February 5th – 12th, 2008

After traveling to Yellowstone in Aug. 2007 I returned in the winter to see a landscape transformed by the snow and ice.  I flew into Bozeman, MT then made an easy hour and 45 minute drive to Yellowstone’s north entrance and the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.  My plan was to spend the week photographing from my rental RAV4 in the Lamar Valley.  The road through the Lamar Valley is the only one that is open to wheeled vehicles in the winter.  It’s kept plowed but there are many places where drifting snow and ice can be hazardous.

This trip was an outstanding learning experience.  The ability to spend day after day with the camera making and fixing mistakes is an opportunity that I don’t get with my casual photographic exploits.

On multiple occasions I setup in a spot that I thought would yield a good image.  Then examine the viewfinder or preview to find that I wasn’t happy with a shot.  I was able to solve this by studying my surroundings and a making simple adjustment to produce something magical.

The image of the bald eagle is one of those times.  Where initially the background was busy with dead trees and a snow covered hill.  That is until I shifted ten yards down the road so that the evergreen tree provided a nice clean out of focus background. The last element was to wait for the snow to slow enough to get a clean view.  If you click thumbnail for a larger image you can see that the snow never really stopped and provides the finishing touch to the scene.

The Lamar Valley is one of the few places in U.S. that still has an intact ecosystem.  Because of this it provides the opportunity to photograph top predator-prey interactions.  Unfortunately I was not able to witness the kills.  I was able to photograph wolves feeding and interacting on the kill.

The always present wolf watchers were very helpful for locating the wolves.  Everyone I talked with was friendly.  Their devotion to following the pack was very interesting to me.  But after spending time photographing the wolves I now understand this.  The interactions and drama that transpires in the valley has more depth than any movie Hollywood produces.  It is truly a life and death struggle viewed from the roadside.

For this trip I rented the 500mm F4 L from LensProToGo (customer service and the gear is top notch).  I’ve never used a lens of this size before and was an experience in itself.  With a long lens like this I was able to make very intimate portraits of wildlife while maintaining a safe distance and not altering the behavior of the animals.

If you are going to be going to Yellowstone in the winter I do suggest a long lens.  Getting off the road even a little ways can be difficult.  At one point I took only a few steps off the side of the road and ended up waist deep in snow. Even though the ground looked flat.

One of my days I took a snow coach ride into the Canyon area of the park.  For those who don’t know what a snow coach is, think of a van with tank tracks instead of wheels.  This is a great way to spend a day. You get to see much more of the park and take in the sights of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  Unless you are with a larger group this is the most economical way to get into other areas of the park.  Snow machines are the other way but you must also hire a guide to take you into the park because of the regulations.

For the adventurous photographer winter time in this great park offers many opportunities.  Wildlife encounters are as good as any zoo in terms of frequency and proximity.  The snow makes the animals easy to spot.  Many times they will be very close to or on the road.  It’s much easier to walk down a plowed road than a snowy field for us and the critters.

Tips for successful winter photographic adventure:

1. Make sure you have extra batteries and keep them in pockets close to your body to keep them warm.
2. Keep extra memory cards with you so you aren’t running back to the vehicle because you left them in your bag.  The snow plows constantly run up and down the road so you have to park in the parking areas which is usually not where you want to be shooting from.
3. Be sure to dress warm and in layers, it’s cold there so you don’t want to be sweating as you hike down the road to setup then stand out in the cold for 3 hours wet.
4. Along with your cloths layer your gloves, have a light pair to wear for operating your camera and heavy pair for when you aren’t.