Yellowstone, June 20th - 22nd

PHOTOS NOW ONLINE

The main round of photos are now online, there will be a few more landscapes to come later (HDRM possibly.)

I figured why not spend the last day of spring and the first days of summer in YNP, with the time of year comes very long days so I had plenty of time to enjoy the park. The addition of clouds and rain kept the weather cool and the crowds down. For the first time in a long time I really did enjoy driving the park and looking not for things to photograph; but for great mental images to save. I told myself that this summer my trips would be focused on filling in holes in the images that I have captured in the park, and this trip was no exception.

I did enjoy the new iPhone 3.0 software on my iPod touch and kept a decent list of everything that I saw from leaving Billings to returning 3 days later.

Here is the trip list, with some bird species that I saw not listed (due to my poor ID skills):

American Robin
American White Pelican
Bald Eagle
Bighorn Sheep
Bison
Black Bear
Blue Grouse (Dusky)
Blue-winged Teal
Canada Goose
Chipmunck
Common Merganser
Coyote
Douglas squirrel
Elk
European starling
Grizzly Bear
Gulls (island full)
Horned lark
Lesser Scaup
Magpie
Mallard
Marmot
Moose
Mountain bluebird
Mourning dove
Mule deer
Osprey
Pheasant
Pika
Pronghorn Antelope
Raven
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-winged Blackbird
Red-tailed hawk
Ruddy Duck
Sandhill Crane
Steller's Jay
Uenta ground squirrel
Western Grebe
Wilson's Snipe
Wolf

As always, thanks for looking at my photos. Please visit my recent trips gallery to see all of the photos from this trip, while you are there give a thumbs up to your favorites and feel free to leave comments there too, with 5 stars. I ask this not to have folks boost my ego, simply to help my images get more play on SmugMug. And so you can enjoy more images of YNP... Thanks.

Total trip was 917.2 miles and my Outback averaged 28.5 mpg (So much better than my Blazer ever did).

Glacier NP late June - July

Hello all, I need your help. You can email me at Dave_M_Shumway@yahoo.com or leave a comment here.

So I find it hard to drive up to Glacier with Yellowstone so very near.
That said I am going to take some time a visit glacier in the next few weeks.

The entire road is open this Thursday.

I was thinking about YNP this Saturday/Sunday (Trout), then Glacier for 5-7 days one of the next two weekends.

Is the traffic crazy over July 4th?

I would love any advice you have to share. We all know that I am all about photography. Landscapes with the new 5DII is one goal. Mountain Goats with Kids is my other must. Then the usual stuff falls inline.

I will camp.
I am more than willing to hike.
I have 9 weeks of vacation that I must burn over the next year so time is not a big issue.
I am leaving out of Billings, MT so I am only 5h30m from Browning, MT.

Any tips, thoughts, places to camp, places to hike, places to shoot critters, places/times to shoot landscapes, about anything would be greatly appreciated.

I have a few friends who have sent me some info and a few birding books and maps on the area but that really is it.

I feel a bit silly being such a tourist when it comes to Glacier, heck I know a ton more about the Canadian parks to the north than Glacier.

Thanks all

Nature Photography Day

PHOTOS ONLINE

NANPA challenges its members to participate in a Nature Photography Day Member Event.

"This annual event will challenge NANPA members to take a nature photograph on June 15 and upload it for publication in the July/August issue of Ripples, our bi-monthly newsletter. All photos will be published and there is no cost for submission. Photos for submission MUST be taken on June 15, 2009 within walking distance of wherever you are on that day."

With rain and a very full day of work I was only able to do some evening shooting of leaves; but I got out and did some backyard shooting.

Enjoy

Yellowstone, May 30th

PHOTOS ONLINE

Work sent me down to Virginia City to do some shooting. The time in the old town was fun and I was able to produce the images we needed (better than expected). They are online here.

The real joy of the trip for me however was that after a long night on the 29th, followed by a long drive, I got to spend the morning in Yellowstone before heading back to Billings for some prior engagements.

The 29th/30th ended with my head hitting the pillow at 1:30 am. The alarm went off at 4:30 am, time to get into the park. By 5:15 am I had spotted a lone grey Wolf at Blacktail Ponds, he was shortly joined by a collared black Wolf. The two of them proceeded to pull a young Bison out of the pond, I have no clue how long he had been dead for. I sat in my car shooting from a bean bag while they went to worked on breakfast. For the first 15 minuets not a single car stopped :) Then the crowds began to amass as the sun filled the valley. As a bus pulled in I pulled out. Heading to check on the regular Great Grey Owl, who had already given his morning show. Came across a few black Bears, one of which was in a somewhat photogenic scene. I fired off a few bursts and headed on to the top of Dunraven pass to look for the Dusky Blue Grouse. Found two, that after a very short battle became one. Enjoyed some shooting of the victor then it was time to move on toward the East entrance. I gave the Fox den a short wait while I took a much need nap, no luck. Then it was back to Billings via Cody.

I will not complain about the extra driving that accompanied my short day trip to YNP. I went 140 miles more than I would have just doing the drive for work, and I got some nice images as a reward, well worth it in my book.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the images.

Yellowstone, May 21st - 26th

PHOTOS ONLINE
The main round of photos are now online, there will be a few more landscapes to come later (HDRM possibly.)

With the long weekend, lengthened by my need to take some days off work before loosing vacation time, and the long late spring days I had plenty of time to enjoy the park. Unfortunately the sun and lack of clouds made this trip yet another trip about hiking rather than taking photographs; but I believe that I captured some keepers regardless.

I was also playing with a 400/2.8L IS so I had to put in some time simply testing/playing with the lens.

I took over 5k images so as you can image the play by play would fill a dozen post. Just know that I spent a large amount of time hiking, waiting for things to happen (badger den / fox den / coyote den), and shooting birds.

I am sorry for the delay on getting photos online. The day I got home from vacation work sent me down to Virginia City to shoot some theatre. The good news is that I was then allowed to make a morning swing through the park on Saturday (those photos to come soon).

As always, thanks for looking at my photos. Please visit my recent trips gallery to see all of the photos from this trip, while you are there give a thumbs up to your favorites and feel free to leave comment there too, with 5 stars.

Thanks and enjoy.

Billings Area, May 18th

PHOTOS ONLINE

I took the morning and headed Northwest of Billings to see what birds I could get onto my list, and to enjoy the weather.

The area around Molt, MT is a great place to drive or bike and just enjoy the solitude. Wildlife is abundant while people are not. There are also many places that could make some ideal landscapes and or scenes, more of those to come in the future, I hope.

Rim Country, May 17th

PHOTOS ONLINE

Sorry for the delay on getting this posted. I spent a ton of time out shooting and that means a ton of time editing.

I spent the better part of the afternoon hiking in the Rim Country area. It was a day for the birds, pun intended. I was able to add a few birds, and got to put in some pleasant miles on an overly warm afternoon.