I hate traffic jams.
Especially in Yellowstone!
In the old days traffic jams were mostly caused by Bear sightings. They still are. But fewer bears means fewer bear jams. With the Buffalo being everywhere, form Madison, to Lamar Valley, to Hayden Valley and even at the top of Dunraven pass you’d thing they weren’t such rock stars. But yes I sat for 15 minutes in a buffalo traffic jam until I chose to go around the cars in front of me, drive the wrong way down a narrow two lane road, and push my way through the buffalo. Yea! me. I had enough guts to instead of sitting and waiting for the giant, behemoth and stupid as Donkey buffalo to move I plowed through them. Yes they are afraid of cars. May favorite thing is as I am passing close by them in my vehicle I grab a tuft of hair. They jump every time. It’s hilarious.
Photographically speaking they are somewhat boring to photograph. Ok a lot boring. Unless they have brand new calves, are rolling in the dirt or fighting they are just huge hairy numbskulls. Kinda how I looked to my Father-in-Law the first time I picked up my then girlfriend now wife for our first date. Explains why he shut the door.
……….
I visualized this photograph slightly different. As they approached me they came up from a low area with the sun behind them. Their lighter colored fur on their backs glowed. I knew right off this was a very difficult shot. Black faces and highlighted fur. Lots of contrast. And off course all backlit. Then it hit me. This may look good in black and white. The buffalo will still have silhouetted faces. But with their large humped backs and huge muscular shapes as the subject I went for it. Took a few frames to the exposure just right. Never to my memory took buffalo in black and white. I like it.
