Yellowstone

Winter in Yellowstone National Park

February 1, 2017 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Yellowstone Winter — Sun Dog, Yellowstone National Park. Canon 5D MK4 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/2000 ISO800

Just returned from a week back in Yellowstone National Park during one of my favorite seasons to explore our first park’s incredible wildlife and winter landscapes. It seems like the theme of my trip this go around was “blue & cold”, at least that’s the way a lot of my images seemed to turn out! The weather was clear and cold with temps around -20f during the mornings in the Lamar Valley which made for some interesting landscapes and also produced some pretty cool sun dogs and overall shooting atmosphere. Not to mention some cold fingers!

If you haven’t visited Yellowstone in winter, it’s really a must for nature photographers. Whether you shoot landscapes or are a dedicated wildlife shooter, the uniqueness and beauty of the park in winter really offers up something for everyone. Obviously its wildlife is some of the best in the lower 48, especially when winter arrives, but the landscapes as well can bring some pretty cool things you don’t normally get a chance to see. When the weather turns harsh, it gets even better with unique atmosphere producing sun dogs, trees with hoar frost, and dramatic fog in the valleys.

Jan-Feb is a great time to experience winter in the park and also to find the solitude that comes minus the crowds. Spending a cold morning in the Lamar Valley with only you and few others around you are quickly reminded of this. As wolves howl in the distance and frosted bison roam nearby, it’s also a reminder that you’re standing in the last little bit of wild we have here and a place that has a new surprises around every corner for photographers.

Yellowstone National Park — Yellowstone Bison. Canon 5D mk4 500mm f4L IS II + 2X III. f8 1/1500 ISO400

Top Ten Favorites from 2016

December 31, 2016 by Jason Savage 4 Comments

Now that 2016 is coming to an end, I thought I would share some of my favorites from this year. It’s been an adventurous year in the western U.S. and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some truly wonderful travelers on my workshops. I’m always amazed at the dynamic nature and diversity of our groups and how everyone shapes each trip. When you put a bunch of passionate photographers together in some stunning places, you can’t ask for a better time.

One of the things I love about teaching photography workshops is watching the creativity that is stirred up by the group. Watching each other work and how each individual approaches the same scene spurs new ideas and really helps encourage thinking outside of your creative comfort zone. I think sometimes I learn just as much while teaching and traveling with others.

As we begin 2017, I look forward to meeting new friends, exploring new places and staying in gratitude for the amazing abundance we all share here. Wishing everyone the best in the new year!

Tetons — Canon 5Dsr 24-70 2.8L II. f11 1/125 ISO100. Grand Teton National Park.

Canon 5Dsr 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II. f11 1/6 ISO100. Washington’s Palouse region.

Canon 5Dsr 100-400 4.5-5.6L IS II. f11 1/30 ISO100 Red Barn in the Palouse.

Montana Horses — Canon 5D Mark IV 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/500 ISO3200 Bitterroot Horses.

Canoes — Canon 5Dsr 11-24mm f4L. f16 1/10 ISO100. Glacier National Park.

Canon 5D Mark IV 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/350 ISO800 Aspens, Glacier National Park.

Canon 5Dsr 24-70mm f2.8L II. f11 1/6 ISO100 Wild Goose Island, Glacier N.P.

Montana Cranes — Canon 5D Mark IV 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/3000 ISO1600 Sandhill Cranes, Montana.

Montana Mountains — Canon 5Dsr 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/750 ISO800 Como Peaks, Montana.

Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

January 29, 2016 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Jackson Wyoming — Grand Teton N.P. Canon 5Dsr 24-70mm 2.8L II. f11 1/125 ISO100

Just returned from a fantastic trip co-leading for Natural Habitat Adventures on their Yellowstone Winter Photo Expedition. We had such a wonderful group of travelers and perfect conditions on this trip, allowing great views of the Tetons and some pretty sweet wildlife viewing. We started out in Jackson, Wyoming working our way up into the interior of Yellowstone, exploring geyser basins around Old Faithful and eventually working our way up in the northern range of the park over the course of the week. We had some great wildlife viewing in the northeast getting to spend some time observing the wolves of the Lamar Pack and also some great Bison photography.

Winter Buffalo — Yellowstone Bison. Canon 7D mkII 500mm f4 IS II. f8 1/1000 ISO800

I’m finally back at home now getting caught up on some much overdue editing and getting ready for spring (hard to believe!) and also some upcoming talks. In a couple weeks if you happen to find yourself in western Montana, I will be giving a talk on the “Art of Nature Photography” at the Bitterroot Audubon Society on Feb. 15 in Hamilton. If interested, feel free to contact me for more details or visit their site at bitterrootaudubon.org. In the meantime, I will be enjoying the little bit of winter we have left and looking forward to getting out and about around western Montana.

Top ten favorite images from 2015

January 1, 2016 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

It’s been a fantastic year full of adventure and new friendships and I’m grateful for all the new photographers I’ve got to meet on last year’s trips and looking forward to many more in 2016. We had some great workshops this year in Olympic National Park, Montana, Yellowstone and Oregon. I want to thank all those who joined me on the 2015 workshops and those who have supported and followed my work. Being able to share my images and meet such fantastic and amazing people along the way is a real blessing. Happy New Year to everyone, wish you the best!

Here’s my top ten favorites from 2015

Yellowstone Winter Bison — Bison, Yellowstone National Park. Canon 1DX 500mm f4L IS II+1.4X f8 1/750 ISO 200

Elowha Falls — Elowha Fall, Oregon. Canon 5D markIII 16-35mm f4L IS. f16 1″ ISO200

Montana Bison — Bison, National Bison Range, Montana. Canon 5D markIII 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L ISII. f8 1/1500 ISO400

Montana Great Blue Heron — Great Blue Heron, Montana. Canon 1DX 500mm f4L IS II+2X. f8 1/2000 ISO3200

Olympic National Park — Hoh Rainforest, Washington. Canon 1DX 11-24mm f4L. f16 1/4 ISO400

Washington Waterfalls — Palouse Falls, Washington. Canon 5D markIII 11-24mm f4L. f4 30″ ISO1600

Palouse Washington — Palouse Hills, Washington. Canon 5D markIII 100-400 4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/750 ISO1600

Rocky Mountain Front, Montana. Canon 1DX 11-24mm f4L. f16 1/350 IS01600

Fall Montana Tamaracks — Larch Reflections, Montana. Canon 1DX 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/30 ISO100

Yellowstone National Park

March 19, 2015 by Jason Savage

Yellowstone Bison — Bison, Yellowstone. Canon 1DX 500mm f4L IS, 1.4X f8 1/750 ISO200

This last month I’ve had the pleasure of working with Natural Habitat Adventures on their Wolf Quest Photo Trips in Yellowstone National Park. We’ve had some amazing encounters so far and I look forward to sharing some images soon when I return home.

Weather throughout the west has been really warm and things are thawing rapidly in Yellowstone. Signs of spring are definitely here with bears out, migrating birds showing up, and remaining snow pack quickly disappearing.

This big bison was taken in the northeast corner of the park as he broke his way through some of the remaining deep snow on a cold morning in early March.

Canon 11-24mm f/4L

March 8, 2015 by Jason Savage

Along with many other Canon users I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 11-24mm and it’s finally here! These are just a few of my initial thoughts so far and not a full in-depth review. Having a fair amount of experience with other Canon wide-angles, my use so far with the 11-24mm has given me a good sense on its quality and capabilities.

First off it’s big. This lens weighs close to my 70-200mm 2.8L IS II and its front heavy balance is very noticeable when handholding. The lens comes in at 2.6lbs, certainly a beast for a lens of this size, but necessary considering its huge front element and design. …

Happy Holidays!

December 24, 2014 by Jason Savage

Happy Holidays to everyone and wishing you the best in the coming new year!

Bull Moose, Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone Bluebirds

March 21, 2014 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

I thought this was a fitting photo for today showing our transition from winter to spring here in Montana. I took this on one of my last days in Yellowstone earlier this week.

Not only was this my first bluebird spotting of the year, but there were hundreds more in a flock with this little guy. It was cold, windy, and snowing, but absolutely wonderful watching hundreds of bluebirds land all around me on sagebrush and ground. The hardest part was choosing where to point my lens!

Canon 1DX 500mm f4L IS, 1.4X f8 1/500 ISO1600

Paradise Valley

March 14, 2014 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

On my way out of Yellowstone this week, I spotted this perfect winter scene in the Paradise Valley. This may be it for winter landscapes this year as spring is quickly taking over . I think just about everyone in Montana is ready for the change and looking forward to some green!

Canon 1DX and 24-70mm 2.8L II f11 1/500 ISO400, polarizing filter

March 11, 2014 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Sunrise in Yellowstone National Park this morning. Just wrapped up a couple days working with Natural Habitat Adventures in the park, had a great time working with a fantastic group of people.

After an early spring storm brought wind and snow last night, this morning cleared and brought fabulous light to the snow covered landscapes. The higher elevations received a couple more feet of snow on top of an already heavy snow pack this year.

Canon 1DX 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS f8 1/500 ISO100