We didn’t do a lot of wildlife photography in the Badlands, but occasionally we met with a handy model or two. This is the same ram on different days - near sunrise and set as we were heading into the park. He and his buddy, a younger ram, didn’t move too much and were so close to the road that I had to crop the curb out in the shot where he’s eating.
I’d never seen them close up before and OMG those horns are impressive. They aren’t called Big Horn sheep for nothing. The span on that guy is probably 20 inches across. And they look incredibly heavy, too. While he never gave me a good pose and we didn’t linger, I like that his eye is nicely visible in both shots and we have him from different sides. The wear on the horns is also amazing - whether intentional so he can see, or just a product of life and fighting, I don’t know.
Given he wouldn’t take direction, all I can do is improve the processing.
Technical Details
Handheld - the eating one from the car window right next to his head and the second from outside the car, but leaning on the fender of a Jeep.
Standing (morning)
Prone (evening)
Lr for processing of RAW files - basic highlights and shadow management and a bit of a crop to exclude extraneous bits. Topaz Sharpen to bring up details and pull down some noise in the standing shot. Photoshop to enhance tonalities and remove some distractions. I worked the horns themselves to bring up that amazing texture and color, especially in the one where he’s lying down.
Hey @Diane_Miller thanks for having a look. Have updated the OP with a slightly altered version of his lying down pose. I hope it works a bit better although the changes are pretty small. He’s worth it though.
Oh and on the workshop thing - I think it entirely depends on you and how you set your expectations for one with the guides/instructors. With only three under my belt, I can’t speak for all, but the guys that ran the ones I went on were really understanding with my goals which didn’t include a lot of instruction, but to get to a new location and basically make me get up for sunrise and stay up for sunset. Plus the logistics are covered and that makes life easier. I know that If I start to dither or I can’t find a shot, I can ask, but going out on my own a bit is something I’m comfortable with.
Funny moment on the Badlands workshop - the two sunset views I posted earlier are on an overlook which is where we shot the whole time (from various overlooks, but always right on the park road). But I ventured out a bit onto some of the ridges. Not far, but in order to get the shot I had to get behind a bit of rock that would cover me entirely. Just before I saw it one of the guides joked with me that if he looked over and just saw the tripod he’d know I fell off. When I needed to get behind the rock, I yelled over to them and said I was just behind it, not dead. They appreciated it and laughed. I did not die.
Same happened on a couple of shoots with Josh in the cypress lakes - I just told him I was paddling off around a bend and he was all good. Finding distinctive images in my limited time on these kinds of things is my goal even though I know quite well I’m not producing anything new. But it’s new to my collective work and the experience of working with other photographers is novel for me, too, since I’m always alone.
Excellent wildlife series, Kris. I like the changes @Diane_Miller suggested too. So glad you had a good time at the workshop. I need to do the badlands sometime…it’s on my never-ending list…
Thanks @David_Bostock - it was on my list, too, which is now shorter, but I could go back no problem. I saw some places I wanted to shoot in, but didn’t have the chance.
A nice detailed capture of this ram, Kristen! Based on the frail physical condition and the size + condition of the horns, I would say this is a very old ram. I like the laying down image the best. I’m surprised that the dirt in the background is so sharp for a shot at f/2.8!
Thanks @Gary_Minish - yeah, he’s an elder statesman for sure. Didn’t seem frail to me, but then again, he wasn’t doing anything besides resting and grazing. The dirt background shot was at f/4.4 with the 100-400 mm Panasonic Leica and the standing shot was f/2.8 with the Panasonic 35-100 mm which is known for its excellent sharpness.
