we were on the road, and he soon followed, passing within 50 yards of us, and eventually catching up with his mate. Both of them then came right out into the road and ambled down past the parked cars. Amazing. Beautiful creatures. And apparently totally unconcerned about us humans watching. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Herring Gull Overhead
Herring Gull: York County, Maine, USA, November 2024 — We will pause my coverage of Yellowstone to bring you this Herring Gull in flight from our local beach. I went down early yesterday specifically to try from some birds-in-flight shots with the new lens…BIF are a challenge with any camera and any lens and it takes continual practice to “keep your eye in”. Sony a6700 with Sony E 70-350 G at 525mm equivalent. Program mode with my BIF and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Success
Coyote: Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — Late afternoon coming back from our lightning visit to the Grand Tetons, we came up beside this hunting Coyote on the slope above the road and right across from a pull-out. Right place, right time, and ready. Popped out of the car and had a lot of fun watching the action. This sequence is of a successful pounce…vole, mole, something. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Another day on the carcass
Grizzly Bear and Wolves: Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — Because we were on our way to the Tetons, we arrived at the Bear Jam in the Hayden Valley early, with the fresh sun on the ridge where the carcass was and the wind not risen yet. Better conditions by far than our first stop there, but still, the Bears and Wolves were too far away of great photography. This is from the ridge above and on the other side of the road. A ranger was set up there with a scope, showing visitors what all the lenses were pointed at. There were two bears, though one stayed pretty much hidden behind the other and half a dozen wolves. Again this is a 2mp crop from the 26mp sensor, so there are not many pixels under the bear and wolves. 🙂 Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Morning Swans on the morning river.
Trumpeter Swans: Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — These two handsome Trumpeter Swans were swimming upstream on the Yellowstone right past the carcass on the bank and the Coyote from a previous post. Again the light was challenging. ISO 16,000 challenging, but with some noise reduction in post, this is still a satisfying image (at least to me). Sony s6700 with my bird and wildlife modifications. -1 EV to hold highlight detail. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Coyote on carcass
Coyote: Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — Early in the morning, before the sun had worked its way down to Yellowstone just as you come into the Hayden Valley, we stopped to see what was on the elk carcass that was at the edge of the water on the far side of the river for several days while we were visiting the park. Only a Coyote. (One of the days we did not visit the valley, a bear came and dragged it away, but we only ever saw the coyote.) Challenging light, and a good distance away. These shots are at ISO 20,000, cropped and processed for noise in Photomator, but not bad at all. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed as above.
Maine! Eagles are big
Bald Eagle: York County, Maine, USA, November 2024 — It always amazes me how small an eagle looks, way up in a tall pine on the other side of the river, even at 600mm equivalent…and how huge that same eagle looks once it spreads its wings to fly. It was not great light…late afternoon and overcast…but I am always happy to find the eagle when I visit the pond. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Hunter
Great Blue Heron: York County, Maine, USA, November 2024 — I posted a hunting Coyote from Yellowstone already this morning, but here is a local hunter…hunter of the November marsh along the river just back from the ocean. About as different as you can get, but hunting is hunting, and if you take the time to compare the two you will see a similar attitude in both Coyote and Heron. A similar intensity. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Start them young!
Way to go! Start them young. Give them the experience. Nature will do the rest. This was taken as we photographed the Pronghorn the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park in September, in the little bowl below the road by the cottonwoods. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 207mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications (just because that is what I was using). Processed in Photomator.