Male Rock Ptarmigan – Kokolik River, Alaska

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f4L IS, 1.4x TC, ISO 800, f8.0, 1/4000th sec. 

I spent very little time this summer photographing wildlife. In part that’s due to the fact that I’m often weight-limited on my backcountry journeys. The small planes we use at Arctic Wild to access remote parts of the Brooks Range have limited carrying capacities. When you combine the weight of people, group gear, food and essential personal gear like tents, sleeping bags, and warm clothes, there is little left over for photography equipment. Usually, the first lens to be removed from my quiver is the 500mm f4. It’s just too damn big and heavy to carry on most trips. That said, it did find its way down the Kokolik River in June. And I used it… at least occasionally.

This is a male Rock Ptarmigan I photographed just above one of our camps along the river. Even with winter long past, males of this species hold onto their white feathers though the breeding season. I made this image about half past eight in the evening, just when the sun was dipping low enough to begin to sweeten the light.

This and a few other images aside, the lack of wildlife imagery I made this summer saddens me a bit. If anyone has recommendations for a compact, high-powered, telephoto, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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