Jake Peterson’s Blog

For some time now i have seen images produced from a ranch down in Texas. Now i get to find out how this images are acquired. A while back as the summer was getting planned out, Dad invited me to come to Texas with him to photograph these marvelous birds. Yesterday was the first day of shooting out of the blinds, with a morning blind and an afternoon blind. These birds were out of the afternoon shoot. The morning shoot was good, mostly shooting the Crested Caracara’s but i didn’t have anything that i really wanted to blog.

This afternoon blinded produced so many good birds that i have never photographed before. From thrashers to jays to cardinals we had so much to work with. Of course nothing stayed for to long they kept coming and going but we had our options. The Curve-billed and Long-billed Thrasher were too of the most interesting, Long-billed being up above. The Curve kept feeding a juvenile thrasher that was there and the Long-billed took a bath in the pond. They were a lot of fun to work with except for when the male thrasher would chase away the Green Jays. The Green Jays are so cool, if you didn’t know what the bird was, by its color alone it would never be considered a jay.

If the Jays weren’t enough fun this little guy was. A male and female Pyrrhuloxia came by. They didn’t stay long but i was able to get a couple shots off of the female. May not be as colorful as the Green Jays but i liked the shot so i thought i’d blog it. It was a great afternoon and i can’t wait for the next blind.

Images captures with D3, 600f4, TC-14E, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

No butts about it, its the end. That’s right  Base Camp Black Hills is over and that means that summer is flying by already. I knew it would be but i never can get used to it happening. This was one great week. Dad and I met some real nice people, burnt some great pixels and even managed to add a couple new species to our files. Doesn’t get much better than that it.  I look forward to our next trip and the fun that ensues.

Today was the last day of shooting here in the Black Hills. The week ended kinda like it started, with a drive around the wildlife loop. The great thing about this loop is the fence line that plays host to a number of bird species that we have been fortunate to play with this week. The Meadowlark and Mountain Blue Birds were definitely one of the more enjoyable subjects to play with. The Meadowlarks have such a color that cannot be missed nor should it be ignored.

Later down the road we found the Pronghorn and Bison that the park is just known for having. This trip showed just how much fun it was to get big game in the eye of the long glass. Especailly the Pronghorn, before this trip i had no great archive of shots, now i do. It amazes me how one week of shooting this species can be so moving. There’s more to shoot and far more to see but not this trip.

Images captures with D2Hs, 600f4, TC-14E, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Another day and another 5 am wake up call. I truly can’t complain because Dad does most of the driving and i really just sleep in the car. We headed to Mt. Rushmore one of those places you just have to go to at some point. For me it was my fifth or sixth time there. The other reason, the more important one, is that the Mountain Goats hang out on the rocks and forest area around the monument and we were hopeful that they would show up for us to photograph. They didn’t, kinda sucks, but on to more fun. In this case, Breakfast! Can’t complain with a warm meal in the morning. After a good meal is of course the best part going to a Prairie Dog town. These guys are a joy to photograph mostly because they have so many gestures to try and capture. You can’t help to smile while shooting them, potentially gonna go deaf from the alarm calls they make, but smiling.

We continued down the road from the Prairie Dog Town and searched for the Big Boy Bison males that can be found in the grasslands of the area. We found them, wasn’t too hard they stick out. They sky unfortunately kinda sucked. The light was great a soft overcast kinda light but the clouds could have been better. Of course if the clouds were better than most loikely the light would have sucked making for another issue, so for the seneraio at the end of the lens barrel it was a afternoon. An interesting going from photographing critters that are 8lbs to critters that are 800lbs. Too much fun, unfortunately all good things most come to an end thus tomorrow is the last day of Base Camp and i can’t wait to see what’s gonna happen!

Images captures with D2Hs, 600f4, TC-14E, 70-300AF-S VR(Bison)on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

This morning we awoke at a lovely 3am. That’s right we woke up a long time before any person ever really wants to, but it was necessary in order to get to Badlands before sunrise. Sunrise was spectacular or at least as much as i saw of it. As much as i tried my eyes wouldn’t stay open and thus i slept through sunrise. Heck i’m writing this blog right now and my eyes wanna close. Well after the hour of lovely color we went up the road and saw the first Bighorn sheep of the day. They didn’t stick around so we did what any photographer does, went and got food. We came back after breakfast and there they were four Ewes and two lambs.

These guys were so incredibly cute. They were like any newborn, explorative. They climbed the walls of the canyon and hopped from one rock to another. They even played with each other a little bit. We spent three and a half hours photogrpahing the interactions between the moms and the kids. It’s a rare thing to find lambs so cooperative, so to get so much time with them is a real treat.

Images captures with D2Hs, 600f4, TC-14,on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Today was day two here at Base Camp South Dakota and it was another great one. The day began with one of the creatures that really makes this place what it is, the Bison. Spring calf’s and their mom’s and big heard of them moving through. Early morning light combined with dark coats made for some great shots. These little guys are so much fn to play with because of their expressions. They are cute and playful everything one might expect from a newly born.

After the couple hours with the Bison we headed back down the wildlife loop towards the fence. Dad and myself got out our big lenses expecting to find the birds that perch on the posts and the wire. There is one sound that is truly captivating out here and that is the sound of the meadowlark. Their call can be heard every morning and it never seems to get old. It can’t be seen here but the chest is a vibrant yellow that stands way out. The combination of there posing and the colors make for some great opportunities.

After a great morning we went back to our rooms for some downloading, cleaning of gear and of course sleep before our nest classroom sesion. This one was on flash technique a very important issue that is a must for every photographer;  for me personnally a lot i don’t know and need to learn about. After the session we headed back out to the park to the afternoon shoot. One of the best critters in custer is the Pronghorn. There are so many different ways to shoot them, which makes them so versatile. This time the male came right up to us and thus we were able to capture some great portrait shots. This is one of my weaker ones just to give u an idea of how close they got. The day ended with a beautiful show by an Eastern Kingbird that excited the both of us, but will have to wait till tomorrow to see.

Images captures with D2Hs, 600f4, TC-14E, 70-300AF-S VR(Bison)on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Today was the first day of Base Camp South Dakota. It was an excellent day. Dad, myself and the three participants are out in Custer State Park discovering the wonders of what makes this place so magnificent. This morning we were enjoying the delights of the Mountain Bluebirds on the fence posts that run along side the road. It’s mating time and the males are displaying for the females, how many of us have said those words. They proved to be a particular challenge for me, having to hand hold the 6oo out the vehicle window is not something im very good at, yet.

The morning winded down with the light getting to harsh for any good opportunities, which meant getting into the classroom for some learning. After a few hours in the classroom we went out looking for the Bighorn Sheep that inhabit these hills. We got so incredibly lucky and found a ram group of six rams! Now if you have been to my blog before then you know that i shoot a lot of sheep, it’s true i do enjoy photographing them, and I’m not alone in that feeling. Dad loves shooting them too, safe to say more so than myself. These bug guys were right next to the highway which poses two problems; one, the cars going by us with tripods and big lens out and two, people tend to stop. The group had to maneuver around the trees while staying off the road. not always easy but definitely worth it. This was one of my worst shots that i captured in those two hours.

After the amazing couple of hours with the sheep we wiggled down the road to the wildlife loop looking for critters in the dying sunlight. We found the usual pronghorn doing exactly what they do, grazing. The sun was getting low and this nice male tee’d up perfectly on the hillside for us to shoot. Along with him were six females grazing a little lower down but still in good range. The day ended perfectly with great shooting in the evening just like the morning, and this was day one! Stay tuned for more.

Images captures with D2Hs, 600f4, TC-14E, 70-300AF-S VR(Pronghorn) on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

After an exciting and enjoyable morning shoot at Mono Lake, the three of us continued the Pt by driving up to Tioga Pass, which isn’t open all the way, but was open up to Tioga Lake. By my favorite fishing hole at Tioga is a rock face that is full of Pika’s, Belding’s Ground Squirrels and Yellow-bellied Marmots.

The trick with these guys is getting into a position to photograph them. The marmots live on a hillside where any vibration is heard, so when we moved they would duck inside a rock crack or somewhere unseen. When they aren’t up we can get into postion and then wait for them to come back out. It didn’t take long for them to get used to us especially this big guy that sun bathed and cleaned himself for an hour. Although rather lethargic they were fun to photograph. They were a nice treat to end the day on.

Images captures with D2Hs, 600f4, TC-14E, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

This past Monday i was home relaxing after the long drive from Montana. My Dad came up to me and said that he had a Pt on Tuesday and Wednesday that they were going out shooting and that he wanted me to come along. Naturally i said yes and went with them down to Mono Lake. The intent was to find Gulls to work on proper panning technique but due Cal Trans we were unable to go to the proper location and thus to another place. It turned out to be a good thing because the location we went to was great for Violet Backed Swallows and California Gulls.

There were three Gulls that looked like they were playing in the mud but in reality were forcing some kind of small insect or crustacean up from the sand. They provided some rather interesting entertain, needless to say they were very amusing.

The morning ended there at Mono Lake with this little guy. A Green Tailed Towhee was hanging around the tufas calling for a mate. Dad and I were both interested in him, and althought this may not be the best of shots it is the first of this species in my files.

Images captures with D2Hs, 600f4, TC-14E, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film

Another school year over and another drive home to make. These were the words that i had in my head when i stated driving back to Mammoth this past Saturday. It was a great semester and an even better year. The drive home is always a long one, with a six hour drive to Salt Lake and another nine to Mammoth. A couple years back my Dad told me of a place outside Salt Lake called Bear River Wildlife Refuge. This past January i went through and had some fun with the Bald Eagles, this time around i was hoping for a few other species. My luck seemed to hold out because there was a rather good variety of waterfowl and shore birds around.

Cliff Swallows were everywhere trying to nap up all the bugs that i was trying to avoid not running into with my truck. Western and Clark’s Grebe proved to be challenging and entertaining, alas no good shots were obtained. White-faced Ibis were everywhere in the marshes except in front of my lens, don’t ya hate that. Well it was late in the afternoon and i was running out of road. A short distance before the entrance of the route was a marsh that had a good number of Black-necked Stilt’s. The light was good and the subjects un-caring about me so i went about shooting them.

I had been seeing American Avocets around throughout the place and was hoping for a chance to shoot them too. Thankfully for a few seconds one flew into the marsh pocket that i was at and i was able to snatch a couple of shots. He didn’t last long the Stilts kinda forced him to leave. In the end i spent about five hours at the refuge and had to finish the drive the next day. Hurray for summer and more shooting to come.

Images captures with D2Hs, 600f4, TC-14E, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film