For a wildlife photographer, being in the right place at precisely the right time is essential. I like to plan to be where I think I have a good chance of finding something at the moment the light comes up. This sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. I remember wanting to be at Cameron Pass in the Colorado Rockies at 6:00 am one early September morning. When I arrived there was a Moose family eating among the willow bushes. The Moose weren't frightened by me so continued to stay there eating for a couple of hours, by which time the light was good enough for some really great photos.
On the other hand, the day I left Flagstaff -- also the day I got sick -- I wanted to be on a very specific back road in the Coconino Forest on the San Francisco Peaks at first light. There I found a small group of five Elk eating in an open field (first photo). The light wasn't quite good enough, but unlike the Moose, they immediately started running. I saw some Bull Elk another 100 yards away but they too started running before the light was good. (second photo). It really takes an hour after first light to get enough light through the trees for a forest shot. So, when I came across a couple more Bull Elk, even though I was much closer, I still didn't have enough light for a great photo. Even by mid-morning, the light underneath thousands of Ponderosa Pines doesn't make for easy photography. The Pronghorn was about the best I could hope for as he crossed the road in front of me. Even though I didn't get great photos, seeing the forest alive with wildlife is also a treat and very special.
From there, I took a quick -- well, it's not all that quick -- drive up Mount Elden to see if I could find a Bear. No Bear to be photographed this time, but I got my best photo of the day: a Wildflower no less.
 |
| Elk - mostly cows |
 |
| Elk - all bulls |
 |
| Bull Elk |
 |
| Pronghorn Male |
 |
| Just a Wildflower |
No comments:
Post a Comment