Imagine three days of Wildlife and Landscape photography in Grand Teton National Park during the best month of the year–September!
My name is Bob Gibson. I will be teaching landscape and wildlife photography this September in Grand Teton National Park.
As I get ready for this PhotoMasters Workshop designed for DSLR photographers — I thought you might like to join me while I prepare for my favorite photography tour of the year.
Why am I so excited? Well, first of all, the Teton Mountain Range just north of Jackson Hole, Wyoming offers the most
dramatic photographic scenery in America. The famous
“Cathedral Group” of Tetons rise abruptly to 13,000 above a valley floor with no foothills to block the view. Add the swiftly cascading Snake River, lush green meadows, mountain lakes, forests of white Aspens that are in golden leaf change– and you have the most iconic backdrops for photos of Elk, Bison, Pronghorn and Moose.
Equally inspiring, is the weather of late September
when mornings can be invigorating and the skies deep blue or stormy.
Every day brings new surprises ranging from sunshine to first snows. Dozens of amazing scenic vistas within Grand Teton National Park are located within a safe and easy 20 minute drive—creating a “low risk/high return” adventure. Grand Teton Park is so close to the resort town of Jackson Hole–a destination in itself, with great restaurants, art galleries and watering holes, a cowboy spirit, and the nation’s largest Elk Refuge.
During September, Stags and their harems make their journey from mid-mountain to the valley just ahead of the big winter snows. We will hear
them bellow in the distance while we shoot at nearly all locations.
With a little luck, we will view them as well as herds of Pronghorn marching out of the woods and across the meadows to drink along the many ponds and marshes near the Snake River.
How does a photographer dress for such conditions?
Comfortable waterproof hiking boots are essential for tramping through light snow, the rocky river bars of the Snake River, and the short forest trails in the Jackson Hole valley.
Most of the great photo locations require a short hike of half a mile or less. The temperature at dawn can be in the 20’s. Then again, an Indian summer afternoon can raise temps into the 70’s. The best dressing strategy is layers, thermal undergarments, down pants and jacket, scarf and touke. I keep outdoor field adventures to a total of three or four hours and we change locations two or three times —so folks have a chance to warm up in their car between shooting treks. Rest facilities are never far.
What about Grizzly Bears? Grizzly Bears are more common a few hours north in Yellowstone National Park.
In Grand Teton National Park, its more common to see Black Bears eating the huckleberries in the bushes above the upper park loop road. Most often, a bear’s presence is signaled by a long line of cars and a group of park rangers standing between bear and tourists. Being in a group of photographers and staying on open trails is very safe.
We carry bear spray and keep snacks wrapped and locked in the cars.
How would I describe a typical day of shooting? We meet at Jackson Town Center at 6:30 am, drive 20 minutes north of town in a car caravan to Schwabacher Landing and Oxbow Bend, where we compose landscape images of Alpenglow lit peaks mirrored in the Snake River. You will be taught to use your tripod and filter sets to create wonderful fine art long exposures. After a rest break we hike short distances seeking moose feeding at the water’s edge. Rest facilities are nearby, and our small group always stays together when trekking in the woods.
On the road back to Jackson Hole, we stop at the Mormon Barns and the Snake River Overlook, The sun is now streaming through the clouds, the barns, and the mountain peaks, sending bands of golden light over the entire valley. The famous Mormon Row was first settled in the 1880’s have been photographed many times in recent times. We will have a fun lesson and group challenge in being creative and finding refreshing new angles of this familiar scene.
By 11:00am we are “back in town” and enjoying brunch of in one of Jackson Hole’s many outstanding bakeries. I am thinking about steaming hot Cinnamon Buns thick slices of hickory bacon and a fluffy western omelet!
Later in the afternoon, at 3:00, we will meet in the hotel fireplace/bar at The Lodge in Jackson to review your best images and to apply some suggested Lightoom enhancements. I will show you the tricks I use to make my photos standout, and will help you learn these while enhancing your morning images. By five we will be enjoying each other’s unique photographic styles and celebrating our successful images with a glass of wine.
What equipment should you bring? For wildlife photography, you should bring a tripod , a 300mm to 600mm telephoto and a backpack you can carry them with.
For landscapes, you should bring a wide angle lens 14mm-to 50mm, and a filter holder with a neutral density graduated filter and a “little stopper” ND filter. You may bring a cable release or intervelometer if you desire, but the exposures we will be taking will only vary from 1 second to 30 seconds, so that you will not have to use the bulb setting which requires this extra equipment.
If the weather treats us with a crystal clear night, you can choose to join me for a night shoot to capture the Milky Way. September’s new moon is on the 18th, and we will enjoy a waxing crescent the 19-22 visible at sunset, and setting well before midnight.
If so, I suggest you bring either a flashlight fixed with a red film cover, or one of the photographer’s headlamps that have a red light setting.
What’s my significant other going to do while I indulge my photography hobby all day? Well, I hope he or she will join us! I don’t charge extra for your companion, because I believe the experiences are so awesome and should be shared! Even with a cell phone, they will obtain the photos of a lifetime in Grand Teton National Park!
If you would like to know more about this workshop, I invite you to email your questions to me at rjg@rjgibson.com
