Tag Archives: Pennsylvania Elk

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.

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.

DSC_4029-2

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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

Eat Up!

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Last Tuesday evening, our first evening on the elk range, provided a lot of action for us. We saw quite a few bulls that night and they were bugling, fighting for breeding rights, and grazing. It was a beautiful sight!

At one point, this young bull came out of the woods where he had been lying down and resting. He proceeded to graze in the tall, green grass not far from me. I quickly panned my camera on my tripod to his location and shot a series of  photos. This is one of the best ones I captured.

Young Bull Eating Grass

Rescued Elk Doing Well

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The bull which was rescued from the swing at the old Benezette School is doing well. We saw him last week on Thursday and he was hanging around with a spike bull. He looked healthy and seemed to be doing just fine. I suppose he took his place with a spike bull because he knows he cannot compete with the bigger bulls, especially with only one antler. Or maybe his head is just a little lopsided, which has kept him off his game so far. Either way, it was nice to see him in the wild and doing well. This was an amazing story and so far this rescued bull seems no less for the wear, not counting the removed antler. Here are two photos I captured of him last Thursday.

Rescued Bull Update #1-1 Rescued Bull Update #1-2

Tough Lighting Conditions

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What do you do when the lighting conditions are extremely challenging when you are out with your camera?

It seems to me there are at least three choices you can decide on:

  1. Complain about all the great shots you are missing
  2. Quit altogether and go home
  3. Keep trying and see what happens

Fortunately for me, I decided on the third choice this past week when I was on the elk range. My good friend and photography colleague, Dick McCreight, had a big part in this important decision. You see, when you are out photographing with someone else, they can spur you on and keep you working even in tough conditions. Yes, I complained a little about the tough lighting conditions and the problem I had focusing on the elk, but working with Dick helped motivate me to keep at it. I am very glad I did, too.

Here is one example of how “keep trying and see what happens” can turn out to be the best decision a photographer could make.

Bull in the Fog