Field Techniques, how to find them... Share Your Images and Stories
- Thread starter DRwyoming
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- Post score: 17
- #27
Yeah, but the eyes are in focus
- Post score: 7
- #28
I drive BLM, Forest Service and Indian Reservation backroads. Early mornings and late afternoons improve my chances. Circling water sources helps. Taking time to look as I’m convinced we miss seeing much more wildlife than we realize. Going with someone doubles the number of eyes on watch especially when I’m driving. My wife is an excellent spotter when I can convince her to spend a whole day with me.
- Post score: 8
- #29
Came across these three trophy bull elk on the Apache-Sitegreaves NF in eastern AZ last summer. They were browsing together. I only had about a minute of shooting. I tried to get ahead of them, hide and wait but they didn’t come my way. These guys don’t get this big by being dumb.
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- Post score: 17
- #30
Awesome Bull Elk. It must have been just before the rut with their antlers scraped down yet still browsing together.
Was this on one your backroads driving tours? Nicely spotted!
- Post score: 6
- #31
August 14, 2019. Rut begins in earnest about mid-September here. These three were about 50 yards off of FR6. I photographed through the passenger-side window. D850+500mm PF. I had just photographed the herd below about two miles away.
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markinWat
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- Post score: 2
- #32
I think there is also a lot of luck involved.... being in the right place at the right time and having your gear ready. This past spring I was out in the country, heading home from checking out a bald eagle nest. Turned onto a side road, and right there on the fence post is an osprey having some lunch. Rolled down the window to start shooting. After a little bit the osprey took off from the fence post and flew up to the top of a hydro pole to finish lunch. So I opened up the sunroof and took a few shots out of that.
(sorry about the low quality... it was my "old" gear a Pentax kx. Have just bought a Nikon D780)
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(sorry about the low quality... it was my "old" gear a Pentax kx. Have just bought a Nikon D780)
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View attachment 5063
Your attachments aren't working Mark.I think there is also a lot of luck involved.... being in the right place at the right time and having your gear ready. This past spring I was out in the country, heading home from checking out a bald eagle nest. Turned onto a side road, and right there on the fence post is an osprey having some lunch. Rolled down the window to start shooting. After a little bit the osprey took off from the fence post and flew up to the top of a hydro pole to finish lunch. So I opened up the sunroof and took a few shots out of that.
(sorry about the low quality... it was my "old" gear a Pentax kx. Have just bought a Nikon D780)
View attachment 5062
View attachment 5063
markinWat
New member
- Post score: 3
- #34
I think there is also a lot of luck involved.... being in the right place at the right time and having your gear ready. This past spring I was out in the country, heading home from checking out a bald eagle nest. Turned onto a side road, and right there on the fence post is an osprey having some lunch. Rolled down the window to start shooting. After a little bit the osprey took off from the fence post and flew up to the top of a hydro pole to finish lunch. So I opened up the sunroof and took a few shots out of that.
(sorry about the low quality... it was my "old" gear a Pentax kx. Have just bought a Nikon D780)
View attachment 5062
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- Post score: 17
- #35
I completely agree, but I'd add that you make a lot of that luck by being out in the field with a camera. As I posted earlier, a biologist friend of mine calls it 'Dirt Time' in the sense of you have to put in a lot of dirt time to observe animals and their behaviors.
Good on ya for seizing the moment.
markinWat
New member
- Post score: 4
- #36
Certainly true... you have to be out there. And knowing a bit about what to look for helps. After seeing our first osprey nest, now we see them everywhere. We know of at least 15 within a 20 minute drive. And now 4 eagle nests. I am a transit bus driver by occupation, and now I am finding I am looking all around, "what was that that just flew past", etc. seeing foxes in neighbourhoods, and yesterday I had to stop and wait for a wild turkey that was right in front of my bus. It is there... we just have to have our eyes open to see it.
- Post score: 6
- #37
These are great!t Was up above Eureka on the Northern California coast for a few days thunking I'd photograph some birds, redwoods and seascapes. After wandering in Redwoods State and National Park for a couple of hours I drove out to find a herd of Roosevelt Elk gathering and I had my 300 2.8 at the ready. They hung around for a while with males jostling (was rut time but no one was messing with the couple of genuine studs) the two stud males chasing females and general merriment. I caught bits of all of it but this was my favorite simply because we made and held eye contact.
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D
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- Post score: 1
- #38
Nice!
- Post score: 17
- #39
Great capture and great field work story Stephen!
Thanks so much. Fun idea fora thread.
- Post score: 18
- #43
Thanks, I hope more folks share their approaches to capturing wildlife images even if that's paying for high end safaris or workshops or just spending time in hotspots like Florida, Yellowstone or Bosque.
So far the theme seems to be the same as my fall back which is just get out into the field with your camera gear. Search out less traveled back roads and see what you see.
Super @Stephen Berger !
- Post score: 3
- #45
As I was driving to find wildlife to shoot today I drove past two deer bucks in a antler clashing fight. I was tempted to stop on the side of the divided 4 lane highway and try and get the shot LOL
- Post score: 17
- #46
Aint that the way of it, you can drive slowly around great habitat all day and see nothing and then see two bucks sparring on the interstate
- Post score: 5
- #47
Maybe I should have been with you! I would have said pull over, got out and opened the engine bay as if the car had broken down....
Yah and I made sure I got out of the car yesterday; walked a 6km trail with the cam and lens; funny, the weather seemed to arm up a bit LOLAint that the way of it, you can drive slowly around great habitat all day and see nothing and then see two bucks sparring on the interstate
- Post score: 3
- #49
HA! The way my luck runs by the time we got across the ditch and field and into position both antler racks would likely have fallen offMaybe I should have been with you! I would have said pull over, got out and opened the engine bay as if the car had broken down....
Thank you!
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