Coyote in Nevada sagebrush. Nikkor 55-200mm, 1/500, F/11, ISO 250
Wildlife photography is always something I’ve enjoyed. I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like so when I get the opportunity I’m get zoned in. Wildlife really made an impact on me in the summer of 2001 when my father took my brother and me on a month long safari in East Africa. Back then, at 17 years old, my main interest was shooting video as opposed to taking photographs. I became very good at seeking and finding wildlife on that trip. I trained my body to hold the camera steady while standing as we bumped around on the beaten down roads. No room for a tripod in the jeeps. I honed my ability to see and track movement in the brush so I could call out to the driver to stop for an encounter. In the 4 weeks we traveled around Tanzania and Kenya I shot about 15 hours of video onto Hi-8 tapes. That doesn’t sound like much to me today but back then, with less experience as a filmmaker, it seemed overwhelming to comb through! In the end, the amount of content I captured on that safari laid the foundation for achieving a degree in film.
As time progressed and I got better at my craft I felt the desire to go back to the East African plains. I often wonder what kind of content I could capture with the gear and knowledge I have today. In 2001 I only had a Sony Handycam and a little Canon A2000. Not really ideal. I didn’t know it at the time but I would have to wait 14 more years before acquiring a better camera.
In 2015 I became the happy owner of a Nikon D5500 and my interest (and ability) in photography really took off. This came at the perfect time for me because I was about to take regular trips into the high Nevada wilderness where there was a good chance of photographing some interesting wildlife. I had started dating my girlfriend the year before and was taking my first trip to Reno to spend Christmas with her family.
On December 26 my girlfriend’s parents took me up into the high desert east of Pyramid Lake. After an hour and a half on pavement we veered onto dirt and began our trek into the Nevada desert. The feeling of being on rough, bumpy dirt roads brought me right back to Africa. The instinct of watching for animals in the sagebrush ahead of us kicked in. I finally had my opportunity to photograph wildlife with better gear! My 200mm Nikkor was in hand ready to go.
Being the guest, I was allowed the front passenger seat in the red Nissan Frontier which made it easier to scan the horizon. The scenery out here was really pretty, a stark contrast to my then home in San Jose, CA.
Nikkor 50-200mm, 1/800, f/13, ISO 200.
Nikkor 50-200mm, 1/500, f/11, ISO 200.
Despite the incredible landscape, it appeared to be void of wildlife. No deer, no birds so far. I was hoping for deer. There was no way there would be no deer. Then only 15 minutes later I spotted movement. It was moving quickly in the sagebrush about 200 yards away but it wasn’t a deer. This was a coyote! A large one. Not expecting an encounter like this I quickly shifted in my seat to get a couple shots off. The following images are terrible.
Nikkor 50-200mm, 1/500, f/11, ISO 200.
Nikkor 50-200mm, 1/500, f/11, ISO 200.
But don’t worry! I’ll take a better image later! Realizing we were getting closer, the coyote bolted over the next ridge but as our road took us in her direction, we regained our view only seconds later. Now she was on the other side of the road on our left and a bit closer to the truck. Only about 50 yards away we stopped the truck to get a longer look. I raised the Nikon to my eye peering across the cab of the Frontier as my girlfriend’s father in the driver’s seat leaned back for me. Shooting through his open window and zooming in with my 200mm lens the coyote and I made eye contact and I snapped off this shot.
Coyote in Nevada sagebrush. Nikkor 55-200mm, 1/500, F/11, ISO 250
I love this image. I nailed the focus. Look how clearly you can see her eye, ears perked up, listening intently. Partially hidden by her natural habitat. Even the landscape is stunning. The hill rising up behind her as it fades into shadow and the low, soft December light in the foreground is the icing on the cake. I don’t believe you need a crystal clear image of a wild animal to capture an amazing photograph. This image shows the intelligence of the coyote as she observes us from a distance. Not running in fear, but rather inquisitive.
This photograph brought all my skills together from the ability to spot wildlife from a moving vehicle to the composition and focus. But I was only able to capture this one shot. Five seconds later she was on the move again and was lost amidst the sea of sage. Now, 5 years later it’s still one of my best wildlife images.
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