buglinbilly Loc: Murray, Utah

I love photography a lot and I sure wish I would have done this when I was young and when I had good eyes.

My strong suit, if I have one, is in my ability to get close to critters. It is not my ability with a camera. Heck I don't know what half the settings on my camera do;-)

If you get close and take lots of photos, you are bound to have a few turn out.

For example, the photo below was taken with my point and shoot camera and hand held. It will not take near as good of photos as my dslr and good lens, but when your are close to your subject, it will take better photos than a good lens and good camera from a far distance.

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/159.jpg

This one was taken with my dslr, but again it was close.

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/18-3.jpg

Last fall, during the rut, I was sitting a waterhole taking photos when this buck came in. I got a series of photos with him, some decent, some not so good.

Here's a good example of a photo telling a story. He had been chasing ladies and fighting with other bucks and he was really thirsty. Notice his posture, his mouth and tongue. It was a perfect photo to tell the story how a buck ends up during the rut, but I missed a good focus, thus its not a very good photo.

Had this been taken from 100 yards with a big lens, most photographers might feel they nailed it, and at that distance they would have. But at 15 yards, I missed it.

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/14-5.jpg

In that same series I missed this great shot by not getting the top part of his horns in the photo. Otherwise it was a decent shot.

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/15-5.jpg

But on that same morning, I nailed this one! The focus is sharp and the detail jumps out at you. When I can take photos like this most of the time, I then will consider myself a decent photographer. Believe me I have a long ways to go.

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/13-5.jpg

Have a good one. BB And thanks for all the compliments.

buglinbilly Loc: Murray, Utah

These are three examples of how being close can help on wildlife photos.

This first image was taken at about 100 yards, then I cropped it. Notice how the detail is missing. Sure you can see the buck, but his features are not crisp, like the the closer photos. All these photos were taken with the same lens setup and at the same location, on the same day.

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/16-1000-.jpg

This one was taken at roughly 20 yards. As mentioned in a previous note on this thread, buck antelope make scrapes and then urinate and poop in their scrapes. In previous photos I have him pawing the ground, urinating and now he is getting ready to defecate. Not how much more detail is in this photo versus the more distant photo.

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/17-5.jpg

And in this final photo, taken at about 10 yards, and although the focus is not as crisp as it could be, you can notice even more detail. That's why I say getting close in wildlife photos is of utmost importance if you want really great photos.

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/18-5.jpg

This last photo is not cropped a bit. The other two were cropped So you know in this last one, I was close.

Have a good one. BB

moose19

that is a great shot,it speacial

flathead27ford Loc: Colorado, North of Greeley

Hi Bill, I live in Northern Colorado just off Hwy 85 and got to Cheyenne once in awhile. Many times I see Pronghorns and I usually have my camera with me. I have tried to get shots but they are sooo skittish, the moment I stop my car they start walking or running away, and this is when I am still hundreds of yards away.

I was amazed at your photographs and before I read all the pages of the thread, I wondered how you got so close. I thought maybe you had a 100,000mm lens! LOL

I have thought about using a blind to get some shots but have wondered about the sound coming from my camera. Does the shutter spook the animals or do they tend to get use to it? Any insights into your blind photography (Pun intended) would be much appreciated. Cheers

buglinbilly Loc: Murray, Utah

I love taking photos of truly wild animals. I suspect the reason for this is I have always enjoyed a challenge. And taking photos of antelope, for a photographer, is one of the ultimate challenges.

I have always felt, that with antelope, all you have to beat our their eyes. My bowhunting experiences over many years taught me that. But i soon learned, when I started taking photos of them, that although their ears are not their strong point, like they are a mule deers, that when they get as close as I like them to get for a photo shoot, they will not accept the noisy sound of a shutter under most conditions. Therefore, after waiting for hours to have an antelope get in close, you most likely are only going to get one shot. And if other antelope are in the vicinity, you most likely will have the antelope you scared, scare them.

One saving grace is that in most pronghorn areas where I take photos, there are many days when the winds blow hard and those are the days I like to photograph them as it acts as a cover sound and they are much more likely to accept the noise on those days than on a calm day.

And there is a short period of time, in the heat of the rut (mating season) when they seem to throw caution to the wind, so to speak, and you can get by with a noisy camera. Because of this i have learned to use a good point and shoot camera, where I can take many photos undetected, rather than just have one single opportunity at close range. I have also found out, that in most cases, you will end with a better photo from a good P and S if you have many to choose from, than you will by just being able to take one single photo from a good DSLR.

My wife thinks when it comes to bowhunting and wildlife photography, that I was born without all my wire connected. I am able to sit for hours or even days with little action, just to get the one photo I want. Most sane people will never do that. Ha Ha

But I will also admit, that with a good DSLR, at close range, when you get everything right, the photo will be better than you can ever get with a P and S camera.

For example, I don't know a point and shoot that would render the detail in the photo below.

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/21-1500.jpg

But in order to get that detailed of a photo, you really need to be willing to pay the price.

Good luck to you. BB

buglinbilly Loc: Murray, Utah

Well its that time of year again when the antelope are having their young and I will begin my trips to Wyoming to take more photos.

Here are a few photos of whats happening on the prairies of antelope country right now. The does are giving birth to their young.

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/27antelopefawn.jpg

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/27b.jpg

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/27d.jpg

http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq22/buglinbilly/Antelope%20Country/188-1.jpg

Have a good one, and it won't be long before I have some new photos to share of antelope country. BB