Photo road trip...sheep, goats, etc.

[popeshawnpaul]

I got away for a spring road trip this last week and got to give the 400mm F4 DO Canon lens out for a try.  My thoughts are I'm impressed and this is going to be my wildlife lens for the future.  When hiking up hills and holding onto cliffs shooting goats this lens is the best, hands down.  It has reach, speed, good IS for handholding, and it's the smallest/lightest lens around.

This road trip took my up through Montana to Glacier Natl. Park to visit a friend and shoot wild critters.  Armed with bear spray, tick repellant, and big camera lenses we did pretty good.  Here are the shots:

This ewe was running around searching for her lost baby she just dropped.  She found her kid and all is well now.


We shot this osprey out the car window.  It cooperated for a few moments.


We had a couple billy goats cooperate with us for a while on a steep slope. 


I couldn't resist putting this glacier moose with a goofy post in.  The moose were pretty bleached out and ugly.  Kind of made for interesting pictures


This yearling bull just started to sprout.  Probably not quite big enough for Bone yet...


The beauty of the 400 DO is it's small, light, and handholdable.  This magpie was flying by the truck and I was able to grab the camera and throw it out the window and get a sharp photo.  No big lens can do that.


There are really only three animals you can shoot in the spring...sheep, goats, and pronghorn.  This goat cooperated just before sun set one evening.


Sometimes you can't shoot all animals and have to focus on a flower.  This arrowleaf balsam was just sprouting everywhere in Montana.


My friend and I had fun with a bunch of ewes in Glacier.  They either wanted to lick the salt off my truck or give it a tongue cleaning...


An unsuspecting Tony checking out his masterful ewe shots with his big Nikon lens.  Not sure those will make the Eastmans cover man...lol.


Back in Washington, it was time for some turkey hunting with Joe/Outfitter.


One of Joe's many dogs.  I hear this one is a certified lion killer even though he was scared of my camera lens...  Hmm.


I think Joe is checking out the hunting-washington site after a long day of turkey hunting.  Joe pushed it hard but the turkeys have had a hard time in that area.  Due to severe winter die off, a late thaw out, and bad timing we didn't score on a turkey.  It wasn't from lack of trying though.  What a great hunt.  We had at least 4 different gobblers sounding off each day and almost got them.  Joe and Jodie are great hosts and very giving people.  However, I'm glad I didn't bring my wife as the Rasmussen family is very into snakes...lol.  It is kind of odd hanging out on the couch, watching tv, with a big snake laying on the couch with you.  But seriously, the snakes were interesting and provided good entertainment.


And that concludes my road trip pictures for now.  All in all, I think I got about 1500 pictures to sort through.  Great times.

[Hunting Cowboy]

Looks like a fun trip. Great photo's!

[Skyvalhunter]

Great Pictures Shawn

[boneaddict]

Fun stuff!  If you are interested in shooting Rattlesnake pics, let me know.   

[ICEMAN]

Wow. What a trip! Great photos too. Here I am stuck working a bit of OT, just to pay for a measly Memorial Wknd trip, gotta feed that 5.7Liter!

Shawn, how about a link to your camera set up?

[Head-shot]

Very nice trip Pope, thanks fo sharing the pics with us.

[Slider]

VERY NICE!!! You outdid yourself. Love the Magpie shot. Any Turkeys?

[popeshawnpaul]

I got some turkey shots but they were of jakes and weren't compelling.  The lens I was using was this lens:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=41&sort=7&cat=2&page=2

The lens has gotten a bad reputation over the years because of a high price and poor copies of the lens when they first were introduced.  It's also not a great lens for film cameras.  It's perfect for what I'm doing though.

[boneaddict]

In your words, compared to the 2.8 you feel its better because of the weight, and do you think the wieght difference is worth the Fstop.  They are fairly close in price I think, with this one a hair cheaper.  ??

[Idabooner]

Great photos as usual, Thanks for sharing your trip with us.

[boneaddict]

Did you shoot those all straight, or did you have the 1.4 plugged in at all?  How's it work with it.....

[Finalshot]

LOL, Shawn actually had all the fun with the sheep, i just photographed them! 

Here he is looken over his horn-port after the shoot, he's trying to figure out which to save and which to hide from his wife!  LOL 

[Skyvalhunter]

Shawn looks like he has had a long day!!!

[popeshawnpaul]

Long day...lol.  I did look like crap there.  What do you expect, I'm hanging on a rock cliff and I think we hit Tony's local "watering hole" the night before...

Bone - The F4 DO is much better than the F2.8 for wildlife.  You see that steep hillside I'm on in Glacier Natl. Park?  I would never think if dragging a 400 f2.8 up there.  The 400 f2.8 is $6800, while the 400 f4 DO is about $5200.  Weight wise...12lbs vs 4 lbs.  You can see me holding it in the picture, it's a tiny lens and has great balance.  The only guys that use the 400 f2.8 are sports shooters that have it stationary on a monopod. 

I didn't use a 1.4x at all.  I didn't even bring one although I should have.  Some of the big rams and that pronghorn were a bit shy.  The problem with a 1.4x is that I tend to keep it on the lens at all times even if I don't need it.  We were so close to the goats that Tony was using a 70-200 part of the time.

I think my magpie shot may be the best of the trip.  If you look close he has a snail or something in his beak.  I know I know, it's just a magpie.

[saylean]

Man, some really great/cool photos Shawn. I always love looking at your pics. Great job. I like the one of the crooked necked moose!