Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep (Mid December)
My original love for wildlife started with bighorn sheep and they still hold a special place in my heart. I studied desert bighorn for over 10 years, but my attempts on running a trip for desert sheep have been very difficult. I can do an one to 2 person custom, but not a tour (Contact me for that). It's just too hot when it's easiest to photograph them!!!!!
I have learned some areas near Cody, Wyoming have had excellent opportunities yo photograph Rocky Mountain Bighorn. In 2016 I hosted my first Rocky Mountain Bighorn Trip. Weather conditions were brutal with high winds, temperatures below 0, and heavy snows on 2 days but we still did well. Please see some sample photos in the blog.
We'll actually be photographing bighorn from Yellowstone National Park that are driven out of the park by the deep snows. It is this time that the majority of rutting (breeding behavior) occurs. Who doesn't want to photograph 2 Rocky Mountain Rams butting heads. I've seen bouts over 100 times and each one still makes my blood boil, and just the noise will blow you away. Because these sheep spend most of their life in the Park, most have become habituated to people and we can approach quite close. I have viewed as many as 100 bighorn in one morning, the fewest seen was 50. Expect to see quite a list of behaviors and hopefully the incredible head butting that bighorn are so well known for.
If you look at the photos below, on my gallery, and on the blog you will see that many of my images are portraits. We will get close (< 10 yards) to some of the animals, and your big lens will be too much. The photo to the left was shot with a 70-200 with a 1.4 out of my vehicle window. I carry 2 camera bodies and 2 lenses at all times. I'm not sure a large lens is needed for much of this trip, a 400 will do for much of it, but I would sure bring one if you have it. I keep my 500 F4 on my full frame sensor camera (5D Mark III) and my 100 - 400 on my crop sensor camera (Canon 7D2). I will keep my 1.4 and my 2x teleconverters close by in case I need them. About 1/2 the shooting is done from the vehicle, so I use a bean bag or a window tripod (for shooting video). I bring my Gitzo tripod with a Wimberly head, and most of my head butting was shot with that set up. That will allow us to be more selective with backgrounds and move when the animals do. If I notice we seem to be affecting their behavior I will ask everyone to back up or give them a break for awhile.
Like all of my trips, I will be educating you on bighorn biology throughout the trip. If you note in my blog I have a fairly extensive section on aging bighorn rams from the horns.
Other species we will see while shooting include mule deer, bison, elk, moose, and I've heard wolves howling several times but never seen one (and doubt we will). There also are some great landscape opportunities in one of the canyons I look for bighorn in.
In 2016 I spent a day following one of the wild horse herds east of Cody. Depending on the desires of the clients, we can try and use a local tour company (that has a vehicle for deep snow) to visit the herd for a least one day or afternoon. By law we have to stay 100 yards away. Normally, I don't like that but the action is sporadic and having that room to rapidly adjust to a couple horses that are beginning to get feisty is a benefit. They won't run from us, but don't like us either and could get territorial.
Similar to my other tours, I am more than willing to work with you on some processing of your photos so bring a laptop if you have one. But there may not be time and we may have to do it post workshop electronically through dropbox. There are a few tricks I like to use in both lightroom and photoshop when processing mammals that I think helps with eyes and sharpness.
Cost of the 2017 trip is $2700 which includes my guidance, vehicle, lodging at the Cody Inn. It does not include your your meals, nor if we decide to go on a wild horse tour. I will pick you up from the Cody Airport on the afternoon of December 18 and we will shoot until dark on December 22. I will get you to your flight on the morning of December 22.
I have learned some areas near Cody, Wyoming have had excellent opportunities yo photograph Rocky Mountain Bighorn. In 2016 I hosted my first Rocky Mountain Bighorn Trip. Weather conditions were brutal with high winds, temperatures below 0, and heavy snows on 2 days but we still did well. Please see some sample photos in the blog.
We'll actually be photographing bighorn from Yellowstone National Park that are driven out of the park by the deep snows. It is this time that the majority of rutting (breeding behavior) occurs. Who doesn't want to photograph 2 Rocky Mountain Rams butting heads. I've seen bouts over 100 times and each one still makes my blood boil, and just the noise will blow you away. Because these sheep spend most of their life in the Park, most have become habituated to people and we can approach quite close. I have viewed as many as 100 bighorn in one morning, the fewest seen was 50. Expect to see quite a list of behaviors and hopefully the incredible head butting that bighorn are so well known for.
If you look at the photos below, on my gallery, and on the blog you will see that many of my images are portraits. We will get close (< 10 yards) to some of the animals, and your big lens will be too much. The photo to the left was shot with a 70-200 with a 1.4 out of my vehicle window. I carry 2 camera bodies and 2 lenses at all times. I'm not sure a large lens is needed for much of this trip, a 400 will do for much of it, but I would sure bring one if you have it. I keep my 500 F4 on my full frame sensor camera (5D Mark III) and my 100 - 400 on my crop sensor camera (Canon 7D2). I will keep my 1.4 and my 2x teleconverters close by in case I need them. About 1/2 the shooting is done from the vehicle, so I use a bean bag or a window tripod (for shooting video). I bring my Gitzo tripod with a Wimberly head, and most of my head butting was shot with that set up. That will allow us to be more selective with backgrounds and move when the animals do. If I notice we seem to be affecting their behavior I will ask everyone to back up or give them a break for awhile.
Like all of my trips, I will be educating you on bighorn biology throughout the trip. If you note in my blog I have a fairly extensive section on aging bighorn rams from the horns.
Other species we will see while shooting include mule deer, bison, elk, moose, and I've heard wolves howling several times but never seen one (and doubt we will). There also are some great landscape opportunities in one of the canyons I look for bighorn in.
In 2016 I spent a day following one of the wild horse herds east of Cody. Depending on the desires of the clients, we can try and use a local tour company (that has a vehicle for deep snow) to visit the herd for a least one day or afternoon. By law we have to stay 100 yards away. Normally, I don't like that but the action is sporadic and having that room to rapidly adjust to a couple horses that are beginning to get feisty is a benefit. They won't run from us, but don't like us either and could get territorial.
Similar to my other tours, I am more than willing to work with you on some processing of your photos so bring a laptop if you have one. But there may not be time and we may have to do it post workshop electronically through dropbox. There are a few tricks I like to use in both lightroom and photoshop when processing mammals that I think helps with eyes and sharpness.
Cost of the 2017 trip is $2700 which includes my guidance, vehicle, lodging at the Cody Inn. It does not include your your meals, nor if we decide to go on a wild horse tour. I will pick you up from the Cody Airport on the afternoon of December 18 and we will shoot until dark on December 22. I will get you to your flight on the morning of December 22.
