November 2018 Daily Journal for GTNP & JH

A month filled with numerous photographic opportunities!

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November 1st, 2018 – Thursday

Resting Bulls
Resting Bull Moose: Seen in the sagebrush north of Kelly.
Elk Hunt

Important Information!

The Elk Reduction Program Began Saturday, October 27th in GTNP. Click the link to get more details. Consider wearing orange when in the hunt zones! The Elk are not trying to cross the valley floor to start the month of November, but with each new snow, expect more movement and more hunters. Continue reading "November 2018 Daily Journal for GTNP & JH"

Old and New Photographic Technology in One Challenging Shoot

A few days ago, I took a quick photo of the T.A. Moulton Barn along Historic Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park. I included it below. Clouds weren’t exactly inspiring, but there were at least a few low clouds in front of the Grand. It wasn’t much of a photo, I readily admit! I think of these kind of images as reconnaissance photos or record photos. I make a mental note of the spot, then plan on going back when conditions are more to my liking. Over the years, I’ve taken thousands of photos of the Mormon Row Barns. It’s a challenge to photograph them differently than the thousands of photographers that have stood in the same spots over the past 75 years!  I am always looking to photograph them at different distances or different angles. An irrigation ditch runs under the road, through a head gate and then diagonally across the pasture in front of the T.A. Moulton Barn. A few times a year, water in the ditch is high enough to offer unique opportunities if you set up just above water level. TA Moulton Barn The photo I took earlier was okay, but it needed some extra time at the point of capture. I focused on the close bank, and even at F/11, the barn was slightly out of focus. If I had focused on the barn, the water, reflections, and close leaves would have been out of focus. Lastly, I was there a little too early in the day. Early morning shadows from the cottonwoods stream across the foreground and across the left half of the barn. Like I said earlier, was a reconnaissance shot. Continue reading "Old and New Photographic Technology in One Challenging Shoot"

American Bison in Grand Teton National Park

Bison at the Mormon Row Barns American Bison are often the most dependable photographic subject in Grand Teton National Park—roaming the open sage flats and grasslands in the Jackson Hole valley. Unlike Elk, Deer, and Moose that usually duck back into the forests just after sunrise, Bison and Pronghorns remain visible throughout the day. Of course, that doesn’t mean they are always close to the roads. It is also worth noting that Bison are seldom in the same area one day to the next, typical of a grazing prairie mammals. Bison Lip Curl Bison bulls can weigh up to a ton! Females can weigh in at about half that, or up to 1.100 pounds. I read some documents suggesting they can run 40 miles per hour and can jump six feet in height, making them one of the most dangerous animals in the Park. Tourists are often seen behind the “safety” of the short fences along the highway at Elk Ranch Flats, but they can easily jump any fence I know of in GTNP. If they don’t feel like jumping a fence, they just go through it! Continue reading "American Bison in Grand Teton National Park"

Foliage Reports September/October 2018

Jackson Hole & Grand Teton National Park

Changing Leaf

Click Here to see 2015, 2016, & 2017 Foliage Reports

During September, I’ll work on two pages simultaneously. This September Foliage 2018 post will contain more specific information about the ever changing foliage status in the area. The September 2018 Daily Journal for JH and GTNP page will contain some foliage information, but will focus more on wildlife and landscapes. You’ll want to go to both regularly. Note: Think of this page as a day to day or week to week resource containing mainly “record shots”. The photos are not intended to be “wall hangers”, but more documentary in nature. Also, this page will grow in size and scope as the month progresses. Check back regularly! Continue reading "Foliage Reports September/October 2018"