I’ve scheduled a few posts to be made while I’m off the grid on another photo venture until the first part of September. For those not familiar with the seasonal calendar of Alaska, late August and early September comprise the time frame in which the autumn colors flourish in the alpine tundra highlands. The boreal forest, a little lower in elevation, peaks a little bit later depending on the northern latitude. This means, besides the fact the snow is coming soon, that it a very colorful, picturesque and busy time of year for photography. I’ll have some autumn photos to share later on.
Dall sheep ram on a rock outcrop that overlooks the Polychrome mountains of the Alaska range in Denali National Park, interior, Alaska. Canon 1Ds Mark III, 500mm f/4L IS w/1.4x (700mm), 1/160 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 100, taken with a tripod in live view mode to lock up mirror.
The sheep photo here must rank up there with the least amount of physical exertion I’ve ever spent to acquire a nice shot of one of these mountain dwellers. They are creatures of the highlands where they find protection from predators. While this location is high, about 4000 feet, it is also along the Denali park road in Polychrome Pass, a place that sheep are commonly observed. Some wolves had chased them to this rocky ridge which is situated just 30 feet from the road. The background, distant mountains are especially well suited to a picture that shows their habitat. It was a pleasant change from the normal hike of multiple thousands of vertical feet to find these animals, although I can claim no credit for the work other than being in the right place at the right time! Which sometimes, is a lot of what nature photography is about.
I committed myself to a position in which the light was perpendicular to the subject, which had it’s pros and cons, mainly because of background variation. I usually prefer some sort of side lighting, and these worked out o.k. But, I believe that the desire to be in multiple locations when the light splashes is a common dilemma for photographers.
Gorgeous!!! Again!!! 🙂
Thanks for sharing the detail about using live-view for mirror lock-up. That’s a handy substitute for the awkward menu navigation on my 5d2. Do you also use any kind of remote shutter release mechanism?
What a photo!! You must be so proud! Fantastic!
Fantastic photo! I will be up there Sept. 17th with my lottery ticket. Hope the weather is decent.
Tim, thanks. I don’t usually use a cable release, it seems to get in the way all the time. I use the 2 sec timer instead, with live view. I’ve used the pocket wizard for remote triggering, but those are planned out shots and not the general fare. You can also use the 10x zoom in live view to get an idea of the camera stability/shake factor when shooting super telephoto. It at least gives you a feel for how stable your set up is, with factors of wind, etc. I’ve had very good luck shooting this way.
T and Mike, thanks for the kudos. I’d change a few things to make that shot a little better, but we take what we get.
Thanks for the helpful info, Patrick! 🙂
An amateur, my shooting approach has been to handhold virtually everything I do, availing myself of natural supports (rocks, trees, elbows & knees) when they’re convenient. (The IS of the 24-105 is impressively helpful for me. With its sharpness at f/8, I’m really learning to love this lens for landscapes.)
I generally race about pretty athletically on my hikes, giving me time for long pauses to photograph views & subjects which grab my attention along the way. This probably is a good approach for me, to date, because I don’t have a well-developed sense of how to plan and design a photograph that I like. Rather, I’m reduced to getting it when I see it, until I acquire such sense (if ever).
But I’ve been contemplating acquiring a tripod for maximum sharpness, and to better facilitate low-ISO shooting and water shots. I’ve wondered if I should go with the remote release/timer, also. I like landscapes most, so I think the live-view and two-second timer approach should work well for me. Thanks!
Aside from the weight and bulk, it’s hard for me to imagine not spending too much time hassling with tripod setup (not to mention, tripod plus cable release). I’d really love to hear any of your thoughts/observations regarding the value a tripod for you, and how you make your tripod usage time-efficient. For me, it would make a fascinating blog post. 🙂
I could imagine that the 2-second delay could be problematic for wildlife, because I would have guessed timing the subject movements & orientations would often be critical. Based on your photos, this is obviously not a problem for you! 🙂 But extrapolating from your approach, I could imagine live-view plus cable release might be ideal for wildlife, serving both to keep the mirror locked up and allow instantaneous shutter response.
My husband and I went to Alaska in August of 2008. We saw the sheep from our bus on the Denali Park Road, but I could not get any pictures like the one you have taken. I am just an amateur, I love to take pictures for fun. Your picture is amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Tim,
I’ll consider making some comments on tripods in an upcoming post.
Carol,
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed the images.
I was just in Alaska this past May and I became fasinated by these amazing animals. Your picture is fabulous. It captures this male so magnificently.
Thanks Pat.