Elk Rut Workshops

Elk Rut Workshops September 2020 - Tom Bol Photo Workshops

The elk rut in Rocky Mountain National Park was in full swing for both of our September workshops. Our favorite location for morning shoots was at Moraine Park. The tawny grasses and open meadow made it easy to spot multiple herds of elk at the same time.

On the edge of the meadow

Cooler temps in the morning made the elk more active

We arrived before sunrise, set up our tripods and sometimes were rewarded with golden light at the start of the morning. We could hear the elk bugling and sparring before the sun came up!

Steamy breath on a cold morning

Ned getting a low perspective to blur the grass

Mornings in the park were less crowded than evenings

Mule deer were also frequent visitors to the Moraine Park meadows and ridges.

Elk antlers weigh up to 40 pounds, like on a massive bull in Moraine Park

Herds are close enough to the road that longer lenses are sometimes too much glass for the shot.

With testosterone running high, male elk would spar and battle to attract the attention of wandering females.

Linda and Julie working the meadow

A bull watches over his harem in the Ponderosa Pines

Sherry in her element

During our midday sessions we traveled to the Big Thompson River to photograph moving water. We used ND filters and multiple exposure to blur the water.

Our new outdoor classroom

A drive back through Devil's Gulch brought dramatic views of the Continental Divide

Long's Peak with crepuscular rays

The west side of the park was at peak fall color on the second workshop. We tried out creative techniques to capture the fall color in the landscape.

Diane getting creative

The west side of the park has more red and orange aspen leaves - perfect for macro work

Linda and Rick working the fall colors

An abstract fall image created by shaking the camera to create blur

Elk in the aspen on the west side

While elk were the primary objective of the trip, we couldn't resist the temptation to photograph other wildlife in the park like the least chipmunk (opposite).

A mule deer buck

A Black Billed Magpie

A female Dusky Grouse

With fall colors in higher elevations on the east side of the park, we took time to photograph Hallett Peak in dappled light.

A smaller group size of 6 was a perk of our "Colorado Getaways"

Two nights of photographing the stars and galaxy rounded out the workshops. Bear Lake and Sprague Lake are both locations with easy access and interesting shorelines for shooting in the dark.

Setting up for night photography at Bear Lake under the Milky Way

To learn more about our field based workshops and online classes, go to:

www.tombolphotoworkshops.com

Created By

Cree Bol

Appreciate

Credits:

Cree Bol and Tom Bol