Beyond Glacier National Park, Telephoto Landscapes and Abstract Patterns

Beyond Glacier National Park - 
The Mission Mountains, on the right day, are some of the most breathtakingly beautiful in all of Montana.  I'm always astounded at the grandure and wildness of these Peaks particularly when viewed from the relatively developed Flathead Valley floor.  Located on the Flathead Reservation in Western Montana, the chain if mountains runs along the eastern edge of the Flathead Valley, between the Flathead and the Swan.

Here the colors of the trees contrast nicely with the brightness of the fresh snow on the peaks, and the blue of the forest below them.  I can say that when this area is lit up, it's hard to beat.

The Tribes of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai, together designated the mountainous area shown in the photo, as a Class I Area under the Federal Clean Air Act.  This classification gives it the most protective air quality standards possible under current federal regulations.  I believe it is one of only two in the US.  Other Class I areas are Federal, meaning they are federal lands and were designated as such under the federal Clean Air Act. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai requested that the Environmental Protection Agency designate this wild region as Class I in order to protect it's cultural values.  I applaud the Tribe and the EPA for taking this action. The Tribe showed great leadership in preserving this landscape and in doing so has lead other tribes to consider the designation.

This area is south of Glacier National Park about an hours drive.  Just head to Polson, MT at the south end of Flathead Lake and look east to see these majestic  peaks.

These images where shot with a 200 and 400 mm lens in order to isolate the subject.  I very often use the 200 to 400 mm range for landcapes, in fact I use it as much or more than any other range.  The tree image also was shot at 200mm and in it I'm showing interesting patterns or at least an abstract pattern of snow on the limbs of the larch and fir trees.  I like to photograph trees and forests.  All shots were hand held ISO 200 @ f8-11.  

Take Care,

Tony

Glacier National Park - Frosty Foggy Winter Morning

Fog moved back in as temperatures dropped to the mid teens. We know what happens when fog mixes with freezing temperatures, FROST! Shortly after I woke up, I looked outside to see a thick coating of frost covering the trees and grass, I immediately got my cameras ready and chased the fog till the sun broke though. Any kind of dramatic shift in light usually offers a great opportunity for dynamic and unusual photos. The new page image above and the one’s below are a product of the days efforts.

One of the most compelling attributes of photography and Glacier National Park are the colors. After watching the season pass and colors change here for almost 10 years it always is a surprise to me that there are new and different colors almost every time I venture out.

I always like to shoot in color, but in some cases I like to reproduce black and whites and or sepia style images. Changing colors and tones allows me a little bit of creative control that is not available when looking just at the light reflecting off a mountain. As beautiful as that is, I like to mix it up a bit sometimes, particularly in the winter months.

I hope you are finding plenty to photograph in your area, if you’re not, ask yourself why? I’m willing to bet that most of you have enough time to get out at least once a week and take a few photos. Try shooting the same subject or from the same location once a week for a few months, at the end of the project, you’ll be surprised at the results. . .