Everything I learned while photographing one of Canada’s most iconic animals

Introduction

There are few wildlife experiences that feel as distinctly Canadian as watching a herd of bison move across an open meadow.

At Elk Island National Park, that experience can happen surprisingly close to Edmonton. The park protects both plains bison and wood bison, giving photographers an opportunity to observe two different subspecies within the same protected area.

I visited Elk Island to photograph the bison, but the experience became about much more than creating close portraits. It was about watching how the animals moved through the landscape, learning the difference between the two herds, and understanding the role this relatively small national park has played in bison conservation across North America.

With my Sony A1 II and 200–600mm lens, I spent my time slowly exploring the park, looking for quiet moments, winter textures, and photographs that showed the bison as part of the landscape rather than separated from it.

Where Is Elk Island National Park?

Elk Island National Park is located approximately 35 kilometres east of Edmonton, Alberta, along Highway 16.

The park is open throughout the year and can be explored by vehicle, on foot, by bicycle, and from its network of more than 80 kilometres of trails. Its landscape includes aspen forest, wetlands, lakes, meadows, and grasslands, supporting more than 40 mammal species and over 250 bird species.

Although Elk Island is relatively close to the city, it can feel surprisingly quiet once you begin exploring.

Long stretches of road pass through forest and open meadow, while Astotin Lake and the surrounding wetlands add another layer to the landscape. Bison are the most obvious attraction, but elk, moose, coyotes, deer, waterfowl, and numerous other species can also appear throughout the park.

Plains Bison or Wood Bison?

One of the most important things to understand before visiting is that Elk Island protects two different subspecies of bison.

Plains Bison

Plains bison are found on the north side of Highway 16, throughout the main section of the park.

They generally have a rounder hump positioned above the front legs, a fuller beard, shaggy leg hair, and a more defined cape around the shoulders. They are the bison most visitors encounter along Elk Island Parkway and the Bison Loop Road.

Wood Bison

Wood bison are found on the south side of Highway 16, in a separate area of the park.

They are generally larger and taller, with darker fur, longer legs, a smaller beard, and a taller, more rectangular hump positioned farther forward over the shoulders. The Wood Bison Trail is the park’s designated hiking area where visitors may encounter this larger and rarer subspecies.

The separation of the two herds makes it possible to photograph very different-looking animals during the same visit.

When to Visit

Elk Island can be photographed in every season, and each part of the year creates a completely different experience.

Spring

Spring brings fresh green meadows, returning birds, and bison calves. Calves are usually born during May and June and initially have a reddish-orange coat that stands out beautifully against the new grass.

This can be a rewarding season, but extra space is essential. Mothers can be highly protective, and photographers should never position themselves between a calf and the herd.

Summer

Summer offers long evenings, lush surroundings, and opportunities to photograph larger groups of bison grazing together.

The summer rut can also bring increased movement and interaction between mature bulls. However, this is not a reason to move closer. Bulls can become especially unpredictable during the breeding season.

Autumn

Autumn introduces warm colours, cooler temperatures, and softer light.

The combination of golden grasses, changing aspen leaves, and the dark shape of a bison can create some of the most visually interesting environmental photographs of the year.

Winter

Winter may be my favourite season for photographing bison.

Snow simplifies the landscape and places greater emphasis on the shape, texture, and size of the animal. Frost collects around their faces, breath becomes visible in the cold air, and their dark coats stand out against the white surroundings.

The conditions can be uncomfortable, but winter often produces photographs with the strongest sense of atmosphere.

The Best Time of Day

Early morning and late afternoon generally offer the best combination of wildlife activity and photographic light.

Parks Canada recommends visiting around dawn or dusk to improve the likelihood of seeing wildlife, as many animals retreat into shaded forest during the warmest hours of the day.

Morning light can create frost, mist, and warm backlighting around the bison’s coat. Late afternoon often brings softer light across open meadows and more depth in the surrounding landscape.

That said, bison rarely follow a photographer’s schedule.

Some of my most memorable encounters happened under overcast skies, during snowfall, or in the middle of a seemingly quiet afternoon. Rather than waiting only for perfect light, I learned to appreciate the conditions I was given.

Where to Look for Bison

The main section of the park is crossed by Elk Island Parkway, which runs approximately 20 kilometres through the northern area.

Plains bison are frequently seen along the Parkway and around the Bison Loop Road. They may be feeding in open meadows, resting near the forest edge, or standing directly on the roadway. Wood bison are restricted to the separate southern section of the park.

The most effective approach is often the simplest:

Drive slowly.

Watch the edges of the forest.

Look well beyond the first meadow.

Be willing to wait.

Bison can disappear surprisingly easily among the trees. A large bull may be completely hidden until it steps into a small opening or crosses the road ahead.

When a herd is visible, I prefer to stop at a safe and legal location, remain inside the vehicle, and allow the scene to develop naturally.

What I Saw

The first thing that stood out was the scale of the animals.

A solitary bull already appears enormous, but that sense of size becomes even more impressive when several bison begin moving together. Their heavy footsteps, deep grunts, and the sound of their coats brushing against dry grass make the encounter feel completely different from simply seeing them in photographs.

Some bison remained in open fields, while others moved between meadow and aspen forest.

There were moments of activity, but much of the experience was quiet. Bison grazed, rested, crossed the road, and occasionally disappeared into the trees without any urgency.

That slower behaviour encouraged me to stop searching constantly for action and spend more time observing the smaller details.

What I Felt

Photographing bison created a strange combination of calm and awareness.

They often appear peaceful, but their size and strength are impossible to ignore. Being near them demands respect.

I never felt the need to move closer. In fact, the longer focal length gave me the freedom to remain far back and watch without influencing their behaviour.

The most meaningful moments came when the bison seemed completely unaware of me.

A bull walking through falling snow.

A herd slowly emerging from the forest.

A bison resting in the grass while frost gathered around its face.

Those scenes felt more honest than anything I could have created by approaching or forcing a composition.

What I Photographed

I created a mixture of close portraits and environmental images.

The portraits focused on the details that make bison so visually powerful: the curve of the horns, the thick winter coat, the dark eyes, and the snow or frost collecting around the face.

The wider images showed the bison within the park.

Aspen trunks, snowy meadows, distant forest, and open sky helped create a stronger sense of place. These photographs may not show as much detail in the animal, but they say more about where the bison lives.

I also watched for behaviour rather than only appearances.

A bison shaking snow from its coat, moving through deep grass, interacting with another member of the herd, or slowly walking toward the forest can produce a more memorable photograph than a perfectly posed portrait.

Photographing Bison Safely

Bison may look slow and docile, but they are powerful, unpredictable wild animals that can charge without warning.

Parks Canada advises visitors not to approach them. When bison are encountered along the road, drivers should remain patient, avoid honking or driving aggressively, and stay inside the vehicle when stopping to view them.

Current roadside viewing restrictions prohibit people from approaching or remaining within 100 metres of a bison unless they are completely inside a legally positioned vehicle. Visitors must also avoid blocking the animals or interfering with their movement. Regulations can change, so current park bulletins should always be checked before visiting.

A long lens is not simply useful for composition—it allows wildlife to be photographed without moving into its space.

No image is worth making an animal change direction, stop feeding, leave its herd, or become visibly alert.

Signs That a Bison Is Uncomfortable

A bison does not need to charge for an encounter to have gone too far.

Warning behaviours can include:

• Raising or swinging the head
• Pawing at the ground
• Snorting
• Turning to face you directly
• Staring continuously
• Moving away because of your presence
• Making a short bluff charge

The best response is to recognize the situation before those signs appear.

Keep enough distance that the animal continues behaving naturally. When a bison notices you repeatedly or changes what it is doing, it is time to retreat.

Photographing From a Vehicle

A vehicle can be one of the most useful tools for wildlife photography at Elk Island.

It provides protection, reduces your visual presence, and allows you to remain at a respectful distance. A beanbag placed over a partially lowered window can provide support without the setup time required for a tripod.

Before stopping, I look for a legal place where the vehicle will not block traffic or interfere with the bison’s movement.

I also avoid driving alongside an animal. If a bison is walking on the road, it is better to slow down or stop and let it choose where to go. Trying to pass can cause the animal to continue running alongside the vehicle.

Patience is safer for the bison, safer for other visitors, and usually better for photography.

Camera Settings for Bison

Bison often move slowly, but their behaviour can change quickly.

For a resting or grazing animal, I generally begin with a shutter speed between 1/800 and 1/1250 second. For walking, running, shaking snow, or interactions between animals, I increase that to approximately 1/1600 to 1/2500 second.

I usually photograph in aperture priority or manual mode with Auto ISO, depending on how quickly the light is changing.

For portraits, I often work near the widest available aperture to separate the bison from the background. For wider scenes involving several animals or more of the landscape, I stop down slightly to preserve additional depth.

Exposing snow correctly is also important. Camera meters can turn a white landscape grey, so I watch the histogram and add positive exposure compensation when needed without clipping highlights.

The Equipment I Used

Sony A1 II

The Sony A1 II gave me the speed and resolution needed for everything from slow portraits to sudden movement.

Its autofocus made it easy to maintain focus on the animal’s eye, even when the face was partly surrounded by dark fur. The high-resolution files also allowed me to crop when necessary without sacrificing the detail that makes close bison portraits so effective.

Just as importantly, the camera handled changing winter conditions without distracting me from the experience.

Sony FE 200–600mm f/5.6–6.3 G OSS

The 200–600mm was the lens I used most often.

At 600mm, I could photograph detailed portraits while remaining far from the animal. At the wider end, I could include more of the herd, the forest, or the surrounding meadow.

That flexibility was especially useful when photographing from a vehicle, where physically changing position was not always possible or appropriate.

For bison photography, the reach is valuable—but the ability to zoom out quickly is equally important. These are large animals, and they can fill the frame much faster than expected.

What Else Can You Photograph?

Although bison receive most of the attention, Elk Island is much more than a single-species destination.

The park supports elk, moose, white-tailed deer, coyotes, beavers, porcupines, black bears, and more than 250 bird species. Its combination of forest, wetland, lake, and grassland habitats makes it possible to encounter something different during every visit.

Astotin Lake can be especially productive for waterfowl, shorebirds, and landscape photography. Forest trails may offer opportunities for woodpeckers, songbirds, moose, and smaller mammals.

Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, which is exactly why I try to remain open to photographing more than the animal I originally came to find.

Why Elk Island Matters

Elk Island National Park has played an important role in bison conservation for more than a century.

Between 1907 and 1912, more than 700 bison were transported to the park after the Canadian government purchased one of the continent’s remaining herds. Since then, Elk Island’s disease-free plains and wood bison have helped establish and strengthen conservation herds across North America and beyond.

The park generally manages populations of approximately 600 plains bison and 400 wood bison, although those numbers fluctuate from year to year. Because Elk Island is completely fenced, the herds must be actively managed to protect the health of both the bison and the ecosystem.

Knowing this history changed the way I viewed the animals.

I was not simply photographing an iconic Canadian species. I was photographing descendants of animals that became part of one of the continent’s most important wildlife recovery stories.

Before You Go

Conditions, closures, water advisories, wildlife activity, and roadside viewing restrictions can change throughout the year.

Before entering the park, check:

• Current Parks Canada bulletins
• Road and trail conditions
• Wildlife restrictions
• Seasonal facility availability
• Weather and extreme cold warnings
• Permit requirements for commercial photography

Personal recreational photography is generally straightforward, but commercial filming and photography require authorization from Parks Canada.

Most importantly, arrive without expecting the bison to appear in a specific location.

Wildlife photography is always better when the animal is allowed to determine the encounter.

Conclusion

Elk Island National Park is one of the most meaningful places I have visited to photograph bison.

The animals are impressive, but the experience goes far beyond their size.

It is the quiet of an early winter morning.

The shape of a herd slowly emerging from the aspen forest.

The sound of hooves moving through snow.

The frost around a bull’s face as it pauses in the cold air.

Learning about the park’s conservation work made those moments feel even more significant. The bison at Elk Island are not only incredible photographic subjects—they are part of a much larger story of survival, restoration, and responsibility.

The best way to experience them is slowly.

Keep your distance, stay patient, and allow the animals to move naturally through the landscape. The photograph may not happen immediately, but when it does, it will feel far more genuine.

– Jared VanderMeer