brad_mills

I second the advise for a 300mm lens for this spot. This was shot with a 300mm, Provia, f4, shutter speed not remembered (probably 1/400 or 1/500) in a pretty constent rain.<div></div>

I was there last July. There is more to the area than the bears but the bears do overwhelm everything else. You may get some shots of small flowers, moss, ferns, other macro subjects. I would bring your macro.

 

The bugs were not bad. Nothing like the marshes south of Denali.

 

Bring warm clothing, it's cold when it is raining. The platforms were crowded at times. During these times you can stay for an hour. However, you can come right back. There is a place to wait in line without being in bear danger. The wait was never more than 20 minutes. The platforms open at 7:00am and close at 10:00 (I think) but the light is not good after 9:00pm or so.

 

I have a number of shots on my web site http://members.aol.com/dbradmills

 

I'd try to find someone to walk to the falls from camp and back. This should not be too hard.

 

Have fun....<div></div>

Katmai National Park - Brooks Falls<div></div>

Katmai National Park in early July is where this was taken. This is great spot for bears. Was there 4 days and saw 10+ bears for hours at a time.

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<a href="http://members.aol.com/dbradmills">More photos are on my web site</a><div></div>

Here's a shot taken in the Teton's with my 18 month old assistant. This was taken from a boat landing in Teton National Park (Shawbuckler or something like that).

 

Plenty to do in these areas with kids.<div></div>

Jim,<P>

 

Much can be done with a 105mm lens. Maybe tougher (maybe easier) than with a 600mm. However, it is up to you.<P> Here is a photo I took 20+ years ago of a <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/dbradmills/ram1.jpg">Big Horn Ram with 45mm lens</A> in Glacier National Park. Minimal cropping was done. While I was lucky to get this close, and I had to be quick, it is possible to do.

I'm kind of partial to mine....

 

<a href="http://members.aol.com/dbradmills">My site</a>

 

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Not too much has been added in the last year or so; but two kids under the age of 4 will do that.

With sports I have found the % of sharp photos to be much higher. It does take some skill to learn how to get the best results; but when you understand the technique, the results do go up.

 

You are also able to get different types of shots. Speaking of sports shots, you'll notice that there are a lot more tight shots of action (with shallow DOF) than there were before AF in newspapers and magazines.

 

To the people that say they get better results with MF; I can't believe that they are using small DOF with quickly moving subjects.

I hope you have a comfortable car seat and a car window camera mount. I can't imagine you will ever have time to get out of the car to "enjoy the nature". Based on the above schedule you will see a little at alot of places and a whole lot of borning highway scenery. If you are scouting the area for another trip where you will go to areas you like best, that might make sense.

 

RMNP is a LONG, LONG way from the UT and AZ parks for a nine day trip.

That is the best time of year to photograph the waterfalls in Yosemite. Parts of the park are closed however, in the higher elevations.

I don't have the lens in front of me...

 

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Do you have the lens at the 35mm setting, I believe it must be there.

I've never used it, since I have a 105 micro-Nikkor....

I think you need to get closer.

 

With the limitations on the speed of your lenses you are going to run into problems in low light. That being said, equipment does not seem to be the answer here. Of course with lenses and bodies running into the tens of thousands of US$ your photos might be incrementaly better. However, by moving closer, through the use of blinds, or photographing at a place where the birds are more approachable you will probably see more improvement in your images than investing in equipment.

It's cold. I went there 10 years or so ago in February. The nightly

lows were -25F. Daytime temperatures were 20-40F. Sunny most days.

Snow up to my waist in areas.

 

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Wildlife that I saw: Bison, Elk, Bald Eagle, Coyote, Antelope. I

stayed in Gardner.

 

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Geysers and other thermal features where very different from summer

time. Not too many people. I'd recommend the trip.

I went to Rocky Mountain National Park a few years ago. Many big horn

rams were near one of the enterences near Estes Park. Also deer and

elk. It was head banging time for the Rams and they were more

approachable than other times of the year. A 300mm lens gave almost

full frame body shots with patience. A few examples are at -

 

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<a href="http://members.aol.com/dbradmills/nature.htm">my personal web

page</a>

 

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The weather, for me was good, I was worried about snow, but luckily

missed a storm by a week. The crowds were non-existent.

Give a call to a Ranger station. I did that last year and they were very helpful. Have fun. I got the number of of the "regular" web page.

I see no benefit of going through the trouble and expense of doing this for nature. I've done it for indoor basketball shots, but that was to verify the lights we were using in the rafters were on and aligned.

 

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For nature static shots, usally its not too difficult to get the exposure. For wildlife shots the conditions and such are changing so much I don't see the benefits of doing the test and having the animal walk out of the area.

I have been there in early to mid November a few years ago. Parts of the park were closed, like the very high altitude road but most of the park was open. There are almost NO people. I saw tons of wildlife.

 

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The Big Horn sheep were very active banging heads. They were at low elevations and were very easy to find and get close to, a 300mm lens will get you full body shots. Many elk about near Estes Park. Also, had a coyote walk within 15 yards of me. Plus many deer.

 

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A couple of photos are at <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/dbradmills/nature.htm">my personal home page in the animals section</A>

 

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There are no tourists this time of year. Estes Park is almost a ghost town, the eating places were offering discounts on meals. The weather was not to bad. I had sunny days in temps in the 40's (F). Snow was on the ground.

Wesley's definition of not far is different from mine. Detroit is approx. 10 hours for NJ, then add at least 5-6 hours to get to the near north part of Lake Superior (Sault St. Marie).

 

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My vote is for Maine/Nova Scotia. Hoping to go there next year.

Sand is potentially your biggest concern (assuming you don't drop it in the water). Sand will be a problem on a windy day, even if you so not see it, it will be in the air. Be especially carefull when changing film.

 

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For birds morning will probably be your best bet: Good light, fewer people, less wind. The earlier the better.

 

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Good luck.

Good luck. It is nice to see something other than what lens should I buy. Let us know if this gets published anywhere or could you post it on the internet? I'd be interested in giving it a read.

 

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I recently saw an exhibit in Washington DC on the works of James Moran. It was because of his art (mainly paintings but also some photographs) that Congress was able to see the wonders of Yellowstone and it helped lead to the granting of Yellowstone as the frst national park.

Around Memorial Day you will be able to find a wide variety of wild flowers including many orchids (Yellow/Pink Lady slipper, Calypso) in the Northern MI area.

I heard on the news this morning that the projected peak of blooms is 3/23 - 3/28 (National Parks Service estimate)

The tidal basin around the Jefferson Memorial. The trees ring the tidal basin. The photo that I have listed the URL to below was taken on the side of the basin away from the river, closer to the city. I belive this would be the East side.

 

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http://members.aol.com/dbradmills/cherry.jpg is a shot that I took a few years ago. For this shot I used an 85 mm lens. It was taken in the morning.

 

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There are literally 100s of trees that bloom. You will be able to take many photos with the lenses you have. It will be VERY crowded where you want to go and there is not much parking. The metro is about a mile walk. You may want to do that or take a cab rather than try to park in the afternoon, especially if the weather is nice.

 

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Let me know if you have any other specific questions.

A level on the camera does the trick for me. There are lots of "illusions" in nature - level horizons being one of them, the size of the moon being another.

 

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Then I print it the way it is most pleasing to me.

 

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The place that I find the "unlevel" horizons the most troubling to me is when I see a lake tilted which is obviously wrong.

I have photographed big horn rams during the mating season and have found them to more approachable at that time.

 

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Also, I have found humans to exibit similar behavior as you mention. Here in the D.C. area if more than an inch of snow is predicted there is "the world is going to end mentality" and a run on all types of food from the grocery store.