Bull Elk on the Madison, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming
Yay! Lightroom 2 finally arrived, so I’ve been able to process the G10 RAW files from my bike trip. I’m actually really impressed by the quality of photos this little camera is capable of. I can easily print 20×30 inch prints of some of my favorite photos from the trip. Pretty cool!
This photo, of a bull elk crossing the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park, is probably my favorite from the whole trip. On our first morning driving through Yellowstone, we came across a herd of elk grazing beside the Madison River on the west end of the park. There were several cows and older calves, and this magnificent healthy bull watching over them. The sun had just come up and there was steam rising from the river into the cold morning air. Dave parked in a pullout along the road and we sat there and watched the herd for a long time. It was actually really nice being able to just sit there and watch them and not worry about taking photos.
My absolute favorite thing about nature photography is nature itself. There are often times when I miss “capturing the moment” but that’s okay. Getting to experience all of the wonderful and magical qualities of nature is really what its all about. As Dave and I watched, the cows and calves gradually started moving towards the river. One smaller female dashed across the river quickly, while the others continued to make their way towards the water’s edge. The bull followed behind at some distance, constantly on the alert. Then, like in a wedding procession, the cows and calves formed a single file line and crossed the river one by one. Again, the bull stayed back. Soon it became clear to me that the bull was staying downwind of all of the other members of his herd. If one strayed, he guided it back to the others by lowering his huge rack and directing the lone elk back to the group. Behavior like this is so amazing to observe in person and by being able to observe the entire event, not just focusing on a distant subject in the narrow field of view of a 500mm lens, you can really appreciate how magnificent the wild, untamed world really is.
Of course, I wanted to capture a memory of this amazing event to share with those back home, so I did snap a few photos, and what do you know, this one kinda rocks (at least I really like it). The wider angle of the lens on the G10 forced me to be careful of the surroundings and compose a shot that included the environment. I love environmental wildlife photographs and in a setting like Yellowstone, the surrounding landscape can really add something to the photo. Had I had my “serious” camera gear with me, its likely that I would have missed this shot altogether.
As a final note, I also want to comment on how rare it can be to find others who really appreciate nature and can sit there and just “take it in” along with you. Many are content to just “see the wildlife” but to sit there, maybe for hours, just to observe an animal doing perhaps the most mundane of things and truely enjoy the experience takes someone kind of special. Even among nature photographers I have rarely met individuals who can do that. So I sure am lucky (and grateful) that the one person I got stuck with for three months found these exact experiences so valueable and was content to experience nature in a way that few can.
Canon G10, 1/80s, f/4.5, ISO 200, handheld. To order this print, purchase stock rights, or view other photos I have for sale, please visit my website at www.karipost.com.
on October 20, 2009 at 6:20 pm
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Wow. This is a classic! It makes me want to go there.