On the Road: Arriving in Grand Tetons National Park

A couple of days ago, John Bosley and I flew out to Colorado to meet up with Nasim. We’re in the first stages of another exciting video for Photography Life: an advanced landscape photography tutorial. We’ve had this particular project in mind for a while, and it feels great to start putting our plans into action. After landing in Denver, the three of us stopped for some food and camping supplies, and then we hit the road to Grand Teton National Park.

This is the first time I have ever been to the Grand Tetons, and they absolutely do not disappoint. The landscapes here are massive and dramatic, and they have worked beautifully for photography. That isn’t even to mention the stars — thousands upon thousands of them, along with a very clear view of the Milky Way galaxy. We’re planning to film a section on nighttime photography before the trip is over, and I can’t wait to share some more star photos with our readers.

NIKON D800E + 20mm f/1.8 @ 20mm, ISO 6400, 15/1, f/2.8

For the first couple of days at the Grand Tetons, we have spent most of our time scouting for different locations. From mountain reflections to winding rivers, we’ve managed to find several nice places to film the video and take some landscape photos. We’ve also seen quite a bit of wildlife — several owls, an eagle, a weasel, and a few others. I even had a chance to take macro photographs of dragonflies along the edge of a pond. Whatever type of nature photography you do, Grand Teton National Park is a great place to be.

We think that this is a yellow-bellied marmot, but we aren’t sure. For all we know, it’s a beaver-squirrel. Any readers who can help us identify this cute animal?
NIKON D800E + 70-200mm f/4 @ 200mm, ISO 450, 1/400, f/4.0

Last night, we filmed the first case study for our video: framing and composition. The sunset was absolutely incredible — far beyond what we expected — and we managed to film everything in time to take some pictures as well. As one of the first sunsets I’ve seen in the Grand Tetons, this one set the bar pretty high.

NIKON D800E + 35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/3, f/5.6

For the rest of the trip, we’re planning to move across several different National Parks, including Glacier National Park and Mount Rainier. We’re likely to film in other parks as well, but the rest of the trip is still in the planning stage. Along the way, though, we’ll be updating Photography Life with our newest photos and stories, so stay tuned. In the mean time, enjoy our Guest Post Month, and don’t forget to take some great pictures!

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