Lens choice for Canadian Rockies

<p>I am planning to visit the Canadian Rockies in mid to late August - Banff, Jasper etc. I will be primarily using my Nikon D300 with the 17-55 / f2.8 lens. I am wondering if it is worth bringing a telephoto lens (e.g. 70-200mm) for wildlife photography. I guess my question is am I going to see quite a bit of wildlife (e.g. bears, elks, wolfs etc) to warrant bringing a telephoto lens. And if so, is 70-200mm enough? and any recommendation on a window mount tripod is very much appreciated.<br>

Thanks! Wil</p>

<p>You can easily find a shot to use everything from a 24 to an 800 on a 35mm camera. It always a fact that you will sorely miss what you didn't bring. Yes, bring your 70-200.</p>

<p>A recommended book is at http://www.darwinwiggett.com/product.php?id=28<br>

How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies.</p>

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<p>I have done that trip. Go to Darwin's web site to see if his book is still available. Get one if possible. Yes, you will need a telephoto. Even for landscapes. At a minimum, take a 300mm f 4.0 if you have one. This will complement the 70-200mm. If you have a 500mm f 4, take it as you will make good use of it. You will see lots of wildlife in Jasper. If you have them bring a set of graduated neutral density filters, 2 stop and 3 stop. You will use them to blend the light for landscapes especially on wide angle shots. Bring a bean bag for shooting out of your car window. For tripod recommendations I suggest two--one for lenses up to 300mm and another for lenses above 300mm. Go to <a href="http://www.naturescapes.net">www.naturescapes.net</a> and their store and look at their gitzo tripod recommendations. In Jasper be sure to go to Mt Edith Cavel first thing in the morning. It is one of the most interesting/beautiful spots I have ever been to.<br>

Make sure you fully understand the airline carryon requirements to get into Canada and out of Canada and back to the US. They are (or may be different) since December 2009 but some relief is in place for "professional photo equiment."<br>

Joe Smith</p>

<p>Bob and Joe, thanks so much for your advices! I will certainly be bringing the 70-200mm and the TC-17. The Darwin Wiggett book looks good and I will be getting that too. Thanks again!</p>

<p>Personally I'd even bring something longer, but that's me. Especially for Moose which tend to be out in water and can be rather shy. Elk, Big Horn are pretty easy; Grizzley, Mountain Goats, and Black Bear require a little more luck and more reach, Woodland Caribou are pretty rare. I personally have never seen wolves in the park although they are obviously there.<br>

You might want to look into this book: A Guide to Photographic Rocky Mountain Wildlife for hotspots to find game.</p>

 

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<p>Grads and/or some knowledge of tasteful HDR also must. Again, refer to Darwin Wigget's stuff. Lot's of info on his blog.</p>

<p>Just noticed, the road up Mt Edith Cavell is closed for repaving until the end of July, at least you will be able to get there. :)</p>

<p>http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jasper/index.aspx</p>

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<p>We did that trip last September - and used every lens from 10mm to 300mm, most of them several times daily. Unfortunately we got shutout on wildlife (10 days!!) but enjoyed everything we did. Edith Cavell was closed, but as described above a wonderful place to go. We also had the most wonderful morning at Lake Louise from sunrise through about 10am - it was so awesome we were talking in whispers all morning.</p>

<p>Last Fall I was on a photo shoot in Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Kootenay Nat'l Park, and Yoho Nat'l park.<br>

I used an 11-18mm for most of the landscape shots and used my 300mm f/2.8 for most all the wildlife shots. We actually didn't see all that much wildlife until we got up to around Jasper. I had other lenses with me but those are the only ones I used. </p>

<p>Julie Roggow</p>

<p>I went to Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise during April last year, and re-visited Banff and Lake Louise a few months later in September. Yes you'll need any focal length you have, and probably more. Wide angle is a must for mountains, lakes and landscape, and telephoto for wildlife. You'll find a lot more wildlife in Jasper. Banff is hit or miss. Elk is plentiful, and they come pretty close to human settlement. There are even several that always frequent near the Banff Springs Hotel. After the elk, big horn sheep and coyotes are next on the frequency of sightings. Moose, bears (grizzley and black) are more rare. You'll need more luck and will need to go at the right time of day for more chance of a sighting. Spring time (April/May) is actually a better time to see wildlife close since the animals will come near the roads to lick the salt off the ground (salt is used for melting snow/ice on the roadways in winter).<br>

If you're into shooting wildlife, I'll recommend booking one of the wildlife viewing tours, and let the guide drive you around to try your luck. It's sort of like a Safari tour, but you'll be in a closed vehicle (a mini bus) and it's less rugged than the African counterpart. The benefit is of course the guide has knowledge of where the wildlife likes to hang out. You'll be shooting through a window, but if the guide deems it safe, you will have opportunity to get off the bus and shoot.</p>

<p>I've lived near Banff for over 30 years and seldom see much wildlife in that area nowadays - I see way more bears and moose at home than I've ever seen in the parks. As everyone says, you'll see more wildlife around Jasper. I've never needed a window-mount tripod mainly because the wildlife doesn't pose prettily beside the road and the highway is now fenced from the Banff entrance near Canmore most of the way to Lake Louise.<br>

You'll see more wildlife on the side roads but usually way back in the trees. Elk (around the Banff Springs Golf Course) and small mammals are your best bet. You may see black bears but grizzlies, moose and mountain goats are seldom seen. There's ALWAYS mountain sheep on the Lake Minnewanka Loop and they'll look in better shape in late-August.<br>

Wildlife is a definitely a matter of luck but, if you can, get up early enough go to Lake Louise for the sunrise, then go on to Moraine Lake before 10 a.m. and climb the rockpile trail for the best view in Canada!<br>

The Darwin Wiggett book is excellent but he's a great grad fan - I'd learn basic HDR before forking out for grads - and less to fiddle with if you're on a short trip.</p>

<p>Sorry William, I should have given you the link to some of my blog posts about photographing Banff and area. They're at <a href="http://kathleentravelphotography.blogspot.com/">http://kathleentravelphotography.blogspot.com/</a> Scroll down and click on Banff in the Labels section on the sidebar - that will take you to the relevant posts.<br>

You can go from there to my Flickr pages where you find some Banff-Jasper-Yoho-Kananaskis sets.</p>

<p>William. Might I also suggest, driving from the Canmore direction to Lake Louise on route 1, just after enterering the park, at the pay station, make a right onto the "Bow Valley Pkwy". I spent a week driving that road to Lake Louise in May of last year, managed to get some great pictures of Elk, Deer. The road is very quiet, I was able to maintain a speed of only 15 mph for most of the trip to Lake Louise, very little traffic, plenty of places to pull over and get out of your car when seeing wildlife, even as they cross the road in front of you. Also, at "Castle Junction", make a left onto route 93, "Banff Windermere Pkwy", just after making the left there is a steel trestle bridge, there were a pair of nesting Osprey on the bridge when I was there and I took some great pictures of them also. My longest lens was the Nikon 80-200 ed, on a D300, I even made the photographers worst mistake by getting too excited when seeing a Bull Elk in a clearing through the trees, I got within 30 feet of him, I had taken about 30 pictures of him when he decided he had seen enough and came after me. I was fortunate to have a large number of very close together trees between me and him. Morale of this story as usual, don't go too near the wildlife. I learnt my lesson, I could very easily have been approached from behind by a bear at the time, so I won't be doing this again. One tends to forget in the excitement of coming from a city, that these animals are large and dangerous.</p>

<p>Yes, there will be wildlife. Also, as mentioned by Ian above, bring graduated neutral density filters. Pure ND filters will be useful for blurring waters and for intensifying the flying colors of dawn and dusk.</p>