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ddcapparelli

IMG_3261

Canon EOS 6D

settings

Aperture 28/5 ISO 200 Shutter 1/160 Focal Length 840/1

upload_date

Dec, 2016

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155

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+27

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Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

This is my photo of the Snake River in the Grand Tetons. I stood exactly where someone famous took the same picture

Behind The Lens

Location

I shot this photo in Yellowstone National Park. The grizzly was sleeping up on a mountain and I, along with a lot of photographers waited for a while for him to wake up and come down into the stream. So worth the wait!!

Time

I finally got this shot in the early evening. We had had dinner at the Old Faithful Lodge and a ranger at the lodge told us that there were reports of a grizzly feeding on a bison carcass. He wasn't sure if he was still there but it was worth a try. When we pulled up to the area we knew something was up because of the line of photographers who were set up ready to shoot something. Once the grizzly woke up and came down the mountain I remember just sitting, watching and snapping photos one after another.

Lighting

I remember the lighting was perfect. It was the perfect time to photograph, the sun starting to set and there was still enough daylight left to get a good shot. While waiting and watching, another photographer offered me his lens so I could get a close up shot of this grizzly whom they call Scarface in Yellowstone.

Equipment

I used my Canon 6D on a tripod. I got a lot of shots but was so lucky to borrow another photographer's lens. I don't remember the specifics of his lens but I know this was taken at an 800mm distance.

Inspiration

I was so inspired to photograph all of the wildlife in Yellowstone National Park. I spent a week in the park spending every moment looking for any wildlife I could find. I shot mature eagles, immature eagles, big-horned sheep, deer, moose and elk. I live in a rural area and don't have the luxury of the special wildlife that lives in Yellowstone. I just loved every minute of it!

Editing

I usually don't do very much post-processing work as I was taught to take the shot right the first time! In this case, I was unfamiliar with the borrowed lens so I did try to sharpen the grizzly a bit, cropped the photo and also added just a little light.

In my camera bag

I always carry by full-framed camera with a 25-105 lens along with 2 extra batteries and 2 extra memory cards. I add about 4 lenses. My fixed 50mm lens, a 70-200, 70-300 and a 100-400 lens. I usually travel far to photograph this type of wildlife so it's a bit more difficult to travel with lenses much bigger than that. I have heard of renting bigger lenses just for trips like this but haven't done that yet!

Feedback

The best advice I can give anyone interested in photographing wildlife is to have patience! There is nothing more exciting than seeing the world through an animal's eyes in their own environment. I would also recommend carrying your camera bag everywhere you go. You never know when that perfect shot will appear!! Good luck!

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ddcapparelli

ddcapparelli

IMG_3261

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow ddcapparelli

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