Alaska Photo Graphics

Bull Caribou and Denali (Mt. McKinely), Denali National Park, Alaska

The 90 mile road that takes travelers into Denali National Park ends near Mount McKinley, north America’s highest peak, which rises more than 20,000 feet. One clear morning while hoping to find some subject to frame against the mountain, I observed two bull caribou feeding on the tundra. I waited and waited for the caribou to be properly positioned, but they continued feeding, with heads down.

During this waiting period I was experimenting with camera meter, checking the various lighting values in the scene when suddenly, I heard a noise behind me. As I turned around, a young moose walked towards me on the tundra. At this interruption, the caribou bulls lifted their heads, and were startled enough to prance away. Being fully unprepared for this sudden movement, I just grabbed the camera and started shooting. Fortunately, my metering settings were acceptable, and I captured a handful of good frames.

The ironic conclusion to the scene was that the moose continued walking right past me; up over the ridge in the exact same place the caribou were feeding. I had enough time to change film and then I shot a bunch of frames of the caribou in a similar scene. See the thumbnail to the right. After waiting for 25 min for the caribou to do something, the whole event of shooting took place in not much more than a minute!