Frost, American Kestrel

Frost, American Kestrel.

One of the smallest avian ambassadors at the Teton Raptor Center is Frost, an American Kestrel. Kestrels are the smallest of the Falcons in North America, and males like Frost are smaller than the female counterparts. Frost was rescued after he was found frozen to a pole. He is such a great model and very interactive with folks when he comes out for his part of the educational program. For this image I used my Tamron 150-500mm Di III VC VXD lens on a Sony a9ii, Manual Exposure mode, f8, shutter speed of 1/500th of a second, ISO 200, Benro Supadupa monopod. #withmytamronmirrorless #withmytamron #tamron #tamronlenses #tamroncreates #TamronLensesUSA #TamronImageMaster #tamron150500 #BearWoodsPhotography #NatureInFocusPhotographyWorkshops #tamronzoom #supadupamonopod #Benro #wyoming #visitwyoming #wyomingwildlife #nature #tetonraptorcenter #birdsofinstagram #americankestrel

K2, the Eurasian Eagle Owl

K2, the Eurasian Eagle Owl.

Another avian ambassador at the Teton Raptor Center is their Eurasian Eagle Owl, K2. Owls like K2 are not native to the US and are not allowed to be released into the wild. They are mainly brought in, or bred here, for Falconers. We probably are very lucky that they aren’t in the wild. They hunt mammals as large as small deer, so they are incredible birds of prey. K2 is pretty laid back, and it is beautiful to see such a large owl up close. For this image I used my Tamron 150-500mm Di III VC VXD lens on a Sony a9ii, Manual Exposure mode, f8, 1/500th of a second shutter speed, ISO 250, Benro Supadupa monopod. #withmytamronmirrorless #withmytamron #tamron #tamronlenses #tamroncreates #TamronLensesUSA #TamronImageMaster #tamron150500 #BearWoodsPhotography #NatureInFocusPhotographyWorkshops #tamronzoom #supadupamonopod #Benro #wyoming #visitwyoming #wyomingwildlife #nature #tetonraptorcenter #birdsofinstagram #eurasianeagleowl #owlsofinstagram #owloftheday

Rider in the snow

Rider in the snow.
Ane is not only an incredible person, but such a great sport. She always agrees to ride for us, and inevitably it can be clear and calm, but as soon as she saddles up, it starts to snow and the wind picks up. This was near the beginning of our shoot with her. I zoomed out a little because I wanted to capture more of the environment as well, and the snowflakes falling around her. All I can say is thank you Ane, you are one of the reasons the Triangle X Ranch is my happy place. For this image I used my Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 Di III VXD lens on a Sony a9ii, Manual Exposure mode, f4, 1/500th of a second shutter speed, ISO 100, handheld. #tamroncreates #withmytamron #tamronzoom #TamronLensesUSA #tamron35150 #tamronusa #TamronImageMaster #BearWoodsPhotography #thejourney #trianglexranch #duderanch #visitwyoming #wyoming #NatureInFocusPhotographyWorkshops

Gus, the Golden Eagle

Gus, the Golden Eagle.
Gus is another one of the Teton Raptor Center avian ambassadors. I love hearing the oohs and aahhhs when the handlers walk out with Gus. He is just strikingly handsome. He is somewhat of a showoff too. The groups are amazed when they hear what Golden Eagles are capable of hunting. They are often confused with juvenile Bald Eagles, but they can easily be differentiated by the size and shape of the beak. The beak of the Bald Eagle is much larger. For this image I used my Tamron 150-500mm Di III VC VXD lens on a Sony a9ii, Manual Exposure mode, f8, shutter speed of 1/500th of a second, ISO 200, Benro Supadupa monopod. #withmytamronmirrorless #withmytamron #tamron #tamronlenses #tamroncreates #TamronLensesUSA #TamronImageMaster #tamron150500 #BearWoodsPhotography #NatureInFocusPhotographyWorkshops #tamronzoom #supadupamonopod #Benro #wyoming #visitwyoming #wyomingwildlife #nature #tetonraptorcenter #birdsofinstagram #eaglesofinstagram #goldeneagle

Hardeman, the Red-tailed Hawk

Hardeman, the Red-tailed Hawk.
One of the avian ambassadors at the Teton Raptor Center that I feel I have watched grow up is Hardeman, the Red-tailed Hawk. Hardeman is name after the land, more precisely the barn where the Teton Raptor Center is located. The Hardeman Barn is still standing and is actually being renovated, after it was moved, to stand for many more years. It will house the Education Center for programs once it is finished. The TRC has been working hard to finish all of the work they are doing to modernize the grounds, but it is great to see the old barn still there, and to see Hardeman each time we go. A fun fact we learned about Red-tailed Hawks, there eyes when they are young will be brown, and they change to yellow as they age. You can see how Hardeman’s eyes are still making that change. For this image I used my Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 Di III VXD lens on a Sony a9ii, Manual Exposure mode, f4, 1,250th of a second shutter speed, ISO 125, handheld. #tamroncreates #withmytamron #tamronzoom #TamronLensesUSA #tamron35150 #tamronusa #TamronImageMaster #BearWoodsPhotography #NatureInFocusPhotographyWorkshops #tetonraptorcenter #hardeman #redtailedhawk #wilsonwy #visitwyoming

The Tree

The Tree.
I have photographed this tree and others like it along the road to Kelly, WY for many years, and I will for many more. With just the right conditions it gives it such a simplistic composition. I like simplicity in my images. The less thinking the viewer has to do the better, and well the less I have to do to make the image the better too! For this image I used my Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 Di III VXD lens on a Sony a7Riii, Manual mode, f4, 1/250th of a second shutter speed, ISO 200, handheld using the IBIS of the camera. #tamroncreates #withmytamron #tamronzoom #TamronLensesUSA #tamron35150 #tamronusa #TamronImageMaster #BearWoodsPhotography #gtnp #grandtetonnationalpark #NatureInFocusPhotographyWorkshops #Wyoming #visitwyoming #gtnp #nature #simplicity

Separation in composition

Separation in composition.
When I am making an image I try very hard to pay attention to the elements within the frame. I wanted the Bison in the center to have space, separation, between it and the two framing it. I sat and waited as the Bison wandered through the grass and snow until the perfect time and then I released the shutter. I was only able to capture 2 frames before the Bison merged with one of the others. Timing it right with 3 moving animals is tough, but when it works, I feel like I have captured my vision for the image. For this image I used my Tamron 150-500mm Di III VC VXD lens on a Sony a9ii, Manual Exposure mode, f6.7, 1/125th of a second shutter speed, ISO 3200, handheld using the rental car door as a brace (vehicle turned off to reduce shake). #withmytamronmirrorless #withmytamron #tamron #tamronlenses #tamroncreates #TamronLensesUSA #TamronImageMaster #tamron150500 #BearWoodsPhotography #NatureInFocusPhotographyWorkshops #tamronzoom #bison #gtnp #americanwest #americanicons #bisonofinstagram #nature

The view from the Lodge at Triangle X Ranch

The view from the Lodge at Triangle X Ranch.
Could you imagine waking up, getting dressed, walking up to breakfast, and this be the view you have? This was our view the last morning of our workshop a couple weeks ago. The mountains had hidden themselves for a few days, but they were determined to say goodbye with style. We will be doing the workshop again next January, but only limited to 6 participants this time, and you really should join us! https://www.natureinfocusworkshops.com/photoworkshops/p/2023-winter-in-the-tetons-january-2-6-2023
For this image I used the new Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 Di III VXD lens on my Sony a7Riii, Manual mode, f8, 1/10th of a second shutter speed, ISO 100, tripod, Acratech Panoramic head. I am blown away at the sharpness of the lens! #tamroncreates #withmytamron #tamronzoom #TamronLensesUSA #tamron35150 #tamronusa #TamronImageMaster #BearWoodsPhotography #gtnp #grandtetonnationalpark #NatureInFocusPhotographyWorkshops #Acratech #Wyoming #visitwyoming #gtnp #nature #trianglexranch #bestduderanch

A Winter Drive

A Winter Drive.
One road that I can’t go down without stopping and photographing is between the Moran Junction Gate and Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton NP. When a fresh snow has dropped and the trees are coated as well as the road, it is just a perfect scene. I made this image with the new Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 Di III VXD lens. I haven’t done a post just about the lens, but I will soon. The lens is so incredibly sharp. There are some customizable features that I will do a video on soon as well. Simply put, this lens, even wide open at f2.8 is so sharp, it may be the sharpest lens I have ever used! #tamroncreates #withmytamron #tamronzoom #TamronLensesUSA #tamron35150 #tamronusa #TamronImageMaster #BearWoodsPhotography #gtnp #grandtetonnationalpark #NatureInFocusPhotographyWorkshops #Wyoming #visitwyoming #gtnp #nature

Backcountry Mules

Backcountry Mules.
During the peak of the season the Triangle X Ranch has guests who come to stay for a variety of activities, horseback riding, float trips, our photography workshops, and backcountry trips. For those trips to the backcountry they need to have dependable mules to get all the food and gear high into the wilderness. During the winter those mules and horses stay together at a local ranch. We were given the opportunity to go out one morning and photograph as they were being fed. The ranchers drive out and toss hay bales in a series of lines. The morning we went it was snowing pretty hard, but it added a very cool element to the images. You can see in the image how thick the fur is on the mules and horses. This day it was probably around 30 degrees and heavy snow. I used my Tamron 150-500mm Di III VC VXD lens on a Sony a9ii, Manual Exposure mode, f8, 1/250th of a second, ISO 800, Benro Supadupa monopod. #withmytamronmirrorless #withmytamron #tamron #tamronlenses #tamroncreates #TamronLensesUSA #TamronImageMaster #tamron150500 #BearWoodsPhotography #NatureInFocusPhotographyWorkshops #tamronzoom #supadupamonopod #Benro #barnowl #wyoming #visitwyoming #trianglexranch