The Moment Before the Click | a 7 Image Story

Jul 26, 2020 | 7 Image Stories, AF 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR, AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED, AF-S DX 12-24mm f4G IF ED, AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f3.5-5.6G IF-ED, Badlands, Gallatin River Ranch, Grand Tetons, Michigan, Nature, Nikon D200, Nikon D300, Nikon D3x, Platte River, The Moment Before the Click, Yellowstone

The Moment Before the Click | a 7 Image Story   When photographing landscapes in just the right place at just the right time with just the right light, there comes a moment when you know the scene in front of your lens becomes just the right image.  It’s that moment when all is right with the world.  The camera setting are set correctly.  You’ve moved around enough to get the right angle and the composition is set.  The camera is focused on the scene with perfect exposure.  You’re calm.  The calm only a photographer can feel; the moment before the click.  Click!  Each of these images has its own back story on my journey to that moment.

Yellowstone Elk   After a long day enjoying Yellowstone NP in late September, we were driving toward the west end of the park to call it a day.  As happens often in Yellowstone, the next bend in the road provided another beautiful scene.  The Elk were bugling in this small herd across the field.  After a short walk through the trees, the scene opened up.  At first, it was not clear to me what my subject would be.  Normally, it would be the Elk.  This time the new tree growth through the burned forest seemed more overpowering to me.  So, I decided to make it a landscape with wildlife included.  After wondering a bit to get the right angle and focusing with a long lens to condense the background, the scene in front of my lens came into focus.  The late afternoon light was perfect.  The scene was classic wild Yellowstone. The perfect end to a great day.  Click!  

Gallatin River Montana   While crossing the small bridge into the Gallatin River Ranch, it’s not uncommon to see someone fly fishing.  In fact, the Gallatin River is a top fly fishing destination for Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout and an occasional Cutthroat Trout.  With the setting sun behind me, this scene began to unfold.  At first, it seemed like the fisherman might be the subject, but as the light changed, it revealed nice landscape image.  So, I decided to make it a landscape with a human included.  After walking up and down the bridge a bit to get the composition with beautiful late afternoon light, this scene came into focus.  The scene is  classic Montana with Gallatin fishing.  The only sound breaking the calm came from water ripples in the river.  A nice way to end the day!  Click! 

The Shore Line @ Oxbow Bend   OxBow Bend is located along the Snake River near Great Tetons NP.  It’s one of the most photographed places in the country.  In this image, Mt. Moran stands majestic in the background.  To capture this image, I arrived at the the Ox Bow Bend turnoff a little before o’dark thirty.  A light snow cover greeted me at the turnoff.  Just after first light, I climbed down the slightly frozen river bank to river’s edge.  Upon setting up my tripod behind several rocks, I waited for any wildlife that might amble by my position.  Several coyote packs could be heard in the distance.  Also, black bear, grizzly bear, moose, elk, and wolves call this area home.

Unfortunately, the wildlife did not appear except for a couple of river otters.  However, the crisp, cold morning air, the light spring snow cover, and the calm, no wind quiet of this remote place made me appreciate the scene in front of my lens.  As Mt. Moran became reflected in the Snake River and the morning shadows began to change, this composition appeared.  Click!

Yellowstone Early Snow   Yellowstone’s first snow of the year in mid November made for a great day to capture images along the Yellowstone River. A snowstorm had fallen the night before, covering everything in sparkling fresh snow.  Actually, we only had a few minutes to capture this image between snow showers.  The Yellowstone River, flowing north out of the park, was not frozen due to the thermal features of the park. There’s nothing like Yellowstone in the winter.  Yellowstone always provides perspective and introspection.  Every time I go to Yellowstone, the experience changes with new vistas, wildlife, challenges, and accomplishments.   This particular visit was very short; only one day.

As we drove south from the north entrance, the road crossed over the Yellowstone River in several places.  Just after crossing a bridge, a turnoff offered us a chance to stop.  The snow was knee deep in places as I slid down the river bank toward the river.  After clearing through some trees, the river bank offered several great views.  One vista was a majestic mountain.  After capturing several images of the mountain, I turned around to this more serene view.  Although it was midday, the sun was shining through a thin cloud layer softening the light.  Blowing snow and the calming sound of water ripples from the river completed the experience.  My reaction was immediate.  Click!

Lone Tree on the Badlands    Nothing says Great American Prairie like a lone tree on the rolling mixed grass prairie of the Badlands. Lone tree images convey sense of quiet solitude. They remind us how a solitary figure stands tall against all odds. The lone tree provides raw strength to the image as well as a sense of resilience and perseverance.  Like many photographers, the lone tree is one of my favorite subjects.  Actually, unlike many of my images, I visited this site in Badlands NP many times before the clouds provided a nice background.  Then, I moved around the tree to get the right angle on the composition until this basic image filled my viewfinder.  The wind was making the leaves on the tree move too much so I waited and waited and waited.  All the while, the clouds were moving as well.  So, I waited longer.  The early morning light was beginning to change.  Finally, everything lined up.  The clouds looked nice. The wind calmed down a bit.  Everything was right with the world in front of me.  Click! 

Evening on the Lake   What a beautiful end to a nice day on the lake!  Just enough light remained to cast both color and shadows on the lake.  The air was calm but small waves persisted on the lake.  A long exposure would hopefully smooth the water.  From the dock, I experimented with different exposures while waiting for the best shadow and color.  With everything dialed into the camera, the calm wait for the best composition was quite pleasant.  Then, C…L…I…C…K…!!!   Actually, I captured several long exposures before leaving.

Platte River Sunset   Platte River sunsets make beautiful images.  Each year, the Platte River in central Nebraska, during late February, March, and Early April, beckons us to come and experience Sandhill Cranes by the thousands.  The black dots in the sky are Sandhill Cranes coming to roost for the night on the swallow sand bars of the river.  Over a couple of months, over 500,000 Sandhill Cranes will make their annual visit to the Platte River.  They’ll feed, rest, and gain weight for their flight back to Alaska, Canada, and Siberia.  This image was captured near one of the bridges crossing the river.  The weather was warm for early April with a very light breeze.  A few other photographers waited with me along the river’s bank.  As the sun set, the clouds lit up.  Click! 

 Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category The Moment Before the Click.

Click any image below for a slide show.