Mountain Elk

Gallery: WildlifePosted September 29, 2013169 views3 comments

Hey everyone! We've been spending a lot of time in Waterton photographing the elk rut. On one of the first trips for the rut we ran into this guy bugling away. Unfortunately, this bull doesn't have a harem, so not a lot of bulls paid attention to him. He started walking closer to the road and looked like he was going to cross it, but instead he decided to bed down and rest. This guy is definitely one of the most cooperative elk we've found in a while. He let us get all kinds of different angles on him! I dropped my tripod lower so I could get a nice angle with the mountains behind. I like how there is three layers in the background; the lighter deciduous trees, the darker coniferous trees, and the snowy mountains.

Thanks for lookin'!

Nikon D7100
Nikkor 300mm f/2.8
ISO 1250
1/30sec @ f/6.3
Feisol Tournament Carbon CT-3342 tripod with Feisol Carbon Fiber Ballhead CB-50DC

Comments

3 comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on September 29, 2013 at 5:30 PM

Hi Jenaya. Glad to hear that you are finding some elk down there. This guy definitely looks pretty mellow. A friend I have been shooting elk with recently referred to these bulls that lay down like this as "rugs on valium". The best one can hope for at this point is is a nice background like this to work with. I think I would have passed on the brightest upper layer and gone with a landscape format, but this is purely my personal very biased opinion. My attention just tends to be drawn up there a little more than it should perhaps. You must have been happy to get this close, I understand gaining proximity to elk at Waterton can be a big challenge.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by John Launstein on October 2, 2013 at 3:54 PM

Hi Jenaya. Quite the good-looking boy you have here, eh? Man, I love this guy (but you already know that because I gush about him every time we hang out with him).

You already know I was a little surprised by your choice of images to share from the dozens and dozens of outstanding shots you've amassed during this year's elk rut, but I still REALLY like the pensive moment you captured here AND the layers and balance of the scene. More importantly, if it's a meaningful picture to you, it becomes more meaningful to others because you impart some of that value to it. It's a nicely-composed frame with wonderful sharpness where you want it and a soft, moody background.

I really enjoyed sharing this experience with you in the field, too.

Did I mention I'm a bit infatuated with this guy?

Registered on April 5, 2011, 223 Posts, 1193 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on October 2, 2013 at 10:36 PM

What a grand subject, Jenaya!

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments