As I have said before; “May is my favorite month in Yellowstone National Park,” but I’ll add that my birthday trip tends to be the best trip of the year. In 2011 that was not the case, but the trip did yield some very good images. As the weather is warming there tends to be significantly more visitors in the park, and many of them have bears on the mind. If you have not figured this out yet, I also normally have birds on the mind.
A sow Grizzly Bear uses a log bridge to cross over the water on a warm May morning near Grizzly Lake trailhead in Yellowstone National Park. Captured with a Canon 7D with 500/4.0L IS in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of +1/3 at ISO200, f/7.1, and 1/400th of a second. The camera was mounted on a Gitzo 3540XLS and Induro GHB2 gimbal head with custom long lens support.
A sow Grizzly Bear eyes a bird on a warm May morning near Grizzly Lake trailhead in Yellowstone National Park. Captured with a Canon 7D with 500/4.0L IS in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of +1/3 at ISO200, f/7.1, and 1/640th of a second. The camera was mounted on a Gitzo 3540XLS and Induro GHB2 gimbal head with custom long lens support.
A male Mountain Bluebird enjoys the bounty of a spring hatch on a snow bank that still holds tight to Pebble Creek on a cloudy May afternoon in Yellowstone National Park. Captured with a Canon 7D with 500/4.0L IS + 1.4TC III in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of +2 at ISO400, f/7.1, and 1/1250th of a second. The camera was mounted on a Gitzo 3540XLS and Induro GHB2 gimbal head with custom long lens support.
An Eared Grebe inspects a feather that it had just plucked from its body while spending a lazy May afternoon on Rainy Lake in Yellowstone National Park. Captured with a Canon 7D with 500/4.0L IS + 1.4TC III in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of +1/3 at ISO400, f/7.1, and 1/200th of a second. The camera was mounted on a Gitzo 3540XLS and Induro GHB2 gimbal head.
A mating pair of American Kestrel keep a look out on a rainy/snow day in May near Specimen Ridge in Yellowstone National Park. Captured with a Canon 7D with 500/4.0L IS in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of +1 at ISO800, f/4.0, and 1/125th of a second. The camera was mounted resting on a beanbag.
A male Harlequin Duck rests along LeHardy Rapid on the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. Captured with a Canon 7D with 500/4.0L IS + 1.4TC III in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of 0 at ISO100, f/22, and 1/13th of a second. The camera was mounted on a Gitzo 3540XLS and Induro GHB2 gimbal head with custom long lens support.
A female Hairy Woodpecker searches for insects on a warm May morning near Grizzly Lake trailhead in Yellowstone National Park. Captured with a Canon 7D with 500/4.0L IS + 1.4TC III in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of +1/3 at ISO200, f/7.1, and 1/500th of a second. The camera was mounted on a Gitzo 3540XLS and Induro GHB2 gimbal head with custom long lens support.
The sun rises as three days of rain/snow give way to better days and the magical light reflects off of a seasonal pond along Specimen Ridge in Yellowstone National Park. Captured with a Canon 5D II with 70-200/2.8L IS II in aperture priority mode with an exposure bias of -1/3 at ISO200, f/4.0, and 1/250th of a second. The camera was resting on a beanbag.
