prairie

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Infrared photography

I began using an infrared camera to photograph landscapes. This is Balanced Rock in Arches National Park, Utah. I like the way the treatment lightens vegetation, sometimes giving an otherworldly look, which I find especially appropriate for cemeteries. I use a black and white conversion, for good contrast.

Then I began experimenting with animals, and liked what I got. This is a male mule deer in South Dakota. The grasses take on a delicate backdrop against which the animal stands out clearly.

This chipmunk, caught in mid-leap, again stands out against a pale and blurred background.

This next images was not intended to be in infrared. On that day, at Sheep Lake, in Rocky Mountain National Park, I saw a moose feeding, and needed my telephoto lens. The only camera I had with me at the time was the infrared converted OM Systems OM1, so I used it. Again, I liked what I got, the dark animal standing out against the light-coloured vegetation, and a tiny duck on the opposite edge of the frame.

I will experiment some more. I do love trees as well as animals, and using a lens baby with the infrared camera gave me this:

The tree is in Longmont, Colorado, and area that before European settlement would have been extensive prairie devoid of trees.

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Predator and Prey

A black-tailed prairie dog nibbling on a blade of grass while surveying the scene.

Prairie dogs live in underground burrows in usually large colonies. They are welcome food items for coyotes and other predators. These images were obtained in Wind Cave National Park, in Wyoming.

This adult prairie dog with youngster is sitting upright in characteristic sentinel mode. Facing in opposite directions, the pair have the field covered. Often, prairie dogs will sit atop mounds of soil for better visibility.

I was lucky to spot this coyote on the chase for a meal. I first saw it loping along the side of the road, so followed in the car. There was no one else about. It crossed the road, then went down into a dip. I missed the actual catch, but when the coyote came back into view, its prey was in its mouth. The black tail of this species of prairie dog is diagnostic.

Another activity to watch, was this individual collecting nesting material to take down into the burrow. It is hard to imagine that there is room for a single additional straw in the mouth of this prairie dog. I was impressed that it could hold so much.

Another tasty tidbit.