Fall in Glacier National Park, Big Sky Journal Interviews Tony Bynum

Glacier National Park is a paradise. People often emerge from their first visit to the Park and feel like their lives have been forever fundamentally changed. At the very least, no one ever forgets their first visit to Glacier National Park.

A cow moose wanders across a small pond in Glacier National Park, Montana. © Tony Bynum
This and other images of Glacier National Park are for sale on Tony's website. 

People often return to take more photographs, smell the flowers, hike and climbed the peaks and raft the rivers. So when the Editors of the Big Sky Journal called Tony to talk to him about fall wildlife photography in Glacier, he was happy to talk.

Big Sky Journal Interview

Tony Bynum talks about photography in Glacier National Park in this interview published in the Big Sky Journal. You'll also find two other interviews one from a bird photographer, the other about photographing in Yellowstone.

You can find the entire article online here at this link Tony Bynum Interview - Big Sky Journal

Or, you can purchase the Magazine, either by subscription, or the newsstand in Montana.

UPDATE ON FALL CONDITIONS

As of September 6, 2017, fall colors are outstanding on the west-side, but fading on the east. A recent cold snap and snow froze the much of the remaining foliage slowing its transformation from green to brilliant orange and yellow. Many areas still have green leaf's next to trees with no leaf's left.

The following day, stiff winds stripped away a lot of the ripe leaves. There still are pockets of color, and it's still worth a trip. I predict however that after next week, the color will be mostly gone from the east side.

"Sunrise sun on Rising Wolf" Rising Wolf Mountain, Two Medicine Vally, Glacier National Park, Montana. © Tony Bynum

Go Photograph the Larch 

That's not all bad because just as we lose all the color on the east side, the larch begins to go crazy on the west. I recommend you check them out too.

Larch trees in Glacier National Park, Montana 

Colorful larch trees layered in front of green fir trees and a snow covered hill in Glacier National Park, Montana 

Stong contrast from the bright orange of the fall larch creates a nice visual. 

A larch fired ridgeline descends down into Kintla Lake on Glacier Natioanl Park's West Side. The fall larch is a sight to behold. 

Colorful Larch trees reflect in ripply waters of the Flathead River, Glacier National Park, Montana 

Click here for more photographs of fall trees

Have a great fall!

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

Superbowl Sunday - Glacier Park Goats & light you can't refuse

Mountain goats in February what a surprise. I found a few mountain goats to photograph this past weekend. It’s a surprise because Mountain goats seldom are low enough to photograph this time of year. In fact I usually don’t see them until later in April. While it was a nice surprise to see them so early, I can’t help but wonder if it’s the shortage of snow that’s got them coming out of the rocky crags of the high country this early. On the bright side, they look healthy and were not at all upset with my "invading" their space. Here's a shot of a kid and her mother, called a nanny. 

To me, the key to quality nature images is the light; not just any light, but quality light. In nature photography warm light often is considered quality light and preferred over the hard light of the mid day sun, though not essential. A mediocre image can become a fantastic image under the right light. Seldom do you see a stellar image in poor light. Keep in mind that light and quality imagery are based on the perspective of the photographer and in some cases may not meet your definition. Nonetheless, "quality" images have a context and a perspective chosen first by the photographer and by the viewer second.    

Take for example the image to the right. I shot this after leaving the mountain goats. The light had faded from the mountain goats beyond what I knew I could use so I left. As I descended I looked up and noticed a small sliver in the clouds where the light was coming through. It was steep angled light the kind that you find in the evening, and it was coming though just a slight crack in the clouds and showing up behind me on the side of the mountain, above the mountain goats. 

When I turned to see what it was doing behind me I found the image shown above. At first glance I was not so impressed but I was intrigued enough that I could not refuse to unpacking my camera and lens and aim it at the trees with the plan to frame the quality light falling on the them. I put the 200mm lens on my Nikon body and captured a few shots. The warmth of the light coupled with the contrast and the colors of the fir and tamarack (larch) trees makes for an interesting image.  But more importantly while I know it's not a Pulitzer prize wining shot, it is, in my view an example of how the quality of light changes an otherwise dull image into something interesting. I felt that this single shot made my trip worth every bit if effort, even if I did miss the first half of the Super bowl to get it!

Cheers!

Tony