The "black sheep" of the National Park family

I keep wanting to make posts about how wonderful Grand Teton national park (GTNP) is, and how no one should forget going there when heading out west on a trip- GTNP seems to be the black sheep of the family no one really talks about, his big sister Yellowstone really gets all the attention when it comes to wildlife viewing and everything in between.

Well, let me help to prove you wrong- on nearly all my trips, not only has GTNP offered me quite a bit in terms of photography, this trip it gave me even MORE in terms of diverse wildlife than Yellowstone. Less crowded, too- there are still a few people to stand next to you while you're photographing, but no where NEAR the crowd fighting you're going to end up with in Yellowstone.

Now, let me start out by saying that I am *not* really in that good of a shape. Without my camera equipment or anything extra, I can walk anywhere from 4-5 miles and be okay. However, put my camera backpack on my back- and i'm a disaster. I can't even make it up a small hill. Add in my tripod, which I need for stability, and it's even worse. There were a few stupid moves I made that could be proven to be fatal had some good Samaritan not come along, and given me a ride back up the hill to my car.

With that said-everything I photographed in, and around, GTNP as well as in my mentioned areas of Yellowstone, I found from the roadside. No crazy hiking or camping out at 5am required- just drive. Yes, there were good days when I found everything, and bad days when I didn't see anything at all, but that was just because I wasn't looking hard enough.

It all really comes down to what you're looking for in your trip, and the reason you're there in the first place. For a photographer who's looking for wildlife, I would recommend not only GTNP- but the other long forgotten section of Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs (no matter what they tell you, the hot springs are not boring! They may not be as active as they once were, but they can still offer a lot to see!).

Mammoth will give you access to the corridor between there and Lamar valley. IN BETWEEN these two sections of the park will give you the best variations of wildlife possible. Yes, Lamar valley is famous for it's wolves and it's bears- but everything is more far away- you have to have fancy lenses or scopes to even be able to see any of the wildlife. As a photographer, I must have driven through the area and had SO many bear jams, where I couldn't even see the bear.

If you're looking for tourist attractions, like the Old Faithful Geyser area, etc. then GTNP (with the exception of the Jackson and Jenny Lake areas- both offer plenty to do in GTNP) and the Mammoth area might be good visits, but won't really give you what you want in terms of excitement, and things to go.

I'll probably post more as I go, but these were the first few thoughts I wanted to get out there. There's a whole, big, beautiful park out there on the other side of the mountains that everyone seems to forget about! Go during the late fall, or early spring. It's quite well worth it!

Working with Agency Models

A recent situation has gotten me to thinking about working with agency models and how I go through a different process with them, vs what I would do with a regular/hobby model. I've had the honor of working with quite a few and I will say, they are an absolute pleasure !

There really is nothing better than to work with someone who has the posing and experience of a professional; they know which angles work best for their faces and their bodies, and that's of a huge advantage for a photographer. It also makes the shoot go faster, to where you can get more looks in.

However, as a photographer I also compose, light and think differently than I do when i'm working with an agency model. If possible (or if they say in their profile), I find out what agency they're with and I will research the styles of and types of men & women that they represent, and I will also look closely at the type of photography that they have on their websites for their men/women.

Of course, I don't copy the type of photo exactly- I always put my own style and spin on it, but this gives me a better idea of what the agency expects their models to have.

I also always ask three basic questions, one I always as when working with ANY model.

1- Are you allergic to anything, indoors or out, that I should be aware of? (learned about this one on my second shoot.. I shoot outside, and encountered a model that was allergic to grass. Danger, will robinson, danger!)

2- What does your agency need for your comp card?

3- Does your agency require any written contracts/release in order for the shoot to take place- and do I need to go through/get approved by your agent before shooting?

Of course, giving an agency model excellent shots not only looks great for your book, and theirs, but gets you exposure to their agent, which is always nice! I also look closely through their current portfolio since i'm meeting them off of Model Mayhem, to determine what they need in their online portfolios. Chances are, I can fill in some of the gaps!