? on shooting Yellowstone/Tetons this weekend

Ok, I was finally planning on a quick trip up to this area. I figured to be on site to shoot Friday afternoon through Saturday. I've never been there though and want to maximize my options for wildlife. Can anyone point me to a specific area where the odds are good? I should mention that my blown back is acting up again so mobility will be limited. Which area is better to shoot this time of year? I also would not mind some nice scenics. I've adapted a Contax Zeiss lens and an old Takumar to my 30D and am getting some really nice scenic images with those lenses now. Thanks,

Jim, I was there a couple years ago during the last week of June. I found the best wildlife activity in the area from Mammoth Hot Springs up through the Lamar Valley. Wolves (at a distance); herds of bison; herds of Elk; sometimes almost surrounding the Mammoth Hotel grounds; and both Grizzly and Black Bear in Lamar Valley and the Roosevelt-Tower area. Lots of bison always hang around the Old Faithful area, too, like this big boy:



Nice scenery up towards Tower Falls (Look for the eagle nest on a rocky pinnacle below the road at an overlook.)

The drive up to Mt. Washburn is quite scenic and you might still find some snow up there. Here's a pano on the way to Mt. Washburn, shown at the far right. Pardon the poor quality, it was taken with a 2mp Olympus.



I also saw a lot of elk and some bear in the Southern Area toward Jackson Hole but didn't travel the road towards West Yellowstone.

Hope you have a great trip.

Dick:)

wildlife right now is tough, and hit and miss. you always will see elk along the madison. most animals have put on some nice antler growth by now, but still very shaggy and rough looking. Most of your wildlife shot shots will be of shaggy half-horned animals, unless you are able to find a bear or two. try for some swans along the madison, and eagles too. otters are around there also.

buffalo are fun, but they too ar shaggy and not very active right now. you'll find males of all species in batchler groups or ones and twos. when you see does or cows, be on the look out for new boarns, they are dropping as we type. Keep in mind that buffalo, moose and bears are particularly agresive this time of year, so keep you distance. . .

Thanks guys! Tony, I hadn't given otters any thought but would like to shoot some. That's one critter I don't have shots of. I'm finding the Moose a bit grumpy up this way also. Had me a little encounter with one last weekend, amazing how quick they can come out of a "moose deep" pond, LOL!!

an come out of a "moose deep" pond, LOL!!

thats no kidding! And, how well really they blend in. Moose have been for me, the most elusive to photograph well. when I find one it's usually sunny out. It's stange becuase you would think something so big, and so dark would stand out, but not so, they blend in better than deer when they are in the trees, you cant see them.

There are mose all over the place where I live but they always give me the slip. I'm going to put three or four days in on moose this fall, looking forward to it!

Have fun, good luck. . .

Hey Jim,

You mentioned that you are looking specifically to do some nice scenics. Are you sure you want to do Jellystone? Grand Teton is right down the road, and I think offers more for the 'Shoot great landscapes like crazy for 24 hours' traveler.

If you do Yellowstone, places for a great sunrise are the Thumb Geyser Basin. I would also like to do the Sylvan Lake. I have not had that opportunity though - and it is really beautiful. Of course, Sunrise or sunset at the midway Geyser Basin and Old Faithful, etc. would potentially be a lot of fun (so long as the sun is setting in the right place). Also, I have always wanted to do the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone at sunset.

James

Yeah, same for me. Tons of Moose around but hard to get decent shots of. In good light they've always eluded me. It seems all my close up opportunities came in poor light, with the wrong lens, no tripod, etc. The population here is large though and we even capture and trade with Colorado for Mountain Sheep to help thin out the Moose. The one the other day had a bad eye, looked like a cataract, and may be why he came out right towards me. I had actually photographed him in the same pond a week earlier from a distance. I had noticed the eye in the photos then but thought it was light reflecting from somewhere. I have standing orders from both my wife and the local store I sell at for quality moose shots but I just don't have ones I'm proud of yet.

Well, when I told my wife I was headed to Yellowstone for two days she was quick to remind me that we are still paying off my daughter wedding from last month. Needless to say, I am sure glad I've only got one daughter, LOL! So, to drown my sorrows this morning I headed out to the High Uinta Wilderness area which is about an hour from the house. I figured this would be a good test to see how well the adapted Contax Zeiss lens and Pentax Takumar lens would do on the 30D. Here's two water shots taken at the Provo River falls minutes before the rising sun would enter the area and ruin the shooting. Both of these with the Contax Zeiss 28/2.8 Distagon.



And the usual Moose in bad light shot, this time with his rump to me. I saw him lying in a marsh and went in after the shoot. Hard to move quietly in a flooded meadow with water upto a foot deep. Shooting at 400 and 800 ISO and still lucky to get 1/50 shutter speed with the 400/5.6.

Jim,

Great photos - particularly the first one. Thanks for sharing.

James

PS Congrats on the wedding as well.