Seeking Higher Ground

Banff Nat. Park, Ablberta, Canada

Great Shot!!

Unbelievable capture...I am friggn' jealous. How did you come upon this, or maybe it is just a long lens...None the less, nice work.

 

Regards, Mark

Perfect composition and exposition moment.Bravo.Regards.Janusz.

Just looked at your details...Ya caught this one at 70mm...You must be as sure footed as them!

I had just flown in to Calgary and was on my way to Banff NP with my sister in tow. All my gear was still in the trunk but she had her camera out and ready. She asked me to stop to take a panoramic landscape photo just outside of Canmore. As she was returning to the car she began jumping up and down wildly while pointing down the road ahead of us as this herd of bighorn (the entire herd was probably four dozen). The herd was coming down a pass to cross the highway.

 

Needless to say, I dashed to the trunk, ripped the camera bag open and quickly found what I needed. For the next 15 minutes the herd walked slowly and grazed parallel to the highway, crossing it three times. Toward the end there were at least 20 cars pulled off on the shoulder to view the spectacle and the sheep eventually got spooked and headed up this very steep rocky incline. When this shot was taken I was standing directly beneath them at the bottom of the incline looking almost straight up at them. I estimate they were 40 to 50 feet above me. As they moved across the shale, little (& not so little) hunks of rock showered down around me but I stood my ground for about two minutes until they disappeared over the ridge.

 

So there you have, the rest of the story.

Wow, what an amazing picture and memorable experience, I am sure. You are lucky the one on the top did not come crushing down on you. Their reputation about being surefooted must be true. Super image, GJ! :)

The story is as great as the photo!!! The image itself is great, animals not so often seen by everyone, lines in the rocks, matching the route they are taking. Thanks for sharing the image and the story... (you always have pretty good tales)... regards....LJ

This one has a more majestic feel. Funny how different perspectives of the same scene can change the mood. Nice angle too.