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Re: Desert Bighorn Raspberry
[Re: PossumCorner]
#11995
12/11/07 04:31 PM
12/11/07 04:31 PM
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Joined: Feb 2006
Donner Summit, CA
glamson
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Donner Summit, CA
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Quote:
George no picture here, and can't get your website - I'll assume problem at this end and try later.
Judi,
No worries mate. Sorry to hear you're having trouble. I checked my site and it's up and the pic link works for me here in San Diego. The internet must be glitching somewhere out in the Pacific. Probably a good idea to try back later. Thanks for trying to take a look.
Geo
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Re: Desert Bighorn smile?
[Re: daveman]
#11996
12/12/07 09:52 AM
12/12/07 09:52 AM
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Joined: Feb 2006
Donner Summit, CA
glamson
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Donner Summit, CA
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Quote:
Wow George - where did you take this?
Wonderful shot!
Dave
Dave,
Thanks for the positive feedback. I have walked many miles out in the desert looking and tracking these guys, but in my experience they never let you get very close. Not like the rather tame Big Horns up at Glacier Park. Luckily I live close to the San Diego Animal park that has a really nice little group in an open exhibit. Now I much prefer a wild shot to a "zoo" shot, but in many cases the only way I can get closeups showing animal behavior is with enclosed animals. To get a head shot like this out in the desert has been impossible for me. The Animal Park is great to shoot at because they give the animals alot of room and also create as "natural" a habitat as they can. The animals can be real hams though. This guy really was very expressive and even mugged for the camera.
Nikon D200 f/6.3 1/320" ISO400 500mm Nikkor f/4
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Re: Desert Bighorn smile?
[Re: glamson]
#11997
12/12/07 10:33 AM
12/12/07 10:33 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Montana
Tony Bynum
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Feb 2005
Montana
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Nice going Geo - glamson. At the end of the day, great shots are great shots no matter where they are taken.
On the other hand, it is my personal opinion that when a "wild" animal is shot in a captive situation, or behind any kind of fence or containment, that information should be displayed on the shot, particularly if it's been worked over and framed. The standard is "wild unless noted, if its not wild note it." This is for the animals sake, not for credit to the photographer. Captive animals disply different characteristics and in some cases very different physical traits. As photographers we dont want to mislead anyone with a captive shot into thinking that it's a wild specimen, in many cases they are different, even when they are the same species. . . This is about the animal, not the photographer.
I'm taking nothing away from your shots they are great. I'm also sure that shooting the big rams in glacier, no matter what anyone says, is not easy. Sure, during the summer you can walk right up to most of them that you find on logan pass, that is if youre not breaking area closure rules which many people do, but who whats a summer ram shot? Try to get those big old rams during the rut, when they are fully furred up and acting like aggressive sheep, bet you wont even find one. . . I've been chasing the glacier sheep for many years, still have yet to get any great, late season rut shots or even sell one shot of a big glacier ram . . . Access is the key and durring those times when sheep are photographable, you cant get to them. . .
This is an issues that i've always wanted to write about. Most people dont realize that there really are specific times a year to get great shots. for most wild animals you have only a few peak weeks. So, you have to plan for those periods and find the subjects or you are buggard for the year! A summer trip to glacier wont get you a single image of a rutty ram with full hair. You can get a pile of sheep grazing open pastures, or sheep sleeping, or sheep sleeping or really rough, shed out sheep that while fun to photograph, have very limited use/appeal.
Again, I'm talking wild animals her, not captives. The Sheep in glacier are free to leave and often do. In fact they move around in and out of hunted areas. . .
Keep up the great shooting no matter where it's at, it's all about the enjoyment of capturing great images. . . .
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Re: Desert Bighorn smile?
[Re: Tony Bynum]
#11998
12/12/07 11:59 AM
12/12/07 11:59 AM
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Joined: Feb 2006
Donner Summit, CA
glamson
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Donner Summit, CA
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Quote:
Nice going Geo - glamson. At the end of the day, great shots are great shots no matter where they are taken.
On the other hand, it is my personal opinion that when a "wild" animal is shot in a captive situation, or behind any kind of fence or containment, that information should be displayed on the shot, particularly if it's been worked over and framed. The standard is "wild unless noted, if its not wild note it." This is for the animals sake, not for credit to the photographer. Captive animals disply different characteristics and in some cases very different physical traits. As photographers we dont want to mislead anyone with a captive shot into thinking that it's a wild specimen, in many cases they are different, even when they are the same species. . . This is about the animal, not the photographer.
I'm taking nothing away from your shots they are great. I'm also sure that shooting the big rams in glacier, no matter what anyone says, is not easy. Sure, during the summer you can walk right up to most of them that you find on logan pass, that is if youre not breaking area closure rules which many people do, but who whats a summer ram shot? Try to get those big old rams during the rut, when they are fully furred up and acting like aggressive sheep, bet you wont even find one. . . I've been chasing the glacier sheep for many years, still have yet to get any great, late season rut shots or even sell one shot of a big glacier ram . . . Access is the key and durring those times when sheep are photographable, you cant get to them. . .
This is an issues that i've always wanted to write about. Most people dont realize that there really are specific times a year to get great shots. for most wild animals you have only a few peak weeks. So, you have to plan for those periods and find the subjects or you are buggard for the year! A summer trip to glacier wont get you a single image of a rutty ram with full hair. You can get a pile of sheep grazing open pastures, or sheep sleeping, or sheep sleeping or really rough, shed out sheep that while fun to photograph, have very limited use/appeal.
Again, I'm talking wild animals her, not captives. The Sheep in glacier are free to leave and often do. In fact they move around in and out of hunted areas. . .
Keep up the great shooting no matter where it's at, it's all about the enjoyment of capturing great images. . . .
Tony,
I knew that crack about "tame" sheep at Glacier would get a response from you. And you are entirely correct, my experiences at glacier have been in the summer when the sheep are pretty docile. I have always envied you guys that live near the great parks for your accessibility to these great animals at all times of the year. And I also admire the effort that it takes to go out and get the shots under all types of conditions. I have spent plenty of hours bushwacking for a shot and can only marvel at how you guys do it in sub zero weather.
I agree about the captive vs wild differences in animal behavior. While animals in captivity do often exhibit behaviors similar to in the wild, the psyche is different. There is nothing like shooting a wild animal in its wild habitat. I spend alot of time out at the Animal Park, but it is mostly to shoot the wild birds that hang out there. The only captive animal shots I usually take are close ups like thesee that show off the animal and frankly I couldn't get any other way. I knew when I posted this shot that those that know how hard it would be to get such a shot in the wild would figure it must be zoo shot. I expected someone would ask where it was and I would have to fess up that it was a captive shot. I would never try to pass off a captive shot as a wild shot and maybe I should have said so up front. I'm not sure how I would indicate that this was a captive shot in a framed photo? Anyway, these are great animals and I hope these shots convey some of their beauty.
As always, thanks for the feedback.
Geo
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Re: Desert Bighorn smile?
[Re: glamson]
#11999
12/12/07 12:10 PM
12/12/07 12:10 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Montana
Tony Bynum
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Feb 2005
Montana
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I only wish I too had access to those wild glacier sheep during the winter, like I said, I dont. I know where they live, but I cant get to them, not safely. I know where they are, but unless I hire a pack string and a few sherpas it's not something I can safely shoot.
So, if it's any consultation to you, no one's photographing wild sheep in glacier this time of year, you cant get to them. Well, unless your a park ranger or bio who get to ride snowmobiles past locked gates, which to me is totally wrong!
As for captive vs non, generally, in the business, you put a reference on the frame or in the credits.
(captive) by the the title, or the credit line. . .
I respect you very much! I also respect all forms of photography, you can bet that if I lived in a place where there were few wild animals, I first move, or if I could not, I'd make my cats wild and shoot them!!!! LOL
Take care, good shooting. . .
BTW, that big ram as my avatar is NOT a glacier sheep. . . I dont shoot glacier sheep because of their poor conditions when I can get to them. That said, I do have few okay shots, but nothing anyone ever has purchased. . .
One last thing, a little quick math, this year I've shot 17 days for sheep, that's 5200 miles, about 200 hiking/shooting hours, $850 on gas just to get to the area to find the sheep(no joke) I've slept on the ground and in my truck in sub zero temps, ate nature bars and drank cold coffee, froze my finger tips off, and that is the ONLY shot like that I have. For three of those 17 days, I did not take a single sheep shot!
Moreover, I managed to photographed the avatar sheep three times in 17 trips! Sure, I have lots of other neat sheep shots, but this is not a gig that comes easy, no matter what anyone tells you. So far, I just broke even, selling that shot now has paid for gas. . . but my time, food, tires, oil, etc, that still is in the "free" catigory.
I better get back to work or i'm going to be living where there are no wild animals just so that I can pay the rent . . . . I'd rather be broke!
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Re: Desert Bighorn smile?
[Re: Tony Bynum]
#12000
12/12/07 02:56 PM
12/12/07 02:56 PM
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Joined: Jan 2006
Alaska
DavidRamey
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jan 2006
Alaska
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As hard as it is to photograph Sheep, you should try Goats. The Goats hang out where the Sheep can't get to. Come to think of it, most animals here in Alaska are hard to get to. Polar Bears, MuskOx, Bison, Sheep, Goats, Walrus, etc. You haven't lived until you have camped out at Delta Junction at -50F so you can try to get a photograph of a Bison (the last remaining wild herd in USA) and yes I have done that. Staying warm is the easy part. Trying to sleep with cameras, lenses, water bottles and batteries in the sleeping bag is an adventure in itself.
David Ramey Photography
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