DSC_5854
The Big Thompson River flows through Estes Park, CO. This satellite bull was thrashing the willow brush with his antlers while two fly fisherman were going abou...
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The Big Thompson River flows through Estes Park, CO. This satellite bull was thrashing the willow brush with his antlers while two fly fisherman were going about their business in the background.
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Jul, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
Estes Park, Colorado on the Big Thompson River just south of town.Time
My wife & I had just enjoyed a great breakfast at a coffee shop in town. As we exited the shop I took note how beautifully lit the sky was that morning. I suggested we drive around and look for photo ops from the local Elk herd.Lighting
The first or last hour or two of natural light can enhance an image and really make it stand out among others. The sky was slightly overcast with enough sunlight to make images pop with proper exposure settings.Equipment
The image was taken hand held with a Nikon D300 and 70-200mm VR 2.8 lens.Inspiration
Initially my only focus was to capture images of Elk. We had driven to the south end of town and took a side road where we observed a number of Elk. The first group of cows with a herd bull did not offer any good photo ops. In the distance I noticed this satellite bull near the river thrashing the willow brush with his antlers. We drove to a spot to get into a better position to take photos from the open window of the car. At the time I was about 100 yards from the Elk. The pictures I were taking didn't capture the essence of the overall composition I wanted. I got out of the car and approached the Elk at an indirect angle hoping not to spook him. As I got within about 50 yards I immediately saw the fly fishermen in the background. One on the bank retying a fly and one in the river. I took a few pictures before the scene changed when the Elk turned and headed toward the other group of Elk we had seen earlier.Editing
The histograms on my camera showed I had nice color balance with the subject and light. I did a minor contrast adjustment and a sharpen mask.In my camera bag
My first choice is always my Nikon 70-200 VR 2.8 since wildlife is my main passion. My second option for landscape scenery is the Nikon 10-24mm 3.5, I also carry a fix 50mm along with a polarizing filter. When carrying my tripod I also use a nikon 200-400mm.Feedback
I prefer shooting in 'Manual' mode, but don't be shy to use Aperture priority or Shutter priority. If you are new to this keep a small note pad and document your ISO, f-stop & shutter settings. Try bracketing up or down a stop or two to see the effect these changes may have on your overall shot. you will be surprised what you can create.
