Not a great picture

[MarkBarbieri]

...but it was an incredible experience! My wife and I were shooting the sunrise on the mountains at Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park this morning. While we were changing positions, my wife looked back and saw a couple of elk in the water at the edge of the lake. We quickly switched to a 70-200 f/2.8 lens and started shooting. A herd of about a dozen elk (1 bull, several females and children) slowly crossed the lake through the mist. As they were crossing, the bull stopped, lifted his head, and gave a bugle call.

The light was very low. I was shooting at ISO 800, f/2.8, 200mm and about 1/40 sec. I was also very far away (the picture is a significant crop). A few of the pictures came out OK and I think I'll be able to make them look good with a little work when I get home.

Here is a shot of the bull bugling. It's not a great picture, but it was an incredible experience that my wife and I won't soon forget.

It has been a good trip for seeing wildlife. We've seen tons of elk and deer. While hiking in Yellowstone we were surrounded by Bison. We saw a Grizzly. We saw a few prong horn and big horn.

We've only got a few more days left, but it has been a wonderful trip. Even after spending more than four weeks on the road, the boys are ready to go home.

 

[jann1033]

wow! can't wait to see the others after you get back..
we have only been to that park once and the day after we got there fil was in a accident and passed away so we had to leave...would like to go back and see some more than we saw that trip/

 

[mabas9395]

This is why the 100-400 may be my next lens purchase. It has its share of critics, but there have been too many times that I've said to myself "If I only had a little more reach".

 

[MarkBarbieri]

The extra reach of the 100-400 would have been of marginal value. It's 2 stops slower, so I'd have had to boost the ISO to 1600 and shot at 1/20s. That's way to slow for 400mm shots of moving subjects even on a tripod. A 400mm f/2.8 would have been the perfect lens for the occasion, but if I had one, I probably wouldn't have brought it with me. Couple that with a 1.6x sensor capable of useable ISO 3200 and I would have gotten some nice shots.

 

[jann1033]

This is why the 100-400 may be my next lens purchase. It has its share of critics, but there have been too many times that I've said to myself "If I only had a little more reach".

yeah there is a reason those natural geo. guys have those big honkin lenses ( and the money to buy them)

 

[AndrewWG]

Mark, did you ever get that Sigma lens? I think it was 100-500? The new one that just came out.

Nice pic. I hope to get out there someday myself.

 

[klmall]

Mark - Still a great picture! Lucky you! Did you get caught in that sudden snowstorm this week?

I was in the park week before last, snapping away and hiking a bit. The weather was typical RM: glorious, sunny mornings and cloudy, stormy afternoons.

Can't wait to see your other pictures....

 

[MontanaZoo]

Sounds like a great trip, Mark, looking forward to the pictures.

 

[ThurlFan]

Wonderful image! Cropped or not, that's a keeper

RMNP is a beautiful place, glad you're having a great time.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I got the Sigma, but I ordered the wrong mount (Nikon). I sent it back and decided against getting another one. While it would have been great for this trip, I don't find myself wanting to shoot long and slow very often. I'm keeping my money for a new camera body (assuming the 5D replacement is announced soon) and/or the 24mm t/s lens.

We had snow earlier this week, but no big storms. It rained a lot where we are and snowed at higher elevations. We had a big storm come through in Grand Tetons last week. Yesterday, we drove up trail ridge and the boys played in the snow in the tundra.

Here's one of the shot we were actually out there at 6:00 AM trying to get. It needs work, but it's a reasonably good example of what we were looking at.

 

[mabas9395]

Can't wait for the slideshow you put together from this trip.

 

[Amy]

Awesome photos, Mark! Can't wait to see your trip report when you get back. One of these days I'll get out West; for now, I'll just dream thru other people's trips.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Not a great picture

Looks pretty darned great to me. Amazing to see that up close.

 

[tkoran]

Not so great? I think your photos are stunning! Makes me want to dig out my pics of my only trip to Colorado way back in 1989. I would love to go back again.

 

[handicap18]

Excellent capture and Excellent story!!

Love the 2nd picture too.

Keep up the great work Mark. Looking forward to seeing more.

 

[Gdad]

Awesome picture and story Mark- thanks so much for sharing it. I hope to see a full report and slideshow after you get back!

 

[YesDear]

Great shots Mark.

I have a real tough question?

How in ..... did you get your wife up that early to go with you to take the pictures. Mine would love to see the photos when I got back as long as I did not wake her when I got up to take the pictures.

Interested minds would love to know!

 

[fitzperry]

How in ..... did you get your wife up that early to go with you to take the pictures. Mine would love to see the photos when I got back as long as I did not wake her when I got up to take the pictures.

We recently returned from a month in Park City, UT. I had grand plans for some beautiful mountain sunrise shots, and NOT ONCE in an ENTIRE MONTH could I make myself do it. Sunsets are more my speed.

Great pictures as usual Mark!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Great shots Mark.

I have a real tough question?

How in ..... did you get your wife up that early to go with you to take the pictures. Mine would love to see the photos when I got back as long as I did not wake her when I got up to take the pictures.

Interested minds would love to know!

We are an early morning family. On weekends at our house, I am usually up around 5:00 AM, my older son gets up between 5:30 and 6:00, my wife gets up between 5:30 and 6:30, and my youngest son sleeps in until 6:00 or 7:00.

I left the hotel/tent/house several times during the trip at 5:00 or 5:30 to go shooting. My wife wanted to go most times but she had to stay with the boys. She was excited to go out with me this morning, which was possible because we are staying with my parents. Here's an old photo of the house:

Incidentally, we celebrated our 15th anniversary last week. We camped at Yellowstone on our honeymoon and again on our 15th anniversary. I told her that I'm going to get a new camera for her for our anniversary, but I have to wait a couple of months for it to be released.

 

[klmall]

Mark - That second picture is beautiful as is; it's only the photographer who is never satisfied, right? Did the boys like the snow?

We couldn't get our 14 - 17 year olds to stop long enough to play in the snowfields...HIKE! HIKE! HIKE! Later three of us walked up to one and snapped a picture since normally this wouldn't be possible from Trail Ridge Road and when the guys saw my shots they begged to go back up but we were already on our way back to Denver for a Rockies game. Here's me in a snowbank BEFORE I slipped downhill!

Please post more RMNP shots!!!