A couple of months ago I posted some questions ahead of a what turned out to be my first exclusive and focused wildlife photography road trip (and I got some very helpful answers - thank you!). I wound up on the road for 3 weeks going from LA thru Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado and Arizona (Zion, Yellowstone, Teton, Harriman State Park, Custer State Park, etc.).
It was 4900 miles of mostly easy breezy driving and was a great antidote to the previous 7 months of lockdown.
I’ve been photographing (or attempting to photograph) wildlife for about 7 years. My main method being hiking around with my camera and seeing what happens. A decent amount of my decision to become more focused and serious about it came from watching Steve’s videos and reading his photographing wildlife ebook. So I added a 500mm lens to my kit along with a sturdy tripod and gimbal head and was determined to and certain that I would find lots of amazing spots to get out, set up my rig and patiently allow the scene(s) to unfold before me.
Ha!
What really happened is that I never once pulled out my tripod. I always felt like I was a step behind the action and when opportunities did arise (and compared to the time spent they were rare) it all felt so run and gun and I often cut off legs or horns, etc.
It was on my 7th day into the trip and 2nd in Yellowstone between Gardiner and the Lamar Valley when I was started feeing discouraged. In my mind I was going to easily spot and beautifully photograph an assortment of animals and in reality had only seen a lot of bison some bighorn sheep and couple of elk at anywhere near the proper distance (I also saw wolves, a brown bear a grizzly but all from quite far away).
The next day I went out again, again with minimal, photographable animal action but a switch flipped and I was looking around and thinking (to paraphrase), “I’m in Yellowstone and it’s amazing!! And I love being on the road and out in nature and I’ve seen bison and elk and wolves and bears and bighorn sheep and I’m having a great time!”
I stayed on the road for 14 days after that and had some great luck (still in that gonzo, leg and horn cutting off way) in Custer State Park but with the switch in attitude had a fantastic time all the rest of the way and while my expectations of what I would encounter and the kinds of pictures I would take didn’t fully jibe the real reality was that it was an immense pleasure and luxury to be on the road for so long and see and immerse myself in so many beautiful places and to see the wildlife I got to see; and pictures or no pictures that has long been my happy place.
I also had a couple of serendipitous moments like on the drive home deciding last second to take the long way from Page Arizona to Kanab Utah so that I could cross the Navajo Bridge and see the Vermillion Cliffs. Doing so led me to stumble upon some California Condors at the Navajo Bridge and while the light and backgrounds were poor I got to witness a mating ritual that was beautiful to see.
A few photography thinks I learned…
I was so stoked to have and extensively use my 500mm lens but so often it was either too short or too long, lol. (I also learned that I can handhold it - previous Nikon version - to good effect but it did start to wear me out.
I had an assortment of 2nd body lens options but still often had the wrong one on in the moment.
In the future I may be better served by having more of a photographic plan (vs a logistical one). As in what do I want to capture and what will it REALLY take to accomplish it.
ALWAYS check the ‘seasons of wildlife’ section in bird sanctuaries etc!! I booked 2 day in Ogden Utah to go to Bear River bird sanctuary but timed my trip right in between 2 migration events so all I got was a car full of midges. I’m usually smarter than that (though Antelope Island was still fun).
So that’s my story, thanks again to all who offered advice and I can’t wait til next time armed with some more knowledge and experience.
I’m not sure how to post a bunch of photos here and I also exported everything larger than this site allows so if you've read this far and are curious at all a quick scroll through my IG (@stephen_berger) will show you what I was up to (the last 100 or so pics - I also took a lot of landscapes).
It was 4900 miles of mostly easy breezy driving and was a great antidote to the previous 7 months of lockdown.
I’ve been photographing (or attempting to photograph) wildlife for about 7 years. My main method being hiking around with my camera and seeing what happens. A decent amount of my decision to become more focused and serious about it came from watching Steve’s videos and reading his photographing wildlife ebook. So I added a 500mm lens to my kit along with a sturdy tripod and gimbal head and was determined to and certain that I would find lots of amazing spots to get out, set up my rig and patiently allow the scene(s) to unfold before me.
Ha!
What really happened is that I never once pulled out my tripod. I always felt like I was a step behind the action and when opportunities did arise (and compared to the time spent they were rare) it all felt so run and gun and I often cut off legs or horns, etc.
It was on my 7th day into the trip and 2nd in Yellowstone between Gardiner and the Lamar Valley when I was started feeing discouraged. In my mind I was going to easily spot and beautifully photograph an assortment of animals and in reality had only seen a lot of bison some bighorn sheep and couple of elk at anywhere near the proper distance (I also saw wolves, a brown bear a grizzly but all from quite far away).
The next day I went out again, again with minimal, photographable animal action but a switch flipped and I was looking around and thinking (to paraphrase), “I’m in Yellowstone and it’s amazing!! And I love being on the road and out in nature and I’ve seen bison and elk and wolves and bears and bighorn sheep and I’m having a great time!”
I stayed on the road for 14 days after that and had some great luck (still in that gonzo, leg and horn cutting off way) in Custer State Park but with the switch in attitude had a fantastic time all the rest of the way and while my expectations of what I would encounter and the kinds of pictures I would take didn’t fully jibe the real reality was that it was an immense pleasure and luxury to be on the road for so long and see and immerse myself in so many beautiful places and to see the wildlife I got to see; and pictures or no pictures that has long been my happy place.
I also had a couple of serendipitous moments like on the drive home deciding last second to take the long way from Page Arizona to Kanab Utah so that I could cross the Navajo Bridge and see the Vermillion Cliffs. Doing so led me to stumble upon some California Condors at the Navajo Bridge and while the light and backgrounds were poor I got to witness a mating ritual that was beautiful to see.
A few photography thinks I learned…
I was so stoked to have and extensively use my 500mm lens but so often it was either too short or too long, lol. (I also learned that I can handhold it - previous Nikon version - to good effect but it did start to wear me out.
I had an assortment of 2nd body lens options but still often had the wrong one on in the moment.
In the future I may be better served by having more of a photographic plan (vs a logistical one). As in what do I want to capture and what will it REALLY take to accomplish it.
ALWAYS check the ‘seasons of wildlife’ section in bird sanctuaries etc!! I booked 2 day in Ogden Utah to go to Bear River bird sanctuary but timed my trip right in between 2 migration events so all I got was a car full of midges. I’m usually smarter than that (though Antelope Island was still fun).
So that’s my story, thanks again to all who offered advice and I can’t wait til next time armed with some more knowledge and experience.
I’m not sure how to post a bunch of photos here and I also exported everything larger than this site allows so if you've read this far and are curious at all a quick scroll through my IG (@stephen_berger) will show you what I was up to (the last 100 or so pics - I also took a lot of landscapes).
Thanks you. One soon learns the subjects can be relied upon not to oblige, and weather is too often fickle. Ultimately wildlife photography must be enjoyable. disappointments are inevitable. But I think serendipity is one constant that lures one outwards and onwards ! Another factor is the more outings, encounters and interactions with subjects the greater one learns to understand their behaviour. I also never tire of the same beat either hikes or drives as you get to know the key nodes and patches where interesting and events are more likely, and memories accumulate with experiences....
