Today was day two here at Base Camp South Dakota and it was another great one. The day began with one of the creatures that really makes this place what it is, the Bison. Spring calf’s and their mom’s and big heard of them moving through. Early morning light combined with dark coats made for some great shots. These little guys are so much fn to play with because of their expressions. They are cute and playful everything one might expect from a newly born.
After the couple hours with the Bison we headed back down the wildlife loop towards the fence. Dad and myself got out our big lenses expecting to find the birds that perch on the posts and the wire. There is one sound that is truly captivating out here and that is the sound of the meadowlark. Their call can be heard every morning and it never seems to get old. It can’t be seen here but the chest is a vibrant yellow that stands way out. The combination of there posing and the colors make for some great opportunities.
After a great morning we went back to our rooms for some downloading, cleaning of gear and of course sleep before our nest classroom sesion. This one was on flash technique a very important issue that is a must for every photographer; for me personnally a lot i don’t know and need to learn about. After the session we headed back out to the park to the afternoon shoot. One of the best critters in custer is the Pronghorn. There are so many different ways to shoot them, which makes them so versatile. This time the male came right up to us and thus we were able to capture some great portrait shots. This is one of my weaker ones just to give u an idea of how close they got. The day ended with a beautiful show by an Eastern Kingbird that excited the both of us, but will have to wait till tomorrow to see.
Images captures with D2Hs, 600f4, TC-14E, 70-300AF-S VR(Bison)on Lexar UDMA Digital Film