Author: Aaron

Planned as a day trip…but it ended up being a day and a half!

If nothing more than just a change of pace, I like to do an occasional “quick trip” into Yellowstone each year. It is impossible to see everything in Yellowstone in one day, so I usually just pick a quadrant and stay there. I had been hearing of a Grizzly sow appearing with two cubs of the year in the Mary Bay area. Since I don’t have many shots of baby grizzlies, I decided to head to that area for this trip.

Ironically, I found this big black bear while I was still in the Tetons as I was on my way to photograph bears in Yellowstone. This bear was near Arizona Island picnic area. It was still very early with little light, so I decided to continue north. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Lewis Falls: Unless I stop to photograph Moose Falls on Crawfish Creek, this is often my first stop in Yellowstone. I jumped out and took this quick shot—handheld. It would be easy to spend an entire morning at Moose Falls and Lewis Falls, and if I did so, I’d set up with my tripod and take shots at various locations and distances along with two or three different lenses. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Lewis River: This shot was taken a few minutes after the falls shot, looking south towards Jackson Hole. I keep hoping to see a big bull moose grazing there, but never see one. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Lewis Lake: I saw this group of rocks along the shore of Lewis Lake. Something about it caught my eye and prompted me to snap off a shot or two. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

White Pelican: I stopped at Pelican Creek to get this early morning shot. It was feeding on grasses under the surface. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Yellowstone Lake: Morning light makes about any scene more appealing. This one was taken across the road from the Pelican. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Mule Deer in Velvet: Normally at this time of the year, there are a few Dusky Grouse at the top of Lake View Overlook near the Nine Mile pullout on the east side of Yellowstone Lake. I didn’t see the grouse, but found a buck Mule Deer. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Mule Deer: This is the same buck as it headed on up the side of the mountain. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Grizzly Family: Not long after photographing the Mule Deer, this family of Grizzlies rambled off the slope to the east. I took quite a few photos at this spot and again along the main highway. Nikon D4 and Tamron 70-200mm lens.

Nursing Grizzlies: I could have—and possibly should have stayed at Nine Mile Pullout all day to attempt to get more shots of the bears. While considering my day trip into Yellowstone, I put going over Dunraven Pass to Roosevelt Junction on my wish list of things to do. Tourists had been reporting seeing a few different Black Bear sows with cubs in the Yellowstone Picnic Area (sometimes called Little America). The Grizzly trio bedded down and appeared to be content, so I decided to go farther north as “planned”. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bison Jam: The maximum speed limit anywhere in Yellowstone Park is 45 mph. It takes a while to get from point A to point B on a slow day in the park. A lone Bison can cause quite a large jam about anywhere, so I know to allow extra time to move around the park. This is a record year for tourism in Yellowstone, too. This Bison was near Pelican Creek. I had stopped to look at a large Coyote, but didn’t get any shots of it. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Resting Rams: At Little American / Yellowstone Picnic Area, these two Bighorn Rams were causing a big traffic jam. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Black Bear Sow: This bear was also in the same area, compounding the congestion. She had two cubs of the year in a large pine tree nearby. I would have liked to have seen the three together, but I didn’t stay. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Evening Skies: There are several rock outcroppings like this just east of Little America. I stopped because of the interesting sky and the overlapping planes of hillsides. Bison cows and babies were nearby, but not in this scene. Someday, I need to go back and see if I was “fooled” by the horizon line in the distance, or if the trees are actually leaning to the right. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Lamar Bison: If you want to see American Bison, the Lamar valley is the place to be. There are what seems like thousands in the valley. It would be easy to stay only in the Lamar Valley and fill card after card with images of bison grazing, crossing rivers, and interacting. This group was bedded down at the time. They are relatively docile this time of the year, but get very active during he rut in August. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Bison Head: With a telephoto lens, it’s possible to get this shot in many areas of the park. I drove on out to Trout Lake and asked a few people if they had seen River Otters at Trout Lake. With no positive sightings, I decided to head on into Silvergate and Cook City to look around. Time to head on back to the Grizzly Bear location on Yellowstone Lake! Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Grizzly Sow in Evening Light: I made it back to the morning location in time for a dozen shots with the bear still in the evening light. I’d have been there sooner except for the half dozen people that stopped in the middle of the road to take their shots of bison, foxes, and pronghorns while others had to wait and traffic build. It happens much too often, but there’s not much anyone can do about it. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Loose Ends: I could have stopped for many for shooting opportunities—both landscapes and wildlife. I didn’t see owls or eagles, but I saw numerous other raptors. A fox was near Mud Volcano, but traffic was just in the process of unsnarling after one of the “stop in the middle of the road” tourists. After this late evening shot of the Grizzly sow, I was not too excited about leaving Yellowstone as planned. As I was driving by the RV Campground at Fishing Bridge, I noticed an unexpected “Vacancy” sign. An omen? I did a U-turn and paid $55 to sleep in my van legally. Great investment! I was up early, then found the trio of bears for a wonderful morning shoot. Some of those shots are on the June 2015 Daily Updates & Photos for Grand Teton National Park & JH: for June 24. I ended up driving just over 400 miles on my day and a half trip. The photos on this page are a cross-section of what I saw. I might have better shots in the folders and I could probably improve on most of them if I could be there a week or longer. As far as Grizzly Bears are concerned, I managed to take a few nice keepers and fill in some holes in my catalog of images. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Related Topics

• JH News and Guide Story: Yellowstone visitors numbers are up sharply
• June 2015 Daily Updates & Photos for Grand Teton National Park & JH:

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Different Terrain and Additional Species

Eastern Idaho consists mostly of rural farm land and sagebrush covered flats. Rivers like the Henry’s Fork, South Fork, Teton River, flow through the region. Menan Buttes, seen here, are just north of Idaho Falls. Mixed in, Idaho set aside numerous refuges and wildlife preserves including Camas – National Wildlife Refuge,  Market Lake Wildlife Management Area, and numerous other Wildlife Management Areas. Click the link for a complete list. While the Jackson Hole area and Eastern Idaho areas share many of the same animal species, a few additional species are more common there than here. If you are driving through the area—either coming or leaving JH—or if you just want a different look at the region, check out some of the other possibilities! Nikon D4 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Canada Geese: Young goslings can swim soon after birth, but cannot fly for a while. At any danger, they move from the banks to the channels of water. Idaho typically warms sooner than the Teton area and some species nest earlier. Canada Geese are commonly seen along Flat Creek here in the Tetons. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Great Horned Owls are Common to both areas. I haven’s seen many this year in our area, but I’ve heard of a few random sightings. A pair raised some owlets in the Gros Ventre Campground a couple of years ago, but I couldn’t find them this year. They can occasionally be seen in the trees near the Gros Ventre and along the Moose-Wilson Road. I’ve also seen them as Schwabacher Landing. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Yellow-headed Blackbirds can be found in numerous areas of Jackson Hole, including the ponds just north of the Visitor’s Center and in the South Park Elk Feed Ground. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Porcupines live in both areas, but are not easy to spot in the dense trees they prefer. They feed mostly at night and hunker down most of the day. I’ve seen a few along the road to the Shane Cabin this year. Farmers and ranchers typically kill them outside the parks. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Night Heron: I don’t recall ever hearing anyone saying they’ve seen a Night Heron here in the JH area. When I was on Sanibel Island, I photographed similar looking Yellow-crested Night Herons. Interestingly, I saw quite a few in both places feeding in bright sunlight. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Ruddy Duck: Last fall, I saw a male Ruddy Duck along Flat Creek, but his baby blue bill was turning brown at the time. I’ve seen a few of them at Christian Pond across from the Jackson Lake Lodge. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Jackrabbit: Cottontails and Shoe Shoe Hairs are more common in the JH area than Jackrabbits. With that said, I spent a lot of last winter looking for Snow Shoe Hairs and never found one. I am not sure if that’s because they are scarce or if it’s because they blend in with the snow. Jackrabbits are also common east and south of our region. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Long-eared Owl: I’ve never seen a Long-eared Owl in the Tetons, but I’ve heard reports of people seeing them in Yellowstone. They are very elusive and live in thick cover. It’s easy to walk right under one without ever seeing it, only to have it spook and fly to a different tree. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Long-eared Owl: This shot illustrates again why they are so difficult to spot. While this one is fluffed out slightly, they tighten their feathers to make themselves much slimmer when they feel any sort of threat or pressure. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Short-eared Owl: I’ve never photographed a Short-eared Owl until this recent trip. In fact, I’d never even seen one! They hunt very early and very late in the day and tend to stay either on the ground or on low perches and mounds. I captured this one within the first 10 or 15 minutes of morning light. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Great Blue Heron: I’ve seen these magnificent birds at Schwabacher Landing, along Flat Creek, along the Moose-Wilson Road and a few other random areas of the Park. They were also common on our trip to Sanibel Island.  Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Northern Saw Whet Owl: This is a young fledgling. Cindy Johnson, an Eastern Idaho photographer, showed me it’s location or I would have definitely never seen it. It was in dense cover, but wasn’t at all concerned about our presence. I’ve heard of people spotting them in the Tetons and Yellowstone. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Parting Shot of a Flock of Geese: I have to wonder how well each of these goslings know to find their specific parents once they get jumbled up like this. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Other Birds: I was only in Eastern Idaho for a few hours one Friday afternoon and again the next morning before heading to the Fort Henry Mountain Man Rendezvous 2015: While I was in “wildlife mode” I was mostly interested in photographing owls, so I didn’t have much of a chance to focus on any of the other birds in the area. I saw both Eastern and Western Kingbirds, at least one Norther Shrike, lots of White-faced Ibis, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, White Pelicans, and numerous other species of waterfowl—many of which I couldn’t have identified at the time. Maybe another day! I also spent some time trying to find some Burrowing Owls. With the sandy soil, they are more common there than here, but I was told many of the babies in the area didn’t survive the heavy rains that flooded their dens this year.

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A monthly journal of wildlife reports, scenic opportunities, and tidbits for both photographers and Teton visitors!

Recent Daily Updates Archives:
2015: June: | May: | Apr: | Mar: | Feb: | Jan:
2014: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | Aug: | July: | June: | May: | Apr: | Mar: | Feb: | Jan:
2013: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | Aug:

Check out the June Overview!

Monthly Overviews for JH / GTNP . Get a quick look at 12 months side by side.

June 8, 2015

Sunrise: Taken near Lost Creek Ranch

Pano at Lost Creek: First light bathed the western clouds. The top of the Grand wouldn’t clear for an hour or so, but it was still a beautiful sunrise. This was stitched from three single captures. (Click the image to see it larger)

Just the Grand:

Inside Cunningham Cabin:

Elk Skull: This skull is now decorating the entry at Cunningham Cabin.

Long Shadows: At Cunningham Cabin

Concentric: Log ends at the Cunningham Cabin.

Mt. Moran: Taken along the river’s edge at Oxbow Bend.

Coyote: Taken at the Moulton Barns.

Wildflowers: This shot was taken later in the day from the East boundary road. Time to go back for a morning shot!

This is a great time to be in the park! MJ

June 5/6/7, 2015

Tetonia Lightning: Friday afternoon, I packed up the van for a quick run to Eastern Idaho. I had hopes of getting a passing storm or two with a bolt of lightning. Got it. I could have stopped about anywhere for some bolts, but I was trying to put something distinctive in front of them. Nikon D4 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Ft. Henry Rendezvous: I also wanted to go to the Mountain Man Rendezvous near Rexburg, ID. Did it! If you are reading this post on Sunday morning, the Rendezvous continues through this afternoon. Click the link for more information and a map: Fort Henry Rendezvous Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Long-eared Owl: When heading out to Idaho on Friday, I had high hopes of finding some different kinds of owls and critters. On the list were Long-eared Owls, Short-eared Owls, Burrowing Owls, Horned Owls and some waterfowl. Got them! Well…I didn’t get any shots of the Burrowing Owls, but instead found a Northern Saw Whet Owl. That was a good trade off! Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Jack Rabbit: I was up very early on Saturday and was out looking for owls and critters. I took this one just as there were hints of light on the ridge line. I also managed to capture a few images of a big, healthy porcupine. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Swan Valley School House: Eastern Idaho has lots of barns, buildings, railroads, and industrial looking grain elevators and silos. With the moody skies, I took quite a few shots on my short trip. Nikon D4 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

I’m back at home today, Sunday, and will try to create a set of three Feature Posts since the subject matter is so distinctly different and I have so many shots of each one. Now’s a great time to sign up to follow this blog! You’ll get an email notification when I make the individual posts.

I’ve got a One-on-One Photography Excursion tomorrow, so I’ll probably make a quick reconnaissance run into the park today. Check back!

June 5, 2015

Summer Office: I am hoping to make a quick little “tour” of Eastern Idaho later today and over the weekend. I had to sit down and write out a few checks and take care of loose ends. I paid the checks from my “summer office” on the back deck, where I also got to watch the birds and other small critters.

View From the Deck: The “blind” is actually a grill gazebo I bought at Wal-Mart a few years ago. It has since been re-tarped with camouflage tarps from K-Mart. When taking photos of the birds, I am normally about 10-12 feet from them. The area on the far left is where I take the shots of the Hummingbirds. The light stands for the strobes are currently inside the blind, but they are usually set up at the most active feeder. It was one of the more pleasant bill paying sessions I’ve had in a long time!

June 4, 2015

Today is another “one man band” day! I licensed a couple of photos to two different companies and had to fill out usage agreements, W-9s, invoices, prepare the actual files and upload them to DropBox. It can take a lot of time, but I can’t complain! One will be on the front cover of a magazine and the other will be used for an investment firm’s corporate identity. Another image was recently licensed as part of a TV commercial.  A couple of months ago I licensed an image for a kid’s game app.

Hummers: Last evening, my wife and I were sitting out on the deck just before dark. Hummingbirds were coming to feeders regularly. This afternoon, I will set up all the strobes and be ready for the little elusive rascals if they show up again! Cedar Waxwings: I’ve been hearing and seeing a few Cedar Waxwings around the edges of my back yard. They appear to be interested in coming into the yard. I went to one of the local, independent grocery stores and came home with a nice box of throw-away fruit. I have a nice platform set up full of the open fruit. All it takes is one or two to go to a feeder and I could have Waxwings for several weeks. The Cedar Waxwing image above is one of my favorite shots from last year. Western Tanagers are still visiting the back yard. In a few of the previous years, I’ve had 30 or males visible at one time. This year, I normally only see three or four on any given day.

Western Tanager: Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens

Hummer: I set up the strobes late in the evening, then sat back for the Hummingbird show. Much like last evening, I had a steady parade of miniature birds. Nikon D800 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Hummer and Penstemon Flowers: Penstemon grows wild in several areas of the park. Watch for them around the Colter Bay marina. Nikon D800 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Iridescent Gorget: If a male hummingbird turns at just the right angle, his gorget catches light and reflects back to the camera. I’ve been experimenting with ways to light it up. Nikon D800 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Bullock’s Oriole:Late evening light. 1/160th second, F/6.3 and ISO 3200.  Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens

June 3, 2015

Moon Over the Snake River: I had to get up EARLY for this shot. It was taken near the confluence of the Buffalo Fork River and the Snake with a Nikon D800 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Moon Over Pacific Creek: Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Grand and the Setting Moon: Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Purple Lupines: Taken near Pilgrim Creek Road. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Evening Grosbeak: Female. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Evening Grosbeak: Male. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Northern Flicker: Males have the orange patch on their cheeks. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

June 2, 2015

Hummer: It was overcast this morning…great for back yard bird photography. Hummingbirds seem to come around more often early and late in the day, and during overcast periods. Despite my best offerings, my current cast of tiny characters prefer the easy to get sugar water in the feeders over the Columbine and Fuschia flowers. They like Crocosmia and Bee Balm, but those plants flower later in the summer. This image was shot with a Nikon D800 and a Nikon 200-400mm—set up specifically for the Hummers. The D4 and Tamron 150-600mm are set up on another tripod for the other birds.

Western Tanager: Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Dang! I know there are fox kits, coyote pups, young grizzlies, and baby moose around the valley, yet I have some wonderful subjects coming to my back yard here in town. I look forward to them all Winter and early Spring. I opted to stay home today and try to capture them. I’ll include several of them here today, but may eventually move them to a Feature Post with a lot of the Spring/Summer birds.

 

Soaked Flicker: This female had apparently just left the creek from her morning bath. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Brown-headed Cowbird: Female Cowbirds don’t have a lot of color and are easy to overlook. This one paused in front of some colorful leaves and prompted me to snap off a few shots. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Black-headed Grosbeak: Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Gray Catbird: Two Catbirds are visiting my yard regularly now. The toughest part of photographing a Catbird is getting the rusty orange undertail covert feathers in the shot. Bird Topography. Gray Catbirds were common on Sanibel Island earlier in the year. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

American Robin: Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Eurasian Collared Dove: Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Clark’s Nutcrackers: Today, at least two different families of Nutcrackers spent the morning in my yard. Parents still feed the begging fledglings.  Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Clark’s Nutcrackers: The babies are almost the same size as the adults and can fly adeptly, but are still learning to find their own food. Two families can be quite noisy! Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

June 1, 2015

Beginning of the Month! Watch for current photos and comments throughout June! Expect vivid green grass and trees, blooming wildflowers, and plenty of changing weather to start out the month.

Red Fox “Kits” captured with a Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

JH News & Guide: “Critter Closures Scattered Around Park” – This article lists some of the current dens in GTNP.

For at least the first few days of June, you might want to review May 2015 Daily Updates & Photos for Grand Teton National Park & JH: The page is loaded with photos and info!

Sunset Pano: Technically, this is a May 2015 photo. I stayed out late last evening hoping to get a good sunset shot and didn’t walk through the doors until well past dark. This image was created using a total of nine captures. There were three sets of bracketed shots consisting of three images each. The resulting “HDR” components were then merged into a single panoramic image, resulting in one new DNG file. Until Lightroom CC2015 (Lightroom 6), the steps to make an image like this required Photoshop. The original images were captured on a Nikon D800 using a Nikon 24-70 lens. At 35mpx per image, this kind of shot taxes my computer system. While I was standing around taking the shots, a group of pronghorns strolled by, a coyote crossed nearby, and a prairie falcon flew overhead.

Upcoming: I am working on a rewrite of the original Tamron 150-600mm lens page. I originally wrote it within the first week of receiving the lens and was more of a “first impressions” page than the lens deserves. I am also working on a new Feature Post about “Critters”. If you haven’t signed up to follow this blog, now’s a great time!

One-On-One Excursions Openings: I have a couple of openings available for June. I believe it will be a great month for photography! Click the link for more information.

Fort Henry Rendezvous: The web site says the Rendezvous happens over the first full week of June. I am fairly certain it begins today. The camp is located a few miles outside Rexburgh, ID. This is a shot from last year.

Bullock’s Oriole: How about a blast of June 1 color? Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

American Goldfinch: I’ve been seeing a few Goldfinches along the Moose-Wilson Road lately. This male visited my back yard this morning. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Calliope Hummingbird: So far this year, I have seen Broad-tailed and Calliope Hummingbirds in my back yard, but no Rufous Hummingbirds. This one was captured with the aid of a few strobes. Nikon 800 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Stormy Skies: I headed out late in the afternoon hoping to capture a few lightning bolts. I didn’t get the bolts, but I found plenty of moody clouds.

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This rendezvous is only a short distance from the historic fort location near Rexburg, ID.

The Fort Henry Buckskinners have been hosting this rendezvous for around 27 years. 2015 was the second year at the current location next to the Henry’s Fork River between Rexburg and Parker, ID. There are Mountain Man Rendezvous held now in every state of the country, however Wyoming and Idaho are where they really happened!

Ft. Henry Rendezvous Tents and Trader’s Row: Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens. Most rendezvous close down “to the public” at around 6:00 pm. After that time, all people in the camp are supposed to be wearing “period” clothing. They have skillet throwing contests, tug of war games, and people sit around listening to people playing banjos, guitars, and other instruments. I have “the gear” but didn’t take it with me this time. Someday I’d like to stay late and see if all of them would let me put a small flashlight in each tent, then do a shot just before it gets dark.

Earlier in the year, I created this page: An Upcoming Year of Wishes. Since then, I’ve been faithfully working my way through my list…and going to a few Rendezvous was on the list! This site is beautifully situated next to the Henry’s Fork with ample space, level land and considerable privacy. Photographically speaking, I think this is my favorite rendezvous because of missing telephone lines and fences, and the parking areas are completely out of sight. This rendezvous is held during the first full week of June.

Black Powder Shooter: A shooting range is part of this Rendezvous, along with an archery course, and a “hawk and knife” area. The Idaho Hawk & Knife competition is held during this rendezvous. Most shooters will allow you to take their photos. I took this one a split second after the shot and you can see a bit of the smoke and powder leaving the barrel of the gun. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Lee Fears: Lee makes leather goods is always gracious to let me photograph him. Check out Hombre Leather.  For quite a few of the portrait shots, I used a Nikon SB-910 strobe, hand held to the side and controlled by a Nikon SU-800 controller. Just to make sure everything fires in the broad daylight, I added a pair of RadioPoppers. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

John Jolly: I’ve been seeing John and his wonderful wildlife paintings at the rendezvous for quite a few years. Without the strobe for the fill flash, this would have been a terribly difficult shot at about lunch time. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Tony Messerly goes by the camp name “Many Strings”. He’s a wonderfully entertaining singer and always friendly. I took this shot from ground level and aimed up to get some of the approaching clouds. Check out Many Strings if you’re interested in picking up some of his CDs. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Montana Turtle: Turtle is an engraver and jeweler—working in silver and gold. I found him to be quite photogenic and very friendly. I set the strobe on a table to the right to add just a touch of light onto his face. He’s looking through a large magnifying glass as he works on an engraving. Check out Montana Turtle. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Black Kettle: BK lives near Haley, ID and is usually at the Ft. Henry Rendezvous. He’s very photogenic and always willing to have his photo taken. This was taken in broad daylight. I underexposed the scent by a lot, then added some fairly harsh light with a strobe. One of the kids held the strobe for the few shots…cost me a dollar and young Quinn ended up with a soft drink. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

The Conversation: John is Quinn’s father. His tent was next to Black Kettle, so he and Quinn were always somewhere nearby. He was having a conversation with BK at the time. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Two Wild and Crazy Girls: Kids often run around the camp dressed in period garb. The boys especially like it because they get to throw tomahawks and knives, stir fires and run around without much supervision. It struck me the first time I went to a rendezvous that many of the people participate in much the same way we did with out kinds when they were young. We met friends and camped together in our campers. These people are “camping with a purpose” or theme. These two little sisters were having a grand time all bundled up in a quilt. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Harry Harpoon: Over the years, Harry has played with various musicians and acts in many of the Jackson Hole venues. This is another daylight shot taken well underexposed and lit with an off-camera strobe. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Buttons: Merchants have all kinds of wares for sale inside and outside the tents. All I have to do is ask and they all say yes to me taking photos. I took this one at a slight angle, but the new “auto upright” feature in Lightroom straightened out the distortions in one simple click. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Bison Fur: A Rendezvous is a “texture paradise”. I asked if it was okay, and even with a puzzled look on their face, they said, “Sure, go ahead”.

In April of 2014, created this Feature Post called Mountain Man Rendezvous. I’ve since updated it with most of the regional rendezvous for 2015, so if you’d like to go to one, check out the schedule.

Photo Comments

I typically like to process all of the images on a page like this in a similar fashion so the entire page has a unified look and feel. The 1825-1840 period portrayed in the shots just scream for some sort of sepia toning, similar to Montana Turtle. I chose not to do that in all of these photos, just to give you a better idea of what you might be actually “seeing” if you were to go to one. The participants at a rendezvous almost always love to have their photos taken, but I like to ask first. I didn’t do it on this rendezvous, but I occasionally like to take a telephoto lens and shoot from farther out. Those photos are typically more casual than the ones where they know I am taking them.

I included a few photos on this blog page. You can see more, and even purchase prints at my main web site. Here’s the link to the Mountain Men images at Teton Images.

If you like what you see here, please share the page with your friends by clicking on any of the social media icons below. MJ

 

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