Yellowstone in Winter

[Vern]

A few shots from last week. Happy to share details on kit, conditions and exposures.

Note to self: take a 7DMKII next time. Only have full frame and there was plenty of light but even my 600II + 2XIII was short at times.

 

[Vern]

a few more

 

[Click]

Very nice series, Vern. Well done.

 

[Vern]

landscape was lovely too

 

[Vern]

Here is one that demonstrates the 600II + 2XIII can give decent results (IMO). 1Dx, 1/1250, f11, ISO 1600, DLO utilized in DPP4 + sharpening of 6, cropped to ca, 4500X3000 from full frame and then reduced for lower res JPEG. Lighting was perfect. However, this combo did not work well with backlighting and did struggle with AF at times.

 

[chops411]

Really good pics. We went to Yellowstone in 2010 and planning a trip for 2016.

 

[gbchriste]

landscape was lovely too

That second frame is just begging for a B&W conversion.

 

[Click]

landscape was lovely too

That second frame is just begging for a B&W conversion.

+1


Beautiful shots, Vern.

 

[Coz]

Very nice!

Other than some of the thermals, where were most of the pictures taken? Lamar Valley? Save for the bison shot, it doesn't look like there's much snow pack there.

 

[Vern]

We started in Jackson Hole and entered the park from the south, stayed at Old Faithful one night, drove through the Haydn valley and then stayed at Mammoth Springs for 3 days of wolf hunting in the Lamar Valley. Great trip (went with our alumni association - organized by Orbridge) for all types of photography. Very little snow this year in the north of the park. You could shoot bighorn, elk, pronghorn and bison with modest focal lengths (new 100-400 would be perfect), but if you want to capture wolves, eagles, coyotes and foxes, take the longest lens you have - the Lamar valley is huge and you would be very lucky to get a decent shot with less than the 600 + 2X. Our closest wolf viewing was at a distance where the animal just about filled the frame at 1200mm. Per my first post, I wish I had a 7DMKII on this trip - there was plenty of light, so noise would not be a huge concern and I could have used more pixels on target.

 

[Vern]

closest wolf - not razor sharp though (my bad, I think). Had a problem with AF with the backlighting and contrast in the brush, I think - or I needed a faster shutter (ca. 1/1000 used) for this shot

 

[Vern]

landscape was lovely too

That second frame is just begging for a B&W conversion.

How's this? I don't play with monochrome much, so suggestions welcomed. I just worked from the tone-mapped image from Photomatix single pic HDR conversion and then processed the TIFF file in DPP4 with the saturation at -5 and adjusted the contrast/brightness to suit me. There must be a route from the RAW file that avoids HDR tone-mapping to bring out the contrast as well - but I don't know it.

 

[jannatul18]

You have taken these shots from rare places! Good job and very good photography.

 

[Mr Bean]

landscape was lovely too

That second frame is just begging for a B&W conversion.

How's this? I don't play with monochrome much, so suggestions welcomed. I just worked from the tone-mapped image from Photomatix single pic HDR conversion and then processed the TIFF file in DPP4 with the saturation at -5 and adjusted the contrast/brightness to suit me. There must be a route from the RAW file that avoids HDR tone-mapping to bring out the contrast as well - but I don't know it.

Oh yes, very nice

 

[MARKOE PHOTOE]

landscape was lovely too

That second frame is just begging for a B&W conversion.

+1 this is great as color but a B&W version might be even more dramatic since the small blue streak of sky tends to pull you eye away from the rest of the image. The blue really doesn't offer anything of value IMHO.
Loved the series Vern, keep 'em coming.

 

[RyanRock]

Excellent captures - well taken

 

[bfgit]

A few from a 2012 Winter Trip… Coyote composite

 

[bfgit]

A few from a 2012 Winter Trip… Hayden Valley Pack Collaring by helicopter

 

[bfgit]

A few from a 2012 Winter Trip… Lamar Valley Cyanotype

 

[bfgit]

A few from a 2012 Winter Trip… Heading toward Old Faithful