I went on a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in the summer of 2022 with my Dad, and I ended up taking a lot of wildlife photos while we were there. It was my first time spending a lot of time in the state while purposefully looking for wildlife to photograph, and I was very excited about what I was able to take pictures of. Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip.
Equipment Used
- Camera: Olympus OM-D EM1 MK3
- Lenses: M.Zuiko ED 100-400mm and Olympus M. Zuiko 12-45mm
Photo Gallery
A bull moose in a pond, likely relieving itself of itchiness caused by mites in its fur.
ISO: 500 F-stop: f/6.3 Exposure: 1/125 sec
An elk calf eyeing me up in a field on a mountain peak.
ISO: 4000 F-stop: f/13 Exposure: 1/3200 sec
A close up of a mountain daisy.
ISO: 1000 F-stop: f/6.3 Exposure: 1/800 sec
An elk walking in the same field.
ISO: 3200 F-stop: f/13 Exposure: 1/3200 sec
A flying hummingbird frozen in time
ISO: 3200 F-stop: f/14 Exposure: 1/1000 sec
A hummingbird sitting on a bird feeder.
ISO: 6400 F-stop: f/11 Exposure: 1/320 sec
A moose calf hiding in the tall grass.
ISO: 400 F-stop: f/6.3 Exposure: 1/1600 sec
A moose standing in a lake, again most likely for relief from itchiness.
ISO: 500 F-stop: f/6.3 Exposure: 1/1000 sec
A redtail hawk flying circles above us during a hike.
ISO: 160 F-stop: f/6.3 Exposure: 1/2500 sec
Lessons Learned
While taking these photos, I learned how to use knowledge of animal behavior to predict where animals would be at certain times of the day. For example, I learned that moose often go into lakes and ponds to relieve itchiness caused by mites in their fur, and they usually do this around mid-day, when the weather is at its warmest point. I also learned how to utilize the exposure settings of my camera, which allowed me to take sharp photos of fast-moving animals like hummingbirds.
Comments