steve_kaufman

Look at: http://www.sciway.net/

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Steven: If you are looking to shoot mostly landscapes, consider going North from Glacier. Waterton, Banff, Yoho, Revelstoke, and Jasper National Parks are all beautifully scenic areas....and what's more, it is a bit cheaper in Canada. You can cross the border in a rental car without much difficulty. The Canadian Rockies are hard to beat for landscapes!

A few months ago, there were a number of posts about locations for

moose photography. The original question asked about moose on the

Kenai Peninsula.

 

We've received record snowfalls this year on the southern part of the

peninsula. Right now, around my home, the snow is 10 feet deep.

Local biologists expect that most of the calves from last year will

starve this winter. Right at the moment I'm writing this, a young

bull is leaning against my office door, sleeping on the steps. He has

been struggling through the deep snow in our yard, searching for

anything to eat. This morning we've watched him eat a number of dried

up stalks of "cow parsnip" which have little or no nutritional value

when old and dry. He's very weak, and seems unwilling to leave our

trails around the house. Later in the day, I will use our snowmobile

to break some trails to available willow bushes with hopes that this

moose, and others in the area will benefit and survive.

 

I'm posting this in the hopes that this will make a few other people

think what they are doing when they approach animals, especially when

conditions are difficult as they are now, here. There is always a

temptation to photograph animals like the small bull outside my door

(of course, it's in beautiful morning sunlight!), but the impact on

him could be extreme. Any disturbance could make him exert energy,

and that could drive him over the brink of starvation. My cameras are

in their storage closet, and I'll be staying inside the house until

the moose leaves on it's own, rather than risk disturbing him.

Bob: Few people realize the size of the YK Delta. Simply put, it's a bit larger than Ohio and it's roadless (aside from small village roads). Access to the Delta is by boat or air, with the latter being the more practical.

 

The Fish & Wildlife Service used to have volunteer programs to help study waterfowl populations on the Delta. They would fly volunteers to camps in prime nesting areas to spend a few weeks conducting surveys. It is certainly the most inexpensive way to see parts of the Delta. The headquarters office is in Bethel. Their web page is: http://www.r7.fws.gov/nwr/yd/ydnwr.html, and contact info: Refuge Manager, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 346, Bethel, Alaska 99559-0346.Phone: 907-543-3151. Fax: 907-543-4413.

 

I worked the Delta extensively in the early 80's on assignment for a book on National Wildlife Refuges. It is an incredible region with spectacular wildlife. It also is an area where you need to live in hip boots, deal with swarms of mosquitoes and frequent bad weather.

T. Roosevelt NP is a wonderful area, Bob. I've spent alot of time in western North Dakota and I'm always surprised at how few people seem to know the place even exists. North Dakota is still one of those places where you can find a good meal and nice room without having to break your vacation budget. June should be ideal. Enjoy!

It's been cold this winter in Alaska; I've had a few people ask me

about the logistics of cold weather photography here. This morning I

sat down & wrote a bit on the subject, and posted it on a web page at:

http://www.xyz.net/~skphoto/freezing.html

 

Constructive comments would be most appreciated by private e-mail. It

isn't completely finished, or "polished" yet; It would be nice to have

some input from others to help me improve the finished product!

 

Thanks! Steve Kaufman

Derek: Unless you have a lot of money, Churchill, Manitoba, on Hudson Bay is the place to go. Even Churchill isn't cheap, and basically it is necessary to join one of the groups to affordably go out in one of the "Tundra Buggies" to view the bears. There are several companies that operate from Churchill, and some of them do cater specifically to photographers. The best time is when the ice is forming in Hudson Bay; that's November. The bears have spent time on land, and must wait for the ice to solidify to go out on the Bay, where they will hunt seals. Cape Churchill is a natural gathering point for the bears as they wait for the ice to form. It is a spectacular event, and is worth a trip!

David: AF is useful for some macro work, and the N90S is quite capable of using AF for macro subjects. The newer F100, would be better yet, as it allows you to select AF areas (like the F5's). In Central America, you will find AF handy when you are attempting to photograph insects which are moving slightly (say a leaf is blowing..) the AF can track slight movement fairly reliably, and allow you to get good shots.

 

Focusing at night without a light source (whether it be a flashlight, or a beam coming from a dedicated flash) won't be possible. I frequently use a small flashlight to focus on a subject in the dark, and then employ strobes to adequately light the subject for the film.

 

For insect photos in Central America, I use a 200 AF Macro. For general macro work (on unmoving subjects) I still use MF, but I do use AF for moving subjects.

James: In early spring (mid-late May) there are often lots of black bears along the road sides especially along the western slope of the Rockies (I've seen as many as 15 different bears in one day along the roadside in a 100 mile section going west along the Yellowhead from Jasper). There is usually fairly deep snow in the mountains until June, but there are few tourists. Many campgrounds don't open until June, but there are a few in the parks which are open year-round. Jasper & Banff can provide good wildlife viewing opportunities at almost any time of the year.

James: There are lots of eagles around where we live. Their activity is mostly dictated by available food sources; and for the most part they are active throughout the daylight hours. More important considerations for you should be the available light, and it's position relative to your subjects, and if your subjects stay in one defined area (a food source) you'd want to be there when the light will be best on that spot. In general, they are very wary birds, and usually not approachable on foot. Care should be made not to disturb them, and drive them away from where they are feeding. Shooting from the window of a car (which serves as a blind) often is best.

Michael: I've photographed moose in Maine (Baxter), Minnesota,

Montana, Wyoming, Newfoundland, Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon,

and Alaska. If you want the chance to see really BIG moose, you

should go north. With the present exchange rates, you'd find it would

be cheaper for you to go to Canada. Maine is less expensive than

Alaska, but if you camp out, either place is fairly inexpensive,

especially compared to your home country, Norway. There is one

exceptional place to see moose in autumn: Denali N.P. It can be a

rather unpleasant experience, as it can be very crowded, and you may

be hassled by park rangers who get frustrated by the crowds of people,

and the traffic jams which occur. Predictably, moose will be in the

open tundra in the early morning (sunrise) between mile 6 & 10 of the

park road. Many will be large bulls, and they are frequently

sparring. The peak time is the first week of September. Generally,

the foliage is at it's best (bright red). But it is always crowded,

and there are always problems with traffic.... and the park rangers

will strictly enforce regulations prohibiting you from approaching the

moose in the active area (it is temporarily closed to hiking during

that time). Inspite of the somewhat disagreable circumstances, some

of my best photos of moose have come from that area, shooting from the

road, standing shoulder to shoulder with a few hundred other people.

Michael: I live on the Kenai, and we certainly do have lots of moose.

We also have lots of moose hunters, so animals are often quite shy.

The exceptions would be mid-winter (we've got over 4 feet of snow

now), and early spring/summer, when you frequently see moose feeding

on new vegetation on road sides.

 

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Moose may be found throughout Alaska. There really isn't any "best"

place I know to find them or photograph them. They can be extremely

dangerous; you should use great care when you attempt to approach

them, especially female moose with young or males in the rut. As Bob

mentioned, it is also often very easy to see moose in Baxter State

Park (Maine), as well as Yellowstone (Wyoming). I've had friends who

came to Alaska for a few weeks and never saw a moose. We seldom go for

more than a few days without having one in our yard.

Dick: In my opinion, you don't need a guide or a tour to enjoy the

best of Alaska. I've lived in the state for nearly 25 years and have

had the good fortune to be able to visit most parts of Alaska. Few

trips would require hiring a guide except to provide a means of

transportation in very remote regions.

 

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In the mainland of the state, the best bang for the buck is Denali NP.

It's crowded during summer, hotels are expensive, but it is still the

best place to go. There is a shuttle bus system which operates all

summer; handicap accessable buses are available. I'd suggest camping

in one of the campgrounds west of the Savage River check station, and

using the buses to get further into the park.

 

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Kenai Fiords is also a good place, with boat trips into the park.

They are large boats, so they would also be fine for those with

disabilities. From the boat, you can usually see and photograph

puffins, murres, kittiwakes, and possibly, sea otters, seals, and

whales.

 

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Katmai is where many people go to see brown bears. Severely

overcrowded Brooks Camp is still one of the best places to go to see

and photograph brown bears. Reservations are necessary long in

advance. It requires a short hike of about a mile on a good, fairly

level trail to reach Brooks Falls and a bear viewing platform.

 

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Weather is extremely variable from year to year, but generally, there

is better weather in early summer (until mid-July) in the coastal

areas, with the interior often having the best conditions in late

summer. Autumn colors usually appear in Denali by mid to late August

(depending on altitude & summer rains).

 

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If you're interested in SE, perhaps another Alaskan (Hans) will put in

a word or two to give you some advice.

 

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Best Wishes for a great Alaskan trip! Steve

Paal: Michio Hoshino was one of Japan's finest wildlife photographers

(he was tragically killed by a brown bear in Kamchatka 2 years ago).

One of his books is still available: "Grizzly" published by Chronicle

Books; ISBN:0877014310. (available through Amazon.com) It's a

paperback, but a true gem. More of his books are still available in

Japan, but difficult to find elsewhere.

Paul: There are a number of wildlife refuges and national parks in

Japan. In two weeks and in early January you are somewhat limited on

where you might want to go.

 

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On the mainland, north of Tokyo near Nagano, you can go to the hot

springs at Shiga Kogen. There you will be able to photograph and

closely observe Japanese macaques (snow monkeys). This area is very

close to the Olympic games area from the last games.

 

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The Japanese cranes are endemic in eastern Hokkaido. They are near

the town of Kushiro, which is a full day's train ride from Sapporo.

Buses from the station next to the train station take you to the park

area where the cranes are.

 

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Also in Hokkaido, is Akan National Park. There you would find whooper

swans.

 

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The cultural areas of Japan are well worth visiting, too. With a

foreign passport, one can easily go to see some of the more famous

places in Kyoto (Japanese citizens must wait for years to get tickets

to view the old Emperor's palace there....a foreigner can get a ticket

for the next day!)

 

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Enjoy! Steve

There are several areas in which you can photograph the cranes ("Tancho" in Japanese). All have public transportation via buses. The bus station is next to the train station in Kushiro.

 

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There will be cranes in November (they are endemic-stay year round) but the BEST time to photograph there is February (mating/dancing).

 

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Hokkaido gets cold. In late November expect -200 C, or perhaps, possibly a bit colder.

 

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I've been there 5 times. It is great! Enjoy!

There are some situations and places where it is best not to be doing nature photography alone. It�s wise to have someone else with you (preferably a pilot) when taking aerial photos. It is also a good idea to have someone else with you if you are photographing large, dangerous animals. It helps to have several sets of eyes watching, and for some critters (i.e. brown bears) there is definitely safety in numbers (provided that you stay in a tight group). I�m fortunate to have a wife who works with me in a stock photo business, both at home and on the road. We each take separate trips from time to time, and each see different aspects of nature in the same area. Spending time in the field with another person can sometimes widen your vision, and enhance your creative skills. We are social animals, and we can, and do learn from others.

Mediterranean Monk Seals are on the island of Piperi, though it is restricted access as they are severely endangered. On the island of Skyros, there are wild horses; "Skyrian horses" are believed to be one of the early horse breeds, averaging 1 meter tall at the shoulder.

 

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Close by (more or less) on Rhodes, during July and August, there are Jersey Tiger moths which gather in great numbers to wait out the dry season. Disturbing them while they are resting endangers their survival....so there are walkways through the area (Petaloudes Valley) to prevent you from getting too close.

Surprisingly (at least surprising for one who comes from a vast country like the US), there is alot of wildlife in Israel. En Gedi Nature Reserve on the Dead Sea is one of the best areas to photograph wildlife in the country. February/March is springtime, and ideal. Spring migration of birds (storks, raptors, vultures) will begin during that time. Birds follow the rift valley through Israel; at Elat in the south, you can see the world's largest migration of birds of prey (see, but usually too high to photograph).

 

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If you want more details, e-mail me privately.

 

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Steve

Joe: It seems that you have answered your own question. If you want to see & possibly photograph the largest variety of wildlife and landscapes, go to Denali. Your geography a bit off....Valdez is a long way from the Kenai. A nice trip you might someday take is a ferry ride from Whitier to Valdez (a day), a drive over Thompson Pass, and back towards Anchorage after passing through, and perhaps stopping in the Wrangells. To make it comfortable, and have time to explore, it takes at least a week. For now, consider a short side trip to Seward, visit the new Sea Life Center, and take a boat ride into the Kenai Fiords for a day.

James:

 

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I just did a search on Amazon.com for the Janzen Book. It cost's $35 and is available. They also have the bird books & other guides; the mammal flip book is probably only available in San Jose (that's where I got mine). The ISBN # for the Janzen book is 0226393348.

James:

 

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For birds, get: A guide to Birds of Costa Rica by F. Gary Stiles & Alexander F Skutch 1989 Comstock/ Cornell Press

 

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Another good one is the Guide to the Birds of Panama by Robert S. Ridgely & John A Gynne, Jr. 1989 Princeton University Press

 

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A book which has lots of information is: Costa Rican Natural History Edited by Daniel H. Janzen 1983 University of Chicago Press

 

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There's a small mammal guide: "Costa Rica Mammal Flip Chart" written & illustrated by Anthony Schmitz B. published by Educacion Ambiental in San Jose.

Anthony: You need to be careful using a tripod on the deck of any boat/ship, as vibration can be a serious problem. You can lessen the problem to some extent if you put the tripod on a rug, or some other firm padding (ie. ensolite pads)

 

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You will see wildlife from the ferry, but you probably won't be able to get good shots with the 80-200 + TC combination. The ferry won't provide you the opportunities to get close to critters that a smaller boat (charter or tour) would. For scenery, you will be fine with the 80-200, and some wider lens as well.

I like the photo. It is well composed, and Mark clearly stated that this is a bird in a rehabilitation center.....I appreciate his honesty in letting us know that this is a captive bird, Very nice work, Mark!