Montana Photography

This is slight departure for the Glacier Park Photography blog. Although there are many photographs of Glacier National Park in this slideshow, it's really a compilation of photographs from around the big sky state coupled with a sound track provided by Montana musician David Walburn.

I though since the wind is blowing, and the snow is piling up, it would be nice to share the rest of Montana with all of you and share some insights into what is a Montana Photographer.

If you choose to watch this slideshow of photographs of big sky's in Montana you can click on this link. If you'd prefer to watch it on directly on youtube, it's here at: Montana under the big sky.


Keep warm out there!


Tony Bynum

Glacier National Park Winter Photographs

Glacier National Park winter photography. This glacier park winter photograph is an example of the type of image you can expect to capture during the winter months. This image of Lake McDonald, is from Glacier Parks West side. Lake McDonald is a few miles north of the town of West Glacier, and about 20 miles north of Kalispell, Montana.

In the photograph of Lake Mcdonald, in Glacier National Park, steam gently rises off the lake indicating very cold air and relatively warm water. In the distance, the mountains are snow capped and reflecting afternoon light. During the winter months very low sun angle makes for fantastic afternoon and evening sunset images.

Glacier National Park - Lake Mcdonald. Steam rises off Lake McDonald with snow covered peaks in the background. ©tonybynum.com - Tony Bynum  

Lake McDonald, on Glacier Parks west side, is one of the few locations that can easily be photographed. The west side of the park has far less direct access in the winter than the east side of Glacier Park.

That said, if you plan to access Glacier National Park in the winter, be sure to contact glacier park to check on area and seasonal closures.  In the last few years, Glacier Park administrators have close several very popular winter access areas in response to resource concerns.

In particular the entire area around Saint Mary's Lake, on Glacier National Park's east side has been closed to protect wintering elk. This closure was in response to an elk poaching incident.

It's too bad the Park keeps closing more and more of the Park to visitors.  Glacier National Park is wonderful area to visit during the winter. I hope that if you want to visit the park in the winter you do it!  Contact +Tony Bynum , or @tonybynum or find him on facebook at Tony Bynum Photography on Facebook.

  

Glacier National Park Photography 2013 summed up - be in the moment

Posting a series of new Glacier National Park photographs from 2013. This is a photograph of a storm on Saint Mary Lake from 2013, one of my favorite places and one I have photographed literally hundreds of times. 2001 was the fist time I photographed the lake. At that time I saw huge waves crashing on the shore of Saint Mary Lake, so I decided to figure out how best to photograph it. . .  It is challenging.  I'll give you a warring, and some advise, you're going to get wet if that bothers you, stay off the shore when the wind is blowing. If you don't have gear that you can get wet, forget shooting this lake-shore when the wind is blowing - your stuff is going to get wet!!!  That's just a fact. 

Waves crashing down on the shore of Saint Mary Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana. A stunning perspective from Glacier National Park. Nikon d4, Nikon 14-24 f2.8 lens, Really Right Stuff legs, and ball head, several filters . . .  ©tonybynum.com all rights reserved. 

For 2013, Glacier National Park was average to above average to outstanding depending one when and where you were. In some places the summer weather helped produce some of one of the best alpine wild flowers I have ever seen. The lower to mid elevations in several drainage's, were fantastic as well. 

Fall conditions, well, lets not talk about the fall colors on the east side this year - basically I can say this, "what fall colors." As is par for Glacier, the leaves along the east side (Saint Mary, Babb) turned brown and never produced the fabulous colors some of you may have seen in the past or in photographs.  The fact is, it's about every 5 years that we get a fall to remember on the east side of the park. 

The west-side was another story, it was great. Lots of nice color and a long warm fall weather. 

One of the great things about photographing Glacier Park, and being a Montana outdoor photographer is the extreme variability. There's always some place new or un-explored or in the very least, different, to photograph.  

Living and operating an outdoor photography business in Montana, on the edge of Glacier National Park, is any outdoor photographers dream. I've been here for over a decade now and love it everyday! A benefit of living here is that I see Glacier National Park every day - well, when I'm home or in the office. Seeing the same place over and over again has taught me to have more patience. Light is the key to photography Glacier National Park. Anyone can take photos of the park, but if you want to create something new and or unique, it's all about the light.  On the bright side, if you stick around long enough, you'll get dramatic light!  

Perhaps something else that tempers my view and allows me to become a better Montana and Glacier National Park photographer, is that I see it so often I'm not "star-stuck" by a beautiful scene. It's my assertion that most photographers arriving in Glacier National Park are spellbound the moment they see it. Being spellbound or starstruck almost forces you to start taking photographs just because your're there, and just because you think the scene is stunning . . .  

Sun rise on Sinopah, Two Medicine Lake waves crash on the shore, and into a dead log with stump. Two Medicine Valley, Glacier National Park, Montana. Nikon d4, Nikon 14-24 2.8, Really Right Stuff legs, and ball head. ©tonybynum.com all rights reserved

I'm not saying it's not, I'm saying our minds might be calibrated a little differently. Just as a New-York'er will say that tall buildings are stunning, when I step out of the train station in downtown Manhattan, the top of my head snaps back and my eyes are on the tops of towers and man made canyons . . . I'm star struck and might even snap a few spontaneous photos. Will they be as good as someone that knows the city intimately, maybe, but most likely they wont. . .     

I must admit, sometimes fresh eyes are often more of an asset than time and experience - maybe we begin to take some things for granted if we see it everyday. The bottom line is, be in the moment no matter what you're photographing. Being in the moment, and letting go of all that's in your world, at least for a morning will improve your photography more than two hours of reading Outdoor Photography Magazine (no offence OP) or studying the latest gadgets and buying a new camera.

Connecting at the root level of your being will help calm you down and set your perspective in the direction of balance and solitude which will allow you to relax, enjoy yourself, and capture unique photos. 

Backlit, sun glowing valley, hikers moving along a ridge, near the Scenic Overlook Trail in the Two Medicine Valley, Glacier National Park, Montana.  Nikon d700, Nikon 24-120 handheld. ©tonybynum.com 

I hope you have a nice holiday season and if you have any questions or comments, we hope you'll not be too afraid to share them with us!  Tony Bynum 

Logan Pass East Side Access from Going to the Sun Road Closes on September 23

This is directly from the National Park Service - Glacier National Park. 

Going-to-the-Sun Road Construction Notice – Beginning September 23, 7 a.m. the road will be closed to vehicular traffic between Logan Pass and the foot of St. Mary Lake (adjacent the St. Mary Campground entrance) for the remainder of the season to facilitate accelerated road rehabilitation. Logan Pass will only be accessible from the west side beginning September 23.

 

Fall hiker-biker access will be allowed between the vehicular closure at St. Mary and Rising Sun and between Logan Pass and Siyeh Bend. There is no pedestrian or biking beyond Siyeh Bend or Rising Sun. Restroom facilities are only available at Logan Pass and the Rising Sun Picnic Area. There are no facilities at Siyeh Bend.

 

Backcountry trail users should be aware that the east-side road work precludes roadway access and specific trail segments may be closed.

 

Please visit http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm or contact (406) 888 7800 for trail access information.

 

View the latest travel and construction information and mapping on the Western Federal Lands Highway website at http://www.wfl.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/gtsr/

 

Rising Sun Camp Ground closed due to grizzly and black bear encounters

Just a "public" service announciment . . .   Reposting the Press Release from the NPS - Glacier National Park. . . 

Rising Sun Campground Closed Temporarily

Rangers to Conduct Aversive Bear Conditioning      

 

WEST GLACIER, MONT. –Recent bear incidents at the Rising Sun Campground, located on the east of the park, have prompted the temporary closure of the campground.  Early Monday morning the upper loop of the campground was closed, and the lower loop was only open to hard-sided camping.  As of Tuesday, August 6, the entire campground will be closed to all camping.  All campers are being provided an opportunity to relocate to another campground within the park. 

 

Early Sunday morning a bear, believed to be a small sub-adult black bear, approached and laid on a corner of a tent that was occupied by sleeping campers.  The campers awoke and started yelling, and observed a black bear running from the tent.  There have been two other incidents in the campground and surrounding area within the past month, all believed to be with the same bear.  One incident involved the bear snatching a pillow from a sleeping camper, and the other incident involved the bear going through some clothing that was located along the lakeshore.  The incidents included no injuries. 

 

It appears that the bear is not looking for a food reward, or that it has received one, but it is learning to approach and handle human materials.    Park rangers and wildlife managers will conduct aversive conditioning, or negative reinforcement, to attempt to modify the bear’s behavior.  This will include trapping the bear, tagging the bear, and conducting hazing techniques using bean bags, rubber bullets, and/or noise stimulus.  It is anticipated that these conditioning actions may take a few days. 

 

A grizzly bear has recently been sighted in the area as well.  Since a trap will be used, and it may trap the grizzly bear, the entire campground will be temporarily closed for visitor and bear safety. 

 

The nightly Rising Sun Campground Programs will be moved to the St. Mary Campground during this temporary closure.   Visitors for the program that are not camping at the St. Mary Campground are encouraged to park at the St. Mary Visitor Center and walk a short distance across the footbridge for the program. 

 

The Rising Sun Campground has 83 sites and is a first-come first-serve facility.  It is unknown the duration of the campground closure.  For updated information about access, please visit the park’s campground status page at http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/cgstatus/cgstatus.cfm or contact the park at 406-888-7800.