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Wm. Bates | all galleries >> Galleries >> 2006 Yellowstone Meet n Greet > Suspended In Suspense.jpg
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21-MAY-2006

Suspended In Suspense.jpg

while photographing Yellow-bellied Marmots at Sheep Eater Cliffs in Yellowstone a couple of little boys decided to do some free climbing. Really, a fall from the cliff down onto the broken basalt rocks below very likely could have been fatal. These kids had no fear and scrambled up and down the cliff. It was almost hard to watch; wondering when that fatal slip would happen.

I guess the bravery of youth is needed as much as the wisdom that comes with age to keep balance in our little world.

A few more from Yellowstone





And something different from today

Canon EOS 5D ,Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM
1/1000s f/5.6 at 300.0mm iso200 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time21-May-2006 11:08:30
MakeCanon
ModelCanon EOS 5D
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length300 mm
Exposure Time1/1000 sec
Aperturef/5.6
ISO Equivalent200
Exposure Bias
White Balance (-1)
Metering Modematrix (5)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Programaperture priority (3)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Yves Rubin09-Jul-2006 09:09
Love the perspective and framing, it does look difficult and dangerous!
Guest 03-Jul-2006 13:03
The only time I remember my parents 'stopping my fun' was one time they caught me climbing trees while my leg was still in plaster.
As a parent myself, I've tried to follow their example but having two daughters I may have held the reins a little more firmly.
Good memories, Thanks Bill
Guest 01-Jun-2006 14:01
Excellent shot and it does bring back memories. We would climb the cut out "cliffs" created by highways and other natural cliffs. We did have one casualty once. We were climbing a metal trellace to the upper stroy of a friend's house when he started to fall and got his finger caught in the metal and he lost half his finger. It became a badge of courage for him just as every motorcross scar I have on my body is badge of a younger, wilder, more courageous time for myself. These are the times we are most alive.
Wm. Bates29-May-2006 04:41
Jim when I was a kid I would have been climbing those rocks too and my parents would have pretty much ignored what I was doing . There is just no way I would do it today ... I'm older and wiser.
Wm. Bates29-May-2006 04:39
Isleman, Yeah I'm a Canon guy but I'll try to be impartial. Buy a body that works for you. Go play with them in the store and see which fits your hands and find one that makes sense and is easy to use. Also, bodies come and go but lenses stick around. Find a system that has lenses that will work for the photography you want to do. For me that was Canon's lenses system. They have a great selection of image stabilized long lenses and a much better price than Nikon.

We could go into the low noise high ISO thing and how much cleaner the Canon images are plus the added plus of a full frame DSLR but then I would sound like I was bashing Nikon. Really both manufacturers make great bodies that will produce superb images.
isleman29-May-2006 02:34
Ah yes, but Jim, did you get that permission in writing?

Thought provoking shot Bill. Not at all what you might expect on a Yellowstone expedition. I absolutely love the close up of the Eagle dining. That one gets my vote! The Talons are amazing.

BTW Bill, I am looking to get a DSLR and I know you are a Canon guy, but what are your thoughts on the Nikon D200? Our son got accepted to the US Naval Academy and I want to get back to taking serious shots of him and Annapolis! I am a novice, so I am also considering the D70s.

Keep up the great work Bill I will always be an ardent fan!
Jim McKinlock29-May-2006 00:36
Thought provoking shot Bill. My first thought was where the heck are their parents? but then I wondered if their parents are climbers and just started out their kids at an early age. This made me think a bit about my own childhood . I was born in Hawaii and my parents had me in the water probably the day after I was born. I have fond memories of body surfing in 8-10 foot waves at age 5 or 6. Actually you can't really call it body surfing, it was more like see how far up the crest of the wave you can swim before it thrashes you around like your inside a washing machine for 30 seconds or so and then swim out and try it again. I never once thought it was bravery for being out there or even dangerous, it was just what my Dad liked to do so it must be good. I went back to the same beach as an adult some 20 years later telling my wife about how fun the big waves are, after the 2nd wave I came back to shore telling my wife "what the f*** were my parents thinking taking me out in waves like that? those things are dangerous" I came home from vacation and asked my Mom about it and she just shrugged and said 'You're still alive and you're a great swimmer now, what's the problem" . Now days most parents are so over protective of their kids myself included : ( that I wonder how much we sty-my their growth to get the most out of life. Sorry this comment is so long, but Wanda gave me permission to ramble on.

Jim
Beverly Wickersham28-May-2006 16:19
Wonderful shot. Makes me nervous just looking at the picture.