huff 'n puff

Gallery: WildlifePosted November 10, 2011393 views9 comments

Moose photographer's paradise. That's the Gros Ventre campground at the southern end of Teton National Park. We park our RV there for a week or so in the fall to watch the moose jockey for position for breeding rights. This year there were quite a few roaming around (until an over-aggressive photographer chased them off). There were photographers everywhere; you can watch the moose throughout the area, including along and/or in the river. On this chilly morning in October, even the moose were huffin'. This was the largest male I encountered on this trip. He was BIG!

Nikon D300; Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII
1/180sec; f/2.8; 140mm

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Tonia Graves on November 10, 2011 at 1:05 PM

Margaret, this guy is impressive! I may have been nervous to be that close to it! I love the dust that the moose kicked up, it adds a sense of action to the scene. Too bad about the bad-mannered photographer though... too bad the moose didn't give them a scare!

Registered on October 29, 2011, 92 Posts, 1035 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on November 10, 2011 at 8:49 PM

Very fine moose action photo!! I like that you caught him with one hoof up and off the ground, as well as the dust he was kicking up. Good detail in the moose's body. If you could darken the OOF grass if the FG I think it would help focus viewers on the moose. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Margaret Summers on November 10, 2011 at 9:21 PM

Bill, Teton National Park is in the NW corner of Wyoming, just south of Yellowstone. You can visit both parks pretty easily, as they are connected by a national reserve area. This campground is only about 8-10 miles north of Jackson, WY. Hope you get there.

BTW, the "dust" in the photo is the moose's breath. It was cold that morning!

Registered on May 24, 2011, 54 Posts, 99 Comments

Comment posted by Bruce Painter on November 11, 2011 at 2:35 AM

Good catch on a nice bull. I love the breath and also the sun is hitting the yellow trees in the background. It would have been nice to either have the bull a little farther left or you shooting from a little farther right so that the antler did not intersect the larger group of trees but that is a minor thing for me. I just think it would separate them and show off that rack even better.

Bruce

Registered on May 11, 2006, 50 Posts, 207 Comments

Comment posted by Rohn B. McKee on November 11, 2011 at 3:56 AM

Excellent capture, color and jesture. Really like your photo.
I was there last night found 5 bulls with one cow.

Registered on November 18, 2008, 109 Posts, 415 Comments

Comment posted by Roman Kurywczak on November 11, 2011 at 9:14 PM

Hi Margaret,
I love the action pose but to me the breath seems a bit bright. Did you try toningit down a touch? I think that would make this shine!

Registered on November 20, 2009, 56 Posts, 748 Comments

Comment posted by Oscar Benavides on November 12, 2011 at 6:33 AM

Nice bull. Good detail and beautiful background colors. I would like to visit this area in Autumn.

Oscar

Registered on January 2, 2011, 12 Posts, 141 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on November 12, 2011 at 6:20 PM

Awesome moose image Margaret. Lovely habitat, great bull and the visible breath is a bonus. I might be tempted to darken the entire image just a tad. A catchlight would have really put this over the top, we can wish right?!

(Sorry to hear about the aggressive photographer, so disappointing when this happens).

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on November 14, 2011 at 8:39 AM

Love the light and the breath. Like the fall colors throughout the scene as well.

Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments