January found us making a three-day trip to Yellowstone to fit in a winter shoot. It was the perfect excuse to give the new Canon 70-200 2.8 IS USM zoom lens a proper breaking in, and as it turned out, a perfect excuse for getting really cold. The temperatures hovered around 0 to 10 degrees and, factoring in wind chill, dropped it to around minus 10 to minus 15 for much of the trip. If you decide to make a trip like this, go prepared. Take plenty of extra rations and extra clothes, and outfit yourself with good cold weather gear. I was well-bundled so most of the time I was able to stay out for an hour at a time, but there were a couple of times when I could only take about twenty minutes before retreating to the warmth of the car. Cold or no, it turned out to be a very rewarding experience. So much so, that I am splitting the trip into two news letters.

This month I will concentrate on panoramas—with a twist. I’ve been yearning to see if I could mix panoramic shooting with wildlife. This was my first attempt, and I have to say I am pleased with the results. As with any panorama, you need to capture overlapping images, but with animals involved you must do so with moving targets in mind. After a few false starts I found a simple trick to it: take the shot of your subject and note where trees, bushes or any sort of unique identifying terrain or feature is on each side of the animal. Then without moving your tripod or position shoot a frame on both sides using the landscape or vegetation markers as guides. It is best to lock your tripod head on the vertical position for these types of shots unless you have a really good eye for pinpointing those identifiers. It takes some planning and thinking on-the-fly but, as you will see, the results are very rewarding. The pictures give a definite sense of being there with the animal. You’ll feel the cold and hear the wind howling.

American Bison - Specimen

Canon EOS-1D Mark II - EF 70-200 w/1.4 extender at 98 MM
Color Space - Adobe RGB - 16 bit

Evaluative Metering

Digital UV Filter

Exposure Compensation 0

ISO 200 - 1/500 Sec @ F11

American Bison - Blacktail Flats

Canon EOS-1D Mark II - EF 70-200 w/1.4 extender at 120 MM
Color Space - Adobe RGB - 16 bit

Evaluative Metering

Digital UV Filter

Exposure Compensation 0

ISO 200 - 1/8000 Sec @ F4.0

American Bison - Mammoth Entrance

Canon EOS-1D Mark II - EF 70-200 w/1.4 extender at 220 MM
Color Space - Adobe RGB - 16 bit

Evaluative Metering

Digital UV Filter

Exposure Compensation +1/3

ISO 200 - 1/2000 Sec @ F4.0

Elk - Blacktail Area

Canon EOS-1D Mark II - EF 70-200 w/1.4 extender at 280 MM
Color Space - Adobe RGB - 16 bit

Evaluative Metering

Digital UV Filter

Exposure Compensation +1/3

ISO 200 - 1/1000 Sec @ F4.0

Elk - Blacktail Area

Canon EOS-1D Mark II - EF 70-200 w/1.4 extender at 280 MM
Color Space - Adobe RGB - 16 bit

Evaluative Metering

Digital UV Filter

Exposure Compensation +1/3

ISO 320 - 1/125 Sec @ F4.0

Lamar Valley

Canon EOS-1D Mark II - EF 70-200 at 70 MM
Color Space - Adobe RGB - 16 bit

Evaluative Metering

Digital UV Filter

Exposure Compensation 0

ISO 200 - 1/250 Sec @ F11

These two images show the detail you get with these panoramas. The full size images are around 2500 by 6500 pixels or suitable for a 30 by 118 inch poster.

ISO 200 - 1/250 Sec @ F4.0

 

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