The Quiet Picture

I have been looking forward to this weekend ever since the first weather forecasts had started coming in earlier in the week. The forecast said rain – and I couldn’t have been happier! I might have gotten a bit fed up with shooting water all winter last year, but time heals all wounds and now I’ve been missing it again. Overcast weather is just what you need, and a touch of rain on the rocks. I’m not too keen on dry rocks, they usually just look very dull in the pictures.

The morning started clear and cold and I got out already at dawn to catch the sunrise at Loossjön. It got overcast very soon after that, so I got home and started waiting for the rain. When the cloud cover got ever lower and I could smell the rain in the air, I drove to my favourite creek. In fact, I reckon this is my favourite photography spot in all of Loos! I figured it should be at its best now, with autumn leaves covering the rocks and low water to reveal some interesting detail. I was right about both and I was having an absolute blast, I couldn’t imagine anything better to do with my weekend! One thing that was missing though was the rain, so I had to make do with some dull rocks in the images. But I was too happy to mind that.

Because I had been so sure that it would be raining, I had taken the old 20D with me – you know, my bad weather camera? Getting the camera wet was not an issue though, but at least I proved the fact that the 20D didn’t go all bad with a new camera in the house.

The rain finally started in the evening. Since it should stay overcast until tomorrow afternoon (I hope anyway), I will make another visit to my favourite creek. I just want to see if those wet rocks make any difference… or the new camera, for that matter!

I will never be a wildlife photographer. Guaranteed. Before I start the story, I should mention the camera settings I was using before the following takes place (why this is important, will become obvious a bit later): mirror lock-up, ISO 100, f16 and 0.8 sec, IS switched off.

When I was walking back to my car, I followed the ridge above the creek (just because it’s a lot easier to walk there, instead of the treacherous rocks and thicket down at the creek). At one point I got a good view down to the water and I stopped to consider if I could frame a picture. When suddenly I saw some movement down below – a bull moose! So I pulled out the camera, the moose unaware of me, when the animal moved behind a bush so I couldn’t see it. I moved sideways to get a clear view again, simultaneously trying to change the settings in the camera (I hit the wrong button twice before I finally found the ISO button and changed to 400) when the moose spotted me and started to run up the opposite bank. I take a picture… with the freaking MLU, f16, 0.8 sec and no IS! But the moose was still working up the hill, so I switched on IS, changed to aperture priority so the camera can figure out the rest and take another picture. With mirror lock-up still on! Not that it made any difference. I was in a dark forest on a dark day, so I would’ve struggled to get a fast enough shutter speed even with ISO 800, f4 and appropriate exposure compensation (-1 stop, at least). Those two pictures I had taken, they were stunningly blurry and over-exposed and not a moose in sight. Not that you could tell anyway.

My hands were shaking, seriously. To be honest, I was worried that the bull would come up on my side of the creek because when I saw it, it was sure heading directly at me. The best scenario would’ve been that I got the picture and then made myself known so the moose would run away. It wasn’t a big bull, just a 4-pointer I think, but I didn’t feel like going head to head with it.

Nope, I think I will stick to shooting flowers. And a favourite creek every once in a while.

Jasper is really getting washed out. Yet another rainy morning, so we used it for treating ourselves to a pancake and maple syrup breakfast. It was good. Then we did a short hike at Cottonwood Slough, tried a few photos but it was forced. Now it was just a matter of killing time until lunch, so I thought I would check out the road towards Edmonton. Got lucky straight away – a group of elk, a bull with 8 cows!

I spent over an hour shooting them, even if it was a big distance to cover even for 300mm x 1.4 and the angle was bit wrong. But I wanted to see if I could get some good behaviour shots and maybe they would even mate… but no. So I continued driving and then it started raining. The scenery got just simply stunning, no big mountains in sight but lovely green lakes by the road, with small spruce covered islands and autumn yellow reeds and grasses. It was heartbreaking not be able to photograph it, I can only imagine how beautiful it could be in other weather – all I needed was the raining to slow down to a drizzle, but it just wasn’t to be.

And later in the day we saw another coyote. But that was it, I have a memory card full of elk and very little else from this place called Jasper.

The light seemed to be good in the morning and there was no fog. We headed out in search of the ultimate sunrise photo, but we found elk instead – grazing on a meadow a bit off the road. I finally got some use out of the 300mm lens I’ve been dragging with me, so I was happy.

By then the little light there had been was gone and we only had an overcast sky left. We checked out a couple of small lakes though and since I already had the 300mm mounted, I snapped some shots of some birds to kill time.

Then we headed for Sunshine Meadows, hoping that the place would live up to its name. Well, a little bit – we got some diffused sunlight at first, and then on the way back. But for the actual hike, it was overcast again and I only took one landscape photo and even that was half forced. But I did get some closeup work done (thankful for carrying the big lens with me again!) and I also managed some bad shots of a ground squirrel and some birds.

When we were on the bus back, someone pointed out a mountain goat on the opposite valley wall. Sure enough, there is no mistaking of the white fur! It was way too far to even attempt with my 300mm, but when we had gotten off the bus and started driving back to Banff, we saw a group of whitetail deer – so close that my 300mm was too much. But after that, we came across two smaller groups of deer and I finally got some recognisable whitetail deer photos as well.

Already on the highway 1, we saw a bus pull on the side of the road. We decided to check out what they had noticed, and found ourselves looking at the biggest elk bull I have even seen. A gorgeus 12-pointer and my 300mm had some work to do.

It was already getting time for the evening light, and although it didn’t look very good, we still decided to drive to the Vermilion Lakes. When we had gotten to the end of the road and I was turning the car, we saw that elk bull walk right towards us! Panic… elk is the most dangerous animal in the Rockies, and these 12-pointers are nothing to toy with. But the elk just walked casually by us, and continued walking the road. We followed slowly, hoping that it would turn to the water. It didn’t, instead it just kept walking slowly on the road, switching from side to side when it needed go past people who already were standing by the roadside, photographing the lakes. When the bull finally disappeared in the forest, we turned back for our original plan.

We didn’t get much evening light though, so we gave up after a short while. On our way back, would you believe we came across the elk bull again! Unbelievable… we watched it go to the waterside and roll over in the mud, and sharpen the antlers. I had been smelling the air so it had obviously found the scent of some elk cows and now it was determined to find them. We watched it disappear in the bush for the last time and felt priviledged for the experience.