I was driving through Elk Island national park in Alberta when the maternal herd of bison walked right by my vehicle. It was a raining weekday evening in June and there were only a few other vehicles there. Amazing to see these impressive animals up-close as they slowly wondered by into a large field on the other side of the road.
Specific Feedback Requested
Any feedback welcome.
Technical Details
1/80, f/6.3, iso6400. Process in LR and Topaz Denoise AI. 200-600mm lens on full frame lens was resting on the car door with the engine off.
Bryan, this is truly up close and personal. When we zoom in to full size and look at the details, the results are very revealing. We’ve had a couple of close situations around bison as they crossed the road we were on, but nothing this close. Your level of detail shines. The top of the bison head is thumbtack sharp. I suppose the slight softness at the bottom of the image (below the eye) is likely the inevitable motion the bison had being captured by your shutter speed. This is an impressive capture.
I was hoping you were in a car or using a very long lens! I like the water droplets and rivulets. The shaggy coat is an interesting contrast with the shiny and somewhat smooth looking horns. Interesting capture.
@karlag I would be thinking the same as Bison are large animals and can be defensive if approached. I was in my car with a 600mm lens and had to put it in park along with two other vehicles as the herd slowly made its way across the gravel road. The bison walked around and between the stopped vehicles and slowly meandered to the other field. It was an fantastic experience. I think it being a rainy weekday evening in June, the park was quiet and the bison were close to the road due to the lack of cars.
Bryan, some “tourons” (I did not coin the term; it is a word made up of “tourist” and “moron”) don’t realize how big these animals are. Twice, for reasons entirely against our will, we were caught in the middle of a herd of bison. The first time was on a narrow section of the road leaving the Grand Canyon North Rim. We stopped the car a long way from the herd and hoped they’d cross the road. Instead, they kept coming our way. I made a video of the event and realized how fearful we were when one bison appeared to charge toward our car, but it stopped. The second time was at Caprock Canyons SP, here in Texas. As we began crossing a narrow road over a dam, totally unseen by us, a bison stampede emerged from the right before the road ended. We were stuck and began going in reverse. Luckily the stampede ended way before the bison got close to our car. Then several bison calmly passed right by our car window. Seeing them up close was frightening in both occurrences. Your photo so much reminds me of those times because we heard and saw them very close. Again, this is an impressive photo. And yet, some “tourons” insist on trying to pet or ride one of those animals.
Bryan, this is a fine close up. I’m especially taken by how miserable she looks with her bedraggled topknot and closed eyes. Bison in Yellowstone use the roads as easy paths through the forest, so having them almost brushing our car is commonplace. I haven’t heard of them attacking a car, but that wouldn’t get the press that attacking a touron (outstanding word!) gets. I have had a mother leave her a young, resting calf and slowly meander the 100 meters (yards) toward my position on the top of a ridge in the Lamar Valley. Her partly raised tail made it clear that I needed to leave…
