Behind the Scenes - Recent Shots
The Story Behind “Midnight Milky Way”
When on a trip in Grand Teton National Park I had my first real opportunity to photograph the Milky Way. Something I have been wanting to do for ages but only been able to start trying recently after investing in the proper gear.
The last night we were in the park the forecast said "mostly clear" so I got up at 12:00 am to check. Low and behold, there was not a cloud in sight! So although I REALLY felt like climbing back into my warm sleeping bag, I headed to the truck, knowing it would be worth it. We had planned the trip around the new moon for dark skies so I could try this and I knew I would regret it if I didn't take the opportunity. The skies in this part of the park are rated a Bortle 2 (a Bortle 1 meaning there's absolutely no light pollution) so between that and the new moon, the stars where really bright!
When I got to the spot I had planned the evening before, the Milky Way was still rising so I realized it wouldn't make the composition I was planning. After compromising I ended up with this shot, which I still love. I only stayed out about 30 minutes as it was 21 degrees, I was freezing, and we still had to get up early that morning to leave. Looking back I'm happy with how they turned out especially considering it was one of my first times legit photographing the Milky Way. Now I can't wait to do more Milky Way stuff in the future!
The Story Behind “Drummer Boy”
I've always wanted to photograph a grouse drumming and I've come across their drumming logs in the past but never tried to follow them up.
This is something male grouse do every spring to try to attract a mate. They brace their tail on the log (which they come back to year after year) and beat their wings in a unique rhythm, creating a unmistakable low thumping sound you may hear when in the woods in the spring. However, hearing it and seeing/photographing it are two very different things!
So this spring after hearing a grouse drum when I was in the woods I did some searching and found the drumming log quite easily! It looked like a quite frequented log so I set up a trail camera near by and waited. A week went by before I was able to check all the footage, but when I did, the camera card was full! It showed him visiting all throughout the day too so the next morning I came in around 7:30 am and set up a make-shift blind. I sat there all morning hearing him drum on a different log not 20 yards away. Thankfully I had brought school and other stuff to do so I didn't get too bored!
Finally, around 10:20 I glanced at my screen and my heart skipped a beat! There he was, just sitting there! He continued to drum 6 times for me before hopping off into the woods. I was kind of surprised everything worked out the first time I even tried! A log that made for a nice composition, a clean background, and overcast skies as my subject would have been splotchly backlit with direct sunlight.
I’m super excited to have had this encounter and hope to try again eventually if I have the opportunity!