June 2018 Daily Journal for GTNP and JH

Wildflowers

“Summer Returns to the Tetons!”

June 1, 2018 – Friday

If you are a long time reader at Best of the Tetons, you already know the drill! Check out the May 2018 Daily Journal. The first few days of June will resemble the last week of May. TA Moulton Barn
TA Moulton Barn: Trees and grasses are quite vivid now. Nikon D5 and Tamron  150-600 mm G2 Lens, Handheld
Early June Comments and Reports: Many of the roads inside Grand Teton National Park are open again. Notable road closures include Pilgrim Creek Road and the Dump Road, along with the southern section of Mormon Row Road and the pair of two track roads off the East Boundary Road. Recent rains have made some of the dirt roads muddy and slippery. Road construction on the new roundabout will start causing delays, and the section between the highway and Gros Ventre Campground will be closed for a week or so between 6: pm and roughly 6: am. High water recently washed out the temporary bridge over the Gros Ventre bridge on Spring Gulch road. The new permanent bridge may be completed by later in June. Continue reading "June 2018 Daily Journal for GTNP and JH"

April 2018 Daily Journal for JH & GTNP

Elk Migration

“Wildlife on the Move”

  April 1, 2018 Sunday – Gaper Day – April Fools Day – Easter Jackson Hole Ski Resort
Jackson Hole Ski Resort: April 1st is the traditional Gaper Day at Teton Village. “GaperDay is a mountain tradition that takes place in ski resorts across North America. It is the day when locals can dress in the most ridiculous outfits and pretend to be like their gaper counterparts. Their getup can range from no or very limited clothing (only shorts) to the most retro ski attire there is.” Nikon D850 and Nikon 70-200mm Lens, Handheld.

Early April Notes:

Continue reading "April 2018 Daily Journal for JH & GTNP"

Snake River Overlook Winter Stars and Sunrise :

A Sequence of Photos on a Cold February Morning

SRO Stars Today, on my 64th birthday, I jumped up at 3:30 am. I looked out my windows to see stars and clear skies. A Winter storm and cloudy skies are on the horizon. The executive decision had to be made. I headed North to Snake River Overlook. I began shooting at 4:50 am under clear skies and abundant stars. Temperatures ranged from 0°F to -2°F, made a bit colder feeling by the light breeze. For the night shots, I used my Nikon D5 with ISO settings ranging from 2500 to 6000 using a Nikon 24-70 lens. Midway through the “blue light” period, I switched over to a Nikon D850 body. Continue reading "Snake River Overlook Winter Stars and Sunrise :"

Three Moody Minutes of Changing Light

The Historic Miller House is located on the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, WY. I pass by it regularly during the winter months as I drive to see the Bighorn Sheep at the base of Miller Butte. Over the years, I’ve photographed it many times. A couple of days ago, I stopped when I saw interesting light patterns beginning to develop behind the trees and structures. This page contains six of the 80 images, taken over a span of only three minutes. Signs posted along the roadway state visitors cannot stop their vehicles in the road, but Refuge officials say it is okay as long as no other vehicles are approaching in either direction. I took a series of photos out the window of my parked truck using a telephoto zoom lens at a distance of about 400 yards. I always turn off my vehicle when photographing out the window. Miller House This is the first shot taken at 2:54 PM. I would have set up a tripod if conditions were workable. It would help with consistent framing and composition across all of the shots, but there was no way I could have known the light would change enough to get this kind of variety. Furthermore, the closest parking spot was a hundred yard behind me. This event would have been long over by the time I parked and came back. Other than the raven flying through the scene and the threatening distant sky, this is a fairly boring and basic image. Continue reading "Three Moody Minutes of Changing Light"