Category Archives: Pennsylvania Elk

Upcoming PA Elk Photography Experience

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Do you ever dream of being close to wildlife and taking photographs of wild animals?

If you do, then this trip is definitely for you! Dick McCreight and I have led wildlife photo trips for several years now and we can guarantee you will learn more about photography and wildlife, see some amazing sites, and have a great time! I saw a lot of elk this year and just this week saw some tremendous bulls and quite a few calves still with spots. The bulls are beginning to shed their velvet, which means the breeding season is right around the corner! Once the rut is in full swing, you can expect the bulls to put on an incredible display! They will be jostling for breeding rights by bugling, sparring, marking their territory, and rounding up their harems. It is my favorite time of the year to be sure!

Learning how to be a better photographer is easier if you don’t do it alone. I am always amazed at how much knowledge is shared between photographer on each of our photo trips. It is nothing short of amazing. For example, sometimes we come back to camp after  along shoot, open up our laptops to upload our photos, and then sit there and compare notes with each other. It is truly an educational experience. The best part, of course, is being out on the elk range photographing the elk. In my 20 years of finding, observing, and photographing the elk I see many wonderful sights. I’ve learned where the elk are likely to be found and know a lot more about their behavior than I did 19 years ago.

If you dream  of capturing the PA elk with  your camera, then this trip is one you should consider. We have two different “experiences” or photo trips. The Fall Rut Trip this September 27-30th and the Winter Experience February 21-24th. You can find out more information about these unique photo trips here. Join us for one of these photo trips for an experience of a lifetime!

Pennsylvania Elk

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I am just back from a week of vacation and another short trip away to the beautiful mountains of Elk County, Pennsylvania. Man, I love the mountains! There is no other placed I’d rather go.

My son, James, and I had a few days to get away since he is in-between baseball seasons. I tease my friends and relatives that I am a glorified taxi driver who doesn’t even get tips! Yes, we are busy, busy, busy, but I’d be bored otherwise, so I only complain in jest. Anyway, we had a few days to get away and it rained about half the time! This didn’t deter us though. We photographed two nice bulls in a steady rain. The bulls didn’t seem to mind us or the rain!

Here are some photos from our trip this week. You can see more of the photos I captured of the PA Elk here.

I hope you enjoy the elk photos because I sure had fun this week!

-Bob
bob@bobshankphotography.com
www.bobshankphotography.com
www.perfectgamephotos.com

Just Returned from a Great Trip!

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We are just back from our PA Elk Photo Experience and we had a great time! There was lots and lots of snow, but we also saw lots and lots of elk! In fact, in the first two days we saw over 100 elk on both days! It was fantastic!

We arrived on the elk range last Wednesday, snowplowed the driveway into our camp, and unloaded my truck. Then we went out looking for elk. It didn’t take long before we saw a large herd of elk, mostly cows and a few spikes. On Thursday, late in the afternoon, we saw 5 very nice bulls, which allowed  us to photograph them for about 45 minutes before they moved on. They were feeding on pine trees and put on quite a show while we kept pressing the shutter release button!

I posted a few photos from our trip here below and will upload a slide show onto my website later tonight.

Pennsylvania Elk Photography Experience

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Just today a newspaper article in The Morning Call featured our Pennsylvania Elk Photography Experience. You can read the article here. This article includes some photographs of the elk taken by my colleague and friend, Dick McCreight.

We enjoy leading these photography experiences and always enjoy being out with our cameras and teaching. There is still time to sign up so consider joining us on an upcoming trip. You can find more information here.

Catching Up

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The Christmas and New Year’s holidays along with some time away on vacation have kept me away from my blog. I am slowly catching up and enjoying every minute of it!

Time spent with family and friends are always welcome by me and when accompanied by special holidays and vacations how can one not be happy?

We did spend some in Elk County and saw 8 elk–all bulls! It was snowy and cold and not ideal for photography, but it was fun to be on the mountain again. The elk sure are beautiful creatures!

Oh yeah, and watch for this coming Sunday’s edition of The Morning Call newspaper for an article about “Pennsylvania Elk Photography Experiences.” I was interviewed on New Year’s Day by the reporter, Diane. We talked for almost an hour and a half! I thoroughly enjoyed answering her questions and am looking forward to seeing the article myself.

Much more to come soon!

2010 Pennsylvania Elk Calendars Now Available

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How would you like to see the majestic Pennsylvania elk every month of the year?

Many of us enjoy getting to see the elk firsthand, but we just do not have the time to make trips to the elk range often enough. The mountains beckon but we cannot always heed their call.

Enter the 2010 PA Elk Calendar. This calendar features photographs I took of the elk and there is one for every month of the year plus another photo on the cover. You can see the photographs I included by going to my website. You can also order a calendar if you so desire.

I enjoyed the process of selecting the photographs for this calendar, but it was not easy narrowing down the final selections. Take a look for yourself and let me know what you think of this elk calendar.

Up to My Eyeballs in Elk Photos

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I am up to my eyeballs in elk photos and I love it!

I am currently working on a project that I am hoping to unveil later this month. I have been looking back over my elk photographs and this exercise alone has been a wonderful experience. Sure, I see some old photographs that I hope will never see the light of day, but I also see a progression of my photography technique and how it has improved over the years.

Looking back through these photographs took my mind back to many times spent up on the elk range. It really is a beautiful place, like none other. And as I am known to repeat, “There is no place like the mountains!”

I don’t just say it, I believe it. We live on Effort Mountain in the beautiful Poconos of northeast Pennsylvania. Our elevation here is actually a bit higher than Winslow Hill. We do get a decent amount of snow each year, but nowhere near the amount Elk County receives. And there are no elk here in the Poconos.

So, short of driving the 3-hour trip to my favorite spot in the world, I am left looking through photographs taken while I was there in the past. I see the photos and can almost re-live many of the moments I snapped those photos. It is amazing how my mind can go back and recall specific details just from these photographs!

I will keep sifting through these photos, two of which I posted here for you see.

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My Most Viewed Photos of the Year

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Elk Rescue img19_large1

I continue to be amazed at the attention received on the bull elk rescue that I photographed back on August 20th. Some of my photos of this incident appeared in numerous newspapers and web pages. And my blog entry on this story has been the most popular by far. It just goes to show that being in the right place at the right time is half the battle.

The story in and of itself is quite amazing. The bull got his antlers caught in a swing set and the Game Commission did a superb job at rescuing this struggling elk. Without their excellent efforts there is no doubt in my mind that this bull would not have survived. The Game Commission personnel, Doty McDowell and Mark Gritzer deserve all the credit and kudos in the world. Their calm, deliberate actions saved this bull elk. I was just fortunate to witness this incredible event and have my camera aimed in the direction of all the action!

Pennsylvania Elk

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I was there three weeks ago and I am already mountain sick–which is my term for being home sick for the mountains. I just cannot get enough of the mountains or the majestic Pennsylvania elk.

Fortunately, other photographers and nature lovers feel the same way. There are several blogs that are definitely worth looking at. They feature some amazing elk photos, some video which includes the thrilling sound of bulls bugling, and lots of information about the elk culture. Here are some links that I hope you enjoy:

Williard Hill

Brad Myers

Shane Myers

Coy Hill

Dick McCreight

James Shank

Elk Scenic Drive

Framing

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What do you think about the technique of framing your subject by something in the scene, like a tree limb?

Framing is a technique that’s been around for many years. Some people like it and some don’t. Usually, as in the photo below, the object doing the framing is out of focus. This allows the subject to remain prominent. The idea is to use a natural object to provide a frame around the main subject.

Those who don’t like it content that it makes the photo “busy” thus drawing attention away from the main subject.

Take a look at the photo below and decide what you think. Is framing something that provides some creativity to a shot or is it just busy? Framing can provide some interesting photos in my humble opinion, but hey photography is art so just because I like using this technique doesn’t mean you will.

Framed Bull