Pronghorn near Yellowstone
This group of pronghorn--aka antelope--was all males grazing outside Yellowstone National Park--a peaceful place beyond the throngs of tourists and photographers. At this time of year, the males and females are in separate bands, and there were no females in sight.
1. Deep in green, but pronghorn reportedly prefer forbs (broadleaf herbaceous plants) to grass. He is shedding his winter coat.
2. Friendly now, but likely fighting later--in the fall rut.
3. Within the larger, loosely organized herd, the pronghorn often associated in pairs and threes.
4. They like to pose.
5. More posing.
6. Keeping a look-out, but the 60 mph pronghorns can easily outrun any predator except armed humans.
7. Chewing cud. Wildlife biologists have told me this is why pronghorns in sagebrush habitat seem to disappear around midday.
8. Bronx cheer for the photographer.
1. Deep in green, but pronghorn reportedly prefer forbs (broadleaf herbaceous plants) to grass. He is shedding his winter coat.
2. Friendly now, but likely fighting later--in the fall rut.
3. Within the larger, loosely organized herd, the pronghorn often associated in pairs and threes.
4. They like to pose.
5. More posing.
6. Keeping a look-out, but the 60 mph pronghorns can easily outrun any predator except armed humans.
7. Chewing cud. Wildlife biologists have told me this is why pronghorns in sagebrush habitat seem to disappear around midday.
8. Bronx cheer for the photographer.
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Comments
I like these images.
What lenses did you use for these shots?
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
Thanks Pathfinder. I am using equipment outside of the Nikon/Canon mainstream: the lens was the Sony AF 70-400 F4-5.6 G SSM. I'm not the only one getting good results with this lens--it has received very good reviews on the pro testing sites, which generally rate it at, or above, the Nikon and Canon equivalents. When I am being very mobile (i.e., not stuck in one place with a tripod), I use this lens instead of my 300mm and 600mm primes. In Yellowstone, with the fleeting wildlife being chased by tourists and wildlife paparazzi, I could easily get shots with the 70-400 that the 600mm luggers could not manage. The camera was a Sony a900 (full frame sensor), and all these images are crops. Also, all shots are either fully hand-held or with the lens resting on a beanbag on my vehicle windowsill.
---John
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