Three's Company

This is not a great shot but it was such an unusual sight that I had to share. On my way to classes on Friday I happened to look up and see not one, not two, but three golden eagles in a tree by the side of the road!

More Media Class

 Another assignment for my media class involves capturing photos of sporting events. So last weekend I did something I haven't done for years - I went to a hockey game! Cody has a team called the Yellowstone Quake and they were kind enough to allow me access to a spot where I could get some shots without being behind glass. The Quake won the game 6 to 3.

There are two critical words in sports photography: action and reaction. Without one or the other it is tough to get a picture others want to see.

I learned a lot about shooting in this particular environment during the game. I would love to go back again now that I have a sense of what I need to do.

In the first photo, above, I have a little bit of both - action, in the fight, and reaction, in the little boy behind the glass cheering them on.

 This second photo is definitely about the reaction of the opposing player after the Quake scored their fourth goal.

The last shot shows the action of the puck hitting the back of the net as the Quake make it 5 to 1.

Media Class

 Today I am showing two very different photos. The one thing they have in common is that both were taken for my Media Class. I have been surprised to discover how much I enjoy this facet of photography.

The first shot was for an assignment calling for a photo taken at an event using only existing light, i.e. no flash. I took my camera along to the Crab Crack in Cody last weekend and caught this shot of Lisa McDonald, a belly dancer, spinning as she danced on stage.

I submitted the photo to the NWC Trail (the college paper) as well as the Powell Tribune and was pleasantly surprised to have both newspapers run it. My first official media photograph!

The second shot was taken this morning and is for my "Feature" assignment, due on Monday. Features are general interest, feel good shots that often include animals, children or humor. I was tagging along as my rancher neighbor was feeding cattle but he assured me before we left that it would be a couple weeks before any of his cows would be giving birth. Turns out we were both surprised by this newborn!

Morning at the feeder

 Morning at the feeder brings in bunnies and birds by the dozens. Today, with a snowy covering all around, nobody was too concerned with my presence. The goal was to eat what they could before the rock doves and magpies moved in!

This cottontail has some amazing whiskers. Like most animals of this type, the whiskers serve as feelers in the dark.

 The pinyon jays were plentiful and colorful even under overcast skies.

In this grouping we have at least one mama and one baby. I am always surprised when I see youngsters still being fed in mid-winter but it is a common sight with the pinyons.

Here Comes the Bride

On a cold, wintery day like today the best thing to do is get out on an invigorating hike! So we grabbed some gear and headed to the Clark's Fork Canyon where we met up with friends Bill and Yvette and their companion, Atticus. The destination was Bridal Veil Falls, a beautiful cascade hidden from the main trail by a few well placed rock walls.

The falls plummets about 150' or so from up in the Beartooths. This time of year it is an amazingly detailed curtain of ice with one small stream of water escaping about two-thirds the way up. Hopefully you can see it in this photo to the left.

 This second shot is from a little further back. To get to the base of the falls you have to hike in about an hour from the trailhead and then carefully navigate up a frozen (mostly!) stream for another half hour or so.

 In one spot we set up a rope handhold as the ground was frozen and very slippery. Poor Atticus had to rely on his toe nails for doggy crampons!

Seeing Double

 We probably see more golden eagles than 99% of the people in this world but I never tire of the sightings. This morning as I left for classes I was given the gift of a more unusual treat - a bald eagle sitting on a fence post.

He put up with me for quite a while but finally decided to take off for another locale. In this first photo it looks as if he has something in his talons but it is just the motion of his movements. This shot is slightly out of focus - unfortunate for me!

 The shots of him sitting, however, are much crisper. Look at that beak!

Yesterday we had another visit from the usual suspect. He was being harassed by magpies as he took a rest on the ground near the llama corral.

Pinhole Magic

 Here are three of the dozen or so pinhole camera images I have taken to date. There is something very appealing about using a process that has been around since the early 1800's and that is so totally non-technical!

The first shot is a double exposure of a large clock and the Clark's Fork River. The only tricky part was figuring out the exposure times. Because the clock was in the shade I used an exposure of two minutes. The river, in the sunlight, was exposed for 4 seconds. Still, the river is the dominant image of the two.

 The second shot is my favorite so far. I put the camera in the second story window and shot a 16 second exposure toward Heart Mountain. Amazingly, the llamas stayed pretty still during that time so they are relatively sharp in the image.

The third shot was taken directly into the sun from the garden in our back yard.
The last two shots showcase one of the best features of a pinhole - the amazing depth of field that can be achieved with an aperature of f/512.

Early Flight

 I don't know of anything more beautiful than a golden eagle in the sun! That is when you truly realize how they got their name as the feathers on their heads glow with an amazing light all their own.

This bird sat and watched me this morning as I fed llamas and then put out seed for the chukars. He seemed relatively unconcerned about my presence so after feeding I got out the camera and took about 50 shots of him sitting on Vertebrae Rock.

 When he finally decided to fly off, he came right at me instead of the usual move of sliding off the back out of sight.

Can't we be Friends?

This morning I drove to the river with my tripod and a pinhole camera to take some double exposures of water.

As I returned up the driveway I looked across to see a half dozen mule deer grazing in the pasture.

They were so concerned with me that at first they didn't notice the llamas coming over the hill to greet them. Once they realized they were the subjects of intense curiosity by the llamas they took off across the field to "safety".

This one last deer seemed more concerned with me until the llamas were almost close enough to touch noses. I'm sure Tardy (in the lead) was disappointed he wasn't able to make a new friend!


I have launched a new photo website at www.kathylichtendahl.com
I have a lot of shots that need to be uploaded in the next few days.

I hope you will stop by to see what is there!