For fun, I decided to make a short video of some of my time-lapses and motion captures from the trip.
And yes, I just had to sneak some marmots in for a cameo or two….
I hope you enjoy! For best results, watch in HD.
All motion clips are available for commercial and editorial licensing through Tandem Stills + Motion.
all images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2013
Well, after 3 weeks and 4300 miles, I’m finally back home.
It was an epic road trip and I am so pleased with the work I had the chance to produce in 5 National Parks!
The first of which being, of course, Rocky Mountain National Park.
I spent 9 days exploring and photographing this phenomenally beautiful place. Most noted subjects of this park are the fast flowing creeks, abundant wildlife, and majestic peaks.
It was certainly a challenging experience; waking up before the sun to shoot all morning, hiking 10+ miles during the middle of the day (with 30 lbs of gear) to scout locations, and then shooting until after dark, going to bed and doing it all over again. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting a ton of sleep, and I lost a few pounds of excess belly :)
It was a ton of hard work, but it’s the kind of labor that I really live to do.
So, here are a handful of my favorite images from the first leg of my three week trip!
In the next week or two, I will post more images, videos, time-lapses, and as promised, equipment reviews…
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have, technical or aesthetic, leave comments/ feedback, but most of all, I hope you enjoy the beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park!
All images are available for commercial and editorial licensing through Tandem Stills + Motion. Prints of select images will be available soon!
all images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2013
I always love it when commercial real estate clients call.
And since the 80’s, Dallas has been a huge commercial real estate hub, so thankfully, there’s a lot of business.
Architecture and urban landscape are a very natural transition for me from traditional landscapes and nature photography.
Plainly speaking, architecture is man-made landscape, often mimicking the shapes and movements of nature.
Photographically, it’s just as exciting and challenging when done well.
To add to the challenge, often times I’m asked to shoot little vignettes of the surrounding attractions; active lifestyles, restaurants/ bars, nightlife, etc.
These are generally very well rounded assignments. And I absolutely love the technical and creative challenges of shooting different subjects and styles.
all images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2013
I have never been to Rock Mountain National Park. Yeah… seriously.
With all of the locations I drive to regularly in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, for some reason, I have never been.
It’s especially odd, now that I think of it, because of how (relatively) close and how stunningly beautiful I hear it is.
So, I’ve been planning to spend a week there at the end of June.
I will piggyback off a job I have in Telluride over the fourth, and a stock assignment in Big Bend National Park.
Adding in a few extra stops like Canyon de Chelley in Arizona, this thing has really turned into quite the road-trip…
To top it all off, Canon is sending me a few lenses to evaluate, which I will review here on the blog… check back to see me put some exciting lenses to the test!
I am really looking forward to spending some quality time in phenomenally beautiful Rocky Mountain NP with Canon’s long awaited 500mm f/4L II and 24mm f/1.4L II.
The closest I’ve been to RMNP was a backpacking trip a few friends and I took in 2008 to Indian Peaks Wilderness.
IPW is within Arapahoe National Forest and borders the southern edge of Rocky Mountain National Park.
I’ve been to a lot of beautiful places, but Indian Peaks Wilderness was certainly one of the most stunning.
And then of course… like an old friend waiting for a long overdue visit… Big Bend. Except for 2012, I have been at least once every year for the last 10+ years.
It’s a magical place. With a character and an energy like no other place I’ve been, it has the ability to soothe ones soul. It’s a perfect mixture of southwest desert and rugged mountains.
Along with the lenses, I will be testing out some new filters, new techniques, and I hope it will be a rejuvenating experience. And I want to share it with all of you…
So please, feel free to ask questions, give tips, make comments, and check back over the next several weeks for updates. I will be sharing some of the secrets and tricks of the trade!
Cheers!
— andrew
all images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2013
If you’ve visited this blog more than once, you probably know that I love Brazos Bend State Park. And I LOVE alligators. Strange, I know.
But an interesting new development from this last trip to the park uncovered a love for birds that I never knew I had.
Thanks to my amazing wife, this interest has been unlocked and given new life to the park I’ve been visiting for a decade.
I actually spent more time on this trip looking for different species of birds than with my alligator friends. Go figure!
Don’t get me wrong though, I still love my gators. But my appreciation and knowledge for the feathered fauna is growing.
I can’t wait to share this park with students and teach them the amazing nuances of nature/ wildlife photography at such a phenomenally bountiful and biologically diverse place.
We will also spend some time on time lapse and video… If you’re interested in learning more, visit my Brazos Bend workshops page.
Also, all images and video will be available for purchase as stock via Tandem Stills + Motion.
american alligator
white ibis
white ibis
white ibis
white ibis
white ibis
white ibis
tree lined trail with spanish moss
american alligator
male cardinal
yellow-crowned night heron
black-bellied whistling-duck
american alligator
american alligator
american alligator
american alligator
american alligator
great egret
juvenile yellow-crowned night heron
live oak landscape
butterfly in showy primrose
eastern bluebird
yellow-crowned night heron
wild blackberries
herbertia
texas dandelion
anhinga
white ibis
cattle egret
ellie and hunter bird watching
white-marked tussock moth (orgyia leucostigma) caterpillar
red tailed hawk flying
red-tailed hawk
male cardinal
male cardinal
yellow-crowned night heron
yellow-crowned night heron
american alligator
alligator time-lapse… watch in HD!
american alligator
elm lake time-lapse… watch in HD!
elm lake
elm lake time-lapse… watch in HD!
elm lake
elm lake time-lapse… watch in HD!
elm lake
40 acre lake
yellow-crowned night heron
white ibis during it’s first spring
white ibis during it’s first spring
american alligator
swampy landscape
white ibis during it’s first spring
white ibis during it’s first spring
white ibis during it’s first spring
northern rough-winged swallows
northern rough-winged swallows
northern rough-winged swallows
snowy egret
white ibis flying
pilant lake, swamp
pilant lake, swamp
pilant lake, swamp
swampy forest
black-bellied whistling-duck
black-bellied whistling-duck
40 acre lake
american alligator
white tailed deer fawn
red shouldered hawk
live oak and spanish moss time lapse… watch in HD!
live oak and spanish moss
live oak and spanish moss time lapse… watch in HD!
american alligator
barred owl footage… watch in HD!
barred owl
barred owl
yellow-crowned night heron
pilant slough
ellie stoking fire at dusk
ellie stoking fire at dusk
full moon
full moon time lapse… watch in HD!
full moon
full moon
horseshoe lake time lapse… watch in HD!
horseshoe lake
large black wild pig
live oak with spanish moss time lapse… watch in HD!
male cardinal
tri color heron flying
juvenile yellow-crowned night heron
juvenile yellow-crowned night heron
black-bellied whistling-ducks
american alligator
black-crowned night heron stalking it’s prey
yellow-crowned night heron
common moorhen
yellow-crowned night heron
water hyacinth
male alligator during breeding season
anhinga swimming
yellow-crowned night heron
red-bellied woodpecker
red-bellied woodpecker
anhinga sunning
red tailed hawk
snowy egret
snowy egret
red slider turtle crossing the road
violet wood sorrel
red-bellied woodpecker
great blue heron
great blue heron
american alligators
american alligator
snowy egret
red slider turtle on a log
snowy egret
texas rat snake
all images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2013
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