RETROSPECTS 2023 - #1

Anvil clouds, Sage Creek Valley, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

As the year comes slowly but surely to an end I already look back and start analyzing what have been the best photography moments in 2023. During the short trip to Badlands National Park in early June I had definitely some good opportunities for wildlife and landscape shooting. These cumulonimbus incus, also called anvil clouds, moved towards the campsite rapidly, but the thunderstorm was mild and only little rain hit the ground. The bison trail in the grass leads the eye nicely along Sage Creek Valley and towards the clouds.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S,   @ 31 mm, 1/100 s, f/8, ISO 100, camera setting : Monochrome / red filter

HISTORY IMAGINED

Missouri River between Nebraska and South Dakota

It’s hard to believe that when someone travels across the fields, grasslands, and prairie here in the Midwest that there was only one valuable photo opportunity during the whole week. Sometimes things just don’t line up the way we photographers like…

Coming from Nebraska I crossed the Missouri River into South Dakota yesterday afternoon. Well, I guess it was photographers ”luck”, with not a single cloud in the sky (sigh!!!).

While standing there I imagined the time before the mass slaughtering of bison during the 1870s, long before this modern bridge was built, and bison crossed the shallow river at this place. Maybe the people that owned the land, the Native Americans who depended on hunting bison and lived along the Missouri River, may have enjoyed the same view from this hill above the river banks. Who knows?

Another historical moment happened already in late summer of 1804, when the famous Lewis and Clarke Expedition came up the river by boats during their journey to the Pacific Northwest. Their over 8000-mile expedition trip for the US government took two years, four month and ten days. When this expedition moved upstream, most of the difficulties were still laying ahead of them.

SPENDING TIME WITH BISON

American Bison, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

It’s all about knowing where to find them and predicting when the light is right for a photo of the iconic American Bison in Badlands National Park. However, once more I didn’t find the herd of female bison with their calves. I tried it since three years now but had again no luck to photograph new born calves with their mothers. It’s a big area and not every part is easy to access. Instead I took my chances to work with several of the big bison bulls that stay away from the herd at this time of the year. Some of them were testing their strength for the mating season already and displayed their pure power to each other by making all kinds of noise and even bumping heads occasionally.

There are different ways to tell the story about this majestic animal. Including the Badlands in the background, with early morning light touching both, animal and landscape, leaves no doubt about the presence of the bison out in the great plains. On the other hand a detail shot of the head gives an idea how powerful this wild animal is and a worn out horn gives evidence that many challenges are waiting in their daily life.

NO BADLANDS WITHOUT BISON

The question that came in was, why do you go back for more photography to an area you have been many times before (I was in the Badlands 8 times, Joan even more). After being six times in Badlands National Park, always in the fall and between 2005 and 2020, I just wanted to be there during spring time. Last year it was my first attempt. The story of spring can be told in many ways and making an image of a newborn bison calf is the photo I have in mind for this part of the season. While in autumn the herd of bison would always be around the Sage Creek Wilderness, near the campground we always stay. They are somewhere else in the backcountry during spring time. With other words, I have not seen or photographed a new born calf yet. Main reason is that during just one weekend you can’t hike into the backcountry with such a time limit.

Well, so how can we tell the story about spring with just a bison male in the frame? We saw many bison bulls , just by themselves or in small groups. It always amazes me, how can an animal eating nothing but grass and develop such a muscular body? And yes, there is power behind it. This is not just a grazing cow, bison can employ high speed if they feel threatened. Maintaining a safe distance to the critter is mandatory and it is the law! Even during my limited time out west over the years, I have seen some very, very stupid things people do just to get a snapshot of a bison. I can get excited talking about it…!!

So what else tells the story of spring? You probably have recognized the winter fur of the bison, shed off piece by piece. How do we get this all in one picture? First the eye of the bison bull had to be sharp. Blurry eye means, pic goes to the trash can. With a very narrow depth of focus (@ 600 mm, f/6.3), I figured out increasing local contrast on parts of the fur (which is not 100% in focus) may help to tell the story, while still keeping the focus point on the eye and horn of the bison. Not a perfect image of this resident out west, but I think the story of a male American Bison, roaming in the Badlands, at this time of the year, can be told.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S,   @ 600 mm, 1/1000 s, f/6.3, ISO 800

NOT ALL GOALS WERE REACHED

American Bison, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

I thought I need to fill you in a little more about my goals for the photography trip in Badlands National Park, South Dakota last weekend. After visiting the Badlands several times before over the last fifteen years during the fall season, it has been a long desire to do the same during spring, at a time when vegetation renews and birds and critters have nothing else in mind than mating and display themselves in the best way they can.

American Bison mate in August and September and the calves are born after 285 days. The desire to visit the Badlands in spring was fueled by the idea to photograph newborn calves and their mothers. We always have seen the herd with females and their offspring in and around the Sage Creek Valley in the Badlands. Well, this time was different. While I have watched dozens of bison bulls, either solitary or in small groups, I wasn’t able to find the maternal herd. Not a single female or calve came in sight. Badlands National Park is not a small area and they probably found a remote valley where they give birth and nurture the newborn calves. I talked to another hiker and he gave me a hint where the herd might be, but this was too far away for a hike with the small amount of time I had on hand last weekend.

That’s the way it is with wildlife photography. Sometimes all stars line up perfectly and another time we get skunked and have to look for other photo opportunities. The Badlands have plenty of wildlife and there was a lot to do and who doesn’t like a close-up shot of a big bison bull? 😉

THE BISON BELOW

American Bison, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, September 2020

You can tell, this bison has fought a few battles during the mating season, which takes place from late July to August. I was actually looking for some Mule Deer near a trailhead in Roosevelt National Park when suddenly this bull showed up. He disappeared into a small canyon and this allowed me to place the tripod near the edge and make a few clicks from above of the grazing bison. Keeping a safe distance to these large animals is important, not just during the mating season, and no photo is worth risking the life of an animal or your own.

OUT WEST #5

Wallowing bison, Badlands, South Dakota

Back in “basecamp” at home and after a few days of business related travel, I like to continue my little photo series about our trip to South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana in September.

There are pictures in my mind I would like to shoot and I know some ideas may never materialize, for some others we may come close to our ideas, and ones in a while things unfold in front of us, just the way we have imagined a long time ago. This is one of those shots for me, an American Bison wallowing in the dust of the Badlands, South Dakota. When bisons roamed by the million in the prairies of the west and midwest a scene like this was surely nothing worth noting, it happened all the time. The dust clouds were probably a good indicator where single male bison were located and helped the native people of the region to hunt them.

The dust, the flying grass, and most important the sharp eye and horn as an anchor in this photo, make for great story telling. The photo was made about mid morning, the light was still decent, and the colors are warm. I still decided to make this photo monochrome, better said black & white. Why? Well, I had this picture in my mind a very long time ago….

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, @390 mm, 1/2000 s, f/6.3, ISO 320

OUT WEST #2

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

The landscape of the Badlands in South Dakota is unique and has pulled me into fascination for the fourth time during the last thirteen years. As a child I was reading books about the Prairie Indians that used to live in these vast areas out west and were brutally bereaved from their living basis, the roaming bisons of the prairie, by military and the unrelenting pressure of European settlers heading west.

For some people it may look like a moonscape but the Badlands are full of life and any time we come out here we discover more of the beauty and nurture our love for this beautiful piece of land. It is a photographers paradise and the change of light and abundance of wildlife make for constant changes of lenses, at least if you only employ one camera…

BIG BOY IN THE MORNING

Many people come to Custer State Park in the Black Hills for the bison. In the fall the majority of the herd is round up and the bison are kept in a large fenced area. This is done to maintain the health and size of the herd and some animals are sold. We were told that this is the biggest spectacle every year and ten thousands of people come to Custer State Park to see the round up. Today many of the about 250,000 bison that live in other herds across the US and Canada have their origins in the herd from Custer. Some bison still roam free after the round up and we saw mostly solitary bulls or smaller groups.

One morning we came across this big bull and with a photo opportunity like this, it is very easy to get carried away and end up with tons of images on the memory card. After making the usual “safety shots” we really worked this guy with our cameras. The light was good and we waited for some extra gestures a bison bull has in its portfolio. As you can see we were not disappointed… 😊

TRAVELS THROUGH THE DAKOTAS

Bison at sunset - Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Hello everyone! Yes, we are back from a 19 days long vacation trip in the Dakotas. We explored the grasslands, wilderness, and mountains of South and North Dakota this time. There were plenty of opportunities to see and watch wildlife and many stunning moments while visiting beautiful landscapes. Most of the time we pitched our little tent right where the action takes place, where the light unfolds, and where the only sound you may hear at night is the howling of the coyotes or the hooting of an owl. Of course, a “few” clicks were made along the roads and trails, and if this stirred up your interest, please stay tuned during the next weeks. 😊