Yellowstone in Winter--December 2009--Day 3

The day began with the sky falling, a flat gray cloak pulled across the sun and landscape, rendering Yellowstone's stage devoid of contrast and anything dynamic.  My attitude mirrored the opaque gloom of the day and it didn't get any better as I drove the first 20 miles of the morning without seeing anything other than distant dots upon drab hillsides.  My wife had joined me, which is quite unusual but a pleasant surprise, and we planned to drive clear to Cooke City for breakfast before coming back into the Lamar Valley to do some skiing.  Finally, very near Slough Creek Campground, a coyote trotted alongside the road and a large traffic jam clogged the shoulders of the road.  The wolf lovers were out in force, gazing into the gray distance at three specks lying atop a distant ridge, some 3/4 or more of a mile away. 

Not even the Sigmonstor could work magic with this scene, so I snapped a documentery photo and continued driving, frustrated by the lack of visible wildlife and the accompanying photo opportunities.  By the time we reached Cooke City, snow had settled in and large flakes obscured the view.  We ate at a quaint little cafe and the food was wonderful, all the while listening to the whinning shriek of passing snowmobiles headed for whiter pastures.  After breakfast, still feeling the effects of my cold, I needed a nap.

Around 12:45, we decided to head back towards Tower Junction to do some x-country skiing.  Along the way, we stopped at a pullout where 3 other cars sat.  I could see nothing that would draw their interest but continued studying the landscape through my binoculars.  I finally saw what would make the dreary day end magically.  From under a cut bank along Soda Butte Creek, easily 300 yards from the car, a river otter walked out onto the ice along the edge of the stream.  Before long, we had seen 7 total (2 adults and 5 youngsters) and I decided I would venture out into the large meadow near them and attempt to get some closer shots.  I huddled for a few minutes with the others at the pullout and met Tim and Dave, two other photographers from Colorado and Montana.  We agreed to work together so we wouldn't scare the otters away.  What ensued is one of those magical, unforgetable 2 hours every photographer experiences occasionally.  The otters cooperated, sunlight burned through the cloud layer and the megapixels vaporized wth astonishing rapidity.  When all was done, I had shot over 600 images of the otters, which presented a wriggling, writhing, comical photo subject to a very appreciative photographer.  Here are some of my favorites.

I finished the day slowly driving back towards Gardiner.  I encountered a few buffalo and a lone coyote along the way.

I'll be back out tomorrow morning for the last time this trip  I'll be headed towards home by 11:00 or so.  Once again, I'll post images tomorrow evening if possible.  I'll also begin uploading the rest of the images from the trip tp my website (http://www.timdoolinphotograhy.com/) later in the week.

Thanks for the comments to those who have.  Feel free to ask question about equipment and/or technique and I'll give the best answer I know.  This has been fun for my first attempt at blogging.  I'll have to continue this in the future.

Yellowstone in Winter--December 2009--Day 2

Today started beautifully with a hazy sunrise featuring diffused, warm sunlight painting the landscape.  I found myself in the company of several big bull elk and revelled in the light hitting their ivory points.  I shot over 400 images before pulling myself away.

I encountered another coyote as I drove futher towards the Lamar Valley, but there was little other wildlife along the way, other than glimpses of bighorn sheep and buffalo at great distances not condusive to photos.

I had intended to spend much of the afternoon x-country skiing and looking for photo opportunities away from the roads, but I slept poorly and awakened feeling the firm grip of a cold.  My wife decided  I needed to share in her misery of the previous week:).  I decided it wouldn't be smart to get my lungs burning in the cold with the way I was feeling, so I actually went back to the hotel in Gardiner and took a nap.

The afternoon drive was also very uneventful in terms of wildlife, so I turned my attention to using my big lens to disect the landscape, isolating subjects by cropping with magnification.  I tend to have a well-developed western eye, seeing the big, dynamic vistas of peaks and valleys.  I oftentimes overlook the more intimate subjects that make up the larger scenes.  I purposefully looked for smaller elements and shot a number of more abstract images.  I'm pleased with several of them.

It's supposed to snow tomorrow, so we'll see what happens.  I'l be out again bright and early, looking for what I can find.  Once again, I'll make every attempt to post images and dialogue at some point tomorrow.

Yellowstone in Winter--December 2009--Day 1

After a nearly 5 hour drive, my wife and I entered the park at 1:30 on the nose.  I stopped and prepared my camera equipment, saddling up the Sigmonster (300-800mm) and got my tripod and gimbal head ready for action as well.  We headed east out of Mammoth Hot Springs towards the Lamar Valley, which is a drive of 40 miles.  It didn't take long to encounter sights that have made Yellowstone famous since 1872.  These guys were quite impressive, so I spent about 15 minutes watching and shooting images.

After watching the bulls for a while, we continued on towards Tower Junction, only glimpsing one coyote and a few cow elk along the way.  I was surprised how little snow covered the ground as many places were brown and bare.  The snow was no more than 6-10 inches deep even in the darkest shade.  Unlike my previous venture into the park during the winter months (February 2009), the wildlife were scattered far and wide.  Last February, deep snows on the ridges forced them into the more visible river drainages.  Wildlife photos may be a challenge over the next few days.  Even though these next two photos are not tack sharp, they illustrate how athletic coyotes can be when they need to be.

As the sun sank lower on the horizon, the landscape warmed itno golden hues and I focused on capturing the last 15-20 minutes of magical light.  Serrated cliffs, timbered ridgelines and snow covered meadows embraced my lens.  There's nothing like watching God's creation transform in the fading sunlight of a day nearly gone.  Enjoy!

I'll be in park all day tomorrow photographing whatever I find and doing some x-country skiing if I can find snow deep enough.  I'll make every attempt to post more in thee evening.

I'm impatient!

I had intended to spend December 27th-30th in Jackson Hole photographing the peaks and valley in their winter atire.  I have attempted this same trip the previous 2 years, but inclement weather in Jackson has prohibited a worthwhile stay.  Once again, weather has played a role as I just finished changing my reservations and plans from the Jackson area to Gardiner, Montana.  I'll be spending the 28th-31st there photographing the upper portion of Yellowstone National Park. 

So what happened?  A family Christmas scheduled for the 26th has been delayed by the poor weather and closed roads across the heart of the country. Family comes first, even if it frustrates me, and since poor weather is forcast for Jackson towards the end of that window, I changed my destination.  I've taken some great shots of wildlife in Yellowstone, even in inclement weather (see the buffalo image), so that is where I'm headed bright and early on the 28th.

If the roads are decent, I should be in the park by 1:00 that afternoon.  Stay tuned for more narrative and a few sample images from the trip.