The PhotoWILD Podcast

Episode 5: Preparing for Yellowstone

In episode 5 of the PhotoWILD Podcast, Jared Lloyd and Annalise Kaylor discuss what it takes to plan a trip to Yellowstone National Park in the winter. This year, they spent a month photographing wildlife in this winter wonderland and discuss the many different considerations they make for preparing for their time there. From equipment choices to timing based on statistical averages for weather, if you have ever wanted to photograph in Yellowstone in the winter, you won’t want to miss this episode.
Key Takeaways
While the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has the greatest species diversity of mammals in North America, there is an incredible array of avian species to photograph this time of year such as bald eagles, golden eagles, black-billed magpies, snow buntings, and the endangered Rocky Mountain trumpeter swan - to name just a few.
Lens choices are made for very personal reasons based on the exact type of photographs someone wants to create - close up portraits, environment photographs, images of wolves, images of bison, etc. Identifying what the opportunities will be and specifically what type of photographs you want to create of those species should dictate what equipment you bring on a trip like this.
Historically, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem experiences very deep cold in January and very snowy conditions in February. If you want frosty bison, you should travel to the region in January. If you want photographs of animals in heavy falling snow, statistically speaking, you should travel to Yellowstone in February.
Low pressure systems impact wildlife behavior. The day before a big storm hits an area, wildlife activity increases exponentially.
Successful wildlife photography often comes down to understanding the very unique windows of time that certain opportunities can be found. For instance, if you want moose in the snow, you should come to Yellowstone as early as possible - December to January 15th. Moose are the first species to loose their antlers in the ecosystem. By the end of January, you will be hard pressed to find a single moose that still holds antlers.
Jared’s Yellowstone kit includes the Nikon 400mm f/2.8 with built in 1.4 TC, the Nikon 800mm PF f/6.3 lens, 2 Nikon Z9 camera bodies, the Sony FX6 cinema camera, and Sony 200-600 f/5.6-6.3 lens.
Annalise’s Yellowstone kit includes the Sony 400mm f/2.8, the Sony 200-600, Sony A1 camera bodies.
 
Want to join us in Yellowstone next year?
Each year, Jared and Annalise lead workshops to Yellowstone National Park in the winter. If you would like to join us in 2024, which will be Jared’s 31st trip he has led there, then check out https://www.jaredlloyd.com/winter-wildlife-yellowstone

Episode 4: Photographing Pelagic Seabirds in Panama

In this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss photographing pelagic seabirds at a nesting colony along the Caribbean Coast of Panama. While many different species utilize the island, the red-billed tropicbirds and brown boobies stole the show. The word “pelagic,” means open ocean. These are species of birds that spend their entire lives on the wing out over the ocean, returning to land only once a year to breed. Of all the many species of birds around the world, pelagic seabirds are both the least understood and also the most threatened group of birds on the planet.
Key Takeaways in this Episode
When it comes to photographing birds in flight, backgrounds are everything
Contrasting colors are one of the most important considerations when it comes to choosing how and where to photograph a species.
Experiments are beginning to suggest that turning off eye detect autofocus increases success rates with birds in flight
Understanding how to use close-focus priority autofocus area modes will dramatically improve your bird in flight photography.
Equipment Considerations
Bird in flight photography is always easiest when hand holding a lens. But when it comes to photographing from a boat, this is a must.
Finding a balance between weight and focal length is important.
On this particular trip, Jared used a Nikon 500mm PF f/5.6 lens with the FTZ adaptor on a Nikon Z9. While this is a fantastic little lens, Jared said he will never do it again. The weather sealing of this lens was just not up to par with what was demanded of the equipment this year in Panama. And by the time they were in boats photographing pelagic seabirds, the 500mm PF lens had condensation INSIDE of the lens itself. This dramatically impacted the lenses ability to find and accurately lock focus. Instead, Jared had to switch to his Nikon 120-300mm f/2.8 lens instead. This lens, while perfect for photographing monkeys and sloths and various mammals in Panama, was not brought with the intention to be used to photograph birds on the open ocean. Next time, Jared will bring the Nikon 400mm f/2.8 w/ built in 1.4 teleconverter instead for this situation.
Annalise used the Sony A1 with the Sony 400mm f/2.8 and had no trouble with weather proofing. While a heavier lens then most would opt for using to photograph birds in flight, the superior glass, weather sealing, and autofocusing capabilities of this lens proved to make the additional weight well worth the effort.

Episode 3: Sloths and Poison Dart Frogs along the Caribbean

Join Jared Lloyd and Annalise Kaylor as they travel from the Pacific Coast of Panama to the Caribbean. The northeast of Panama is a world apart from the rest of the country. Remote. Accessible only by boats. The region is characterized by warm and crystalline blue waters filled with coral reefs, lush lowland rainforest, and countless islands that has led the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute to refer to the place as the Galapagos of the Caribbean.
The Bocas del Toro region of Panama holds an extraordinary display of biological diversity - especially in the form of amphibians. And there is probably no better place on Earth to find and photograph sloths.
In this episode, we discuss the basics behind using off-camera flash for macro subjects as well as the challenges of making sloths look sexy.

Episode 1: Pre-Production for a month in Panama

There is so much that goes into planning a photography trip. It doesn’t matter if you’re heading out for the afternoon in the field or taking off on a monthlong expedition to some exotic destination, when it comes to what we do, there are always decisions to make and chief among those is what equipment to bring and why.

Episode 2: Photographing Monkeys on the Panama Canal

Jared and Annalise spent over week working from small native skiffs along the Panama Canal and Lago Gatun in search of monkeys and snail kites. The challenge with photographing monkeys is multifaceted. They are fast, which requires a solid focusing strategy and the ability to keep up. They make their living in the dark recesses of the rainforest where overcast days make things simpler in terms of handling highlights and shadows, but force us to work at extremely high ISOs that can exceed 20,000. The environment these animals live in is complicated, cluttered, and filled with distractions. All of these things, and more, must be overcome to be successful in the field.
In this episode, Jared and Annalise discuss the natural history of the animals they were working with and exactly how they overcame the daily challenges brought on while photographing in these conditions - from autofocus strategies to handling low light scenarios to compositional considerations when working in such cluttered environments.