Glacier Park Photographer

Spring has made it to Glacier Country - Grizzly Bears are out - It's time to get your bear spray ready!

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:15:00 +0000

The first signs that spring is upon us in Glacier National Park is the presence of grizzly bear tracks, usually spotted in late March and early April. While it is true that grizzly bears can and often do poke their heads out during the winter, the presence of regular tracks and sightings begins in the spring.

Please be sure to be bear aware if you're anywhere in Western Montana. Now is the time to check to make sure you have your bear spray handy! I always like to check the expiration dates on all my bear spray cans each spring. I'm pretty sure they would still work well past their expiration date, but for the price of a new can of bear spray, why chance it?

I use and like very much the bear spray produced here in Kalispell, Montana by, Counter Assault.

Grizzly Bear Sow and Cub on the shore of Sherburne Lake
Glacier National Park. ©tonybynum.com. Photo may not
be used without permission from Tony Bynum.

I recently checked in with Counter Assault to ask them about what to do with old cans, and here's what Melissa had to say: "disposal of counter assault is simple. Just point the can at the ground, clear of pets, animals, and other people, be sure the wind is not going to bring the product back into your direction, and discharge the can. Next wrap the can in news paper and dispose of it in the trash."

Sounds simple enough! I actually had two cans that were past their pull dates. So, I went out and gave it a try. I actually wore latex gloves just in case, but it was very simple. I put the breeze to my back and discharged the cans on to the ground, wrapped them up and in the trash they went.

Be sure to check with the National Park Service - Glacier National Park website for road closures and other important park dates.

Get out there and start taking photos!

Tony Bynum

Glacier National Park, A Unique Photographic Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:59:00 +0000

Perspective means one thing, the way we see something. In photography, perspective is controlled in a few ways, first by viewing distance and angle, and second by lens selection. This unique perspective of the south eastern portion of Glacier National Park, and the south west portion of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was shot with a Nikon 500mm f/4.0G ED VR AF-S SWM Super Telephoto Lens for Nikon on a Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera.

This is a unique perspective because few people ever see Glacier National Park in this way. It was shot from about 20 miles away and from the top of a prairie hill, and with a long telephoto lens. It appears that the mountains and the hills are very close together, when it reality, they are much further apart. The light on the land, or lack there of, helps to isolate the snow covered mountain range and the wind blowing the snow off the peaks into the air helps give the winter time Glacier National Park photograph some added drama.

This photograph shows a unique perspective of the snow covered peaks of the south east portion of Glacier National Park in Northwest, Montana. Nikon d300, Nikon 500 f4 VR. ©tonybynum.com all right reserved.

So the next time someone asks you, "what's a good landscape lens," you can answer, it depends. In this case, the answer would be "a 500mm."

Understanding compression, angles, lenses, and perspective can help you create unique images.

Good Shooting!

Sincerely,

Tony Bynum

Follow me on twitter @tonybynum or @outsidemontana and on facebook at Tony Bynum Photography and google plus +Tony Bynum

Hikers Lost in Glacier did the Right Thing - or did they?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:23:00 +0000

How in the world does the U.S. National Park Service and the media depict two guys, anyone, who gets lost outdoors and survive a difficult or even life-threatening situation, as heroes? Neal Peckens and Jason Hiser owe their lives to the rescue efforts of various teams from in and around Glacier National Park. The duo likely would be dead today if not for the bravery of those who put themselves in harm’s way to find them. The two men were recently rescued after spending five unexpected nights, four huddled together on the shoulder of a mountain at 6,000 feet, along the continental divide in Glacier National Park.

: Marc Ankenbauer's friend Pat, looks down on Nyack Lakes from near where this fall the two men descended the same ridge. Photo courtesy of Mark Ankenbaur, please read his recent story and look at the photos he has of this area. Mark is attempting to be the only person to swim in every named lake in Glacier and Waterton Parks.

Glacier National Park’s Chief Ranger Mark Fouts in a press release October 16, 2012, said, "These hikers were prepared with appropriate equipment and they used their situational awareness skills to determine how to respond to the unexpected stay in the backcountry."

I usually discount Monday morning quarterbacking, but in this instance, I think there’s a more meaningful lesson to be learned than saying, “Good job guys you did the right thing by staying put.” Situational awareness starts well before you find yourself in a wreck, it includes making wise decisions long before you have no choice but to wait for rescue.

A recent Christian Science Monitor article compared the adult’s situation to that of an 8-year-old child who ran too far along a trail and was lost for an hour. The child didn't know the standard recommendation for anyone lost, which is to STOP: Stop, Think, Observe and Plan. Seemingly, that’s what Peckens and Hiser did, but knowledge is preparation and being unprepared and surviving is not heroic. It’s luck.

So while people all across the country are praising the two for staying put when lost, I’m confounded. Why the lack of attention to their failures? And why the limited accounting of the real heroes, the brave men and women who were out there on foot and horseback, and in the air looking, for the men?

Let’s look at this from the perspective of a lifelong, experienced, back-country mountaineer and a person who’s been to the exact locations as these hikers many times. I understand what that environment is like, I've been there. I've lived in the Two Medicine Valley, just miles from the incident for 11 years. As happy as I am that they are alive, they failed the first rule of backcountry travel, especially when weather issues are a concern. That first rule is preparation. The men weren't prepared. Mistake No. 1. It is obvious to me the men have some experience, after all they did survive five nights longer than they had planned. But is this really what we consider preparation and having, in the words of Mark Fouts of the National Park Service, “situational awareness”? The two were not as prepared as they should have been. Donning expensive, lightweight parkas, strapping on high-tech boots, and throwing some nature bars into a pack is not, in my view, being prepared - especially when you're trekking to 7,500 feet along the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park in October.

Reports indicate the two lost their map, that's mistake No. 2. Foul up No. 3, deciding to continue to travel terrain and conditions they weren't prepared to handle. They attempted to ascend a part of the trail, that by their own account was snow covered and as it turns out, much too dangerous for their skill level and or the gear they had with them. At that point, turning back is the proper decision. Being prepared is about knowing the risks, knowing personal limits, and basing decisions on those factors. The men stated they go lost when they lost the trail. With snow on the ground, what did they expect, route markers and signs along the way?

These men took a chance, in a place they clearly did not know enough about. Had it been a nice summer day with an open trail, I'd have said go for it. Not in October, at elevation, in the wilderness. Once the duo reached the section of the trail where snow began to hinder their efforts, again, they should have turned back! They were just a five or six mile hike down a flat glacial valley to the warmth and safety of their automobile and the road out. It seems their urge for adventure and lack of preparation got to them and made them decide to leave Old Man Lake area and safe exit. Next they hiked though the steep snow crusted rocks and that almost cost one of them them their life. In addition, their poor decision and lack of preparation put over 50 searchers at risk.

Being prepared means you know your limits. I think these guys would agree. Had they known where they were and yes, drawn mental maps of basic escape routes as they traveled (and in case they lost their map), they could have either turned back and walked out the Dry Fork from Old Man Lake, or after descending into the Nyack drainage to Nyack lake, they could have continued down the valley and found the large maintained trail that leads to Highway 2. Granted, the latter is a longer hike, but they would have been safer. They would not have continued to put themselves in a life threatening situation, nor caused a huge incident that required others to risk their lives and use up rescue resources.

Instead, they went higher trying to find their way back to the Two Medicine Valley! They went up and further increased their risk of dying - this AFTER they knew they were lost, and after they had almost slid down the mountain though ice and snow. That’s not being prepared, that’s not “situational awareness,” that’s being unaware of the risks and foolish. It seems to me that they did not really stay put until they wound up in a place where they had no other options. They were ill prepared, made poor life and death decisions, and did not have a severe weather emergency plan in place. They clearly had not set any basic ground rules for a bail plan. A bail plan is the emergency escape route and actions taken in used in worse-case scenarios. They apparently did not have a plan. They were not prepared.

As to their heralded situational awareness, had they stayed at the lake, once they knew they were lost, they would have been found days sooner. They didn't seem to be aware at all. They made five critical mistakes: 1) They should have turned back as soon as things got sketchy, 2) They were not prepared for winter travel in the backcountry, 3) They did not have the skills necessary to be in the environment in the first place, 4) and they did not have plans to address emergencies should something go wrong.

Remember, we’re not talking about a summer hike up the Hidden Lake Trail. We’re talking about being out overnight 17 miles into Glacier National Park wilderness in October.

To reiterate, I'm happy they are alive. I am grateful to the searchers who saved them. But please, let’s not glamorize folks who make huge mistakes and poor decisions as heroes. These two men put themselves in the position to get into serious trouble by not knowing their limits, taking on too much risk, and not having a back-up or bail plan. That is inexcusable. That’s called preparing to cause and incident. Let’s say what it really is, a lesson for all -- about staying put when you're lost, but more than that it’s about not going into as situation you can’t handle on your own.

I hope, as we see these guys making their rounds on the morning talk shows to gloat about their harrowing experience one mid October week in Glacier National Park that we also see them swallow their pride and tell the world about the mistakes they made rather than taking credit for being prepared and staying put when lost. They've been given a second chance at life. I’d like to see them use it to ensure no one else makes the same stupid mistakes.

Sincerely, Tony Bynum

Tony Bynum is a full-time professional outdoor photographer from East Glacier Park, MT. He has more than 25 years of backcountry experience including alpine mountaineering and has, since his first major expedition at the age of 18 where he spent 25 days crisscrossing the North Cascades on foot, lived an outdoor adventure lifestyle. He’s trained in wilderness survival and backcountry first aid. He’s led myriad backcountry trips with people whose safety was his responsibly, and he’s climbed more than a dozen peaks in Glacier National Park, including all that surround the location where the lost hikers were found. He's also a father and a compassionate friend who cares deeply about Glacier National Park and human safety.

Glacier Park Time Lapse - Sunrise over Two Medicine Lake, Sinopah Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 23:48:00 +0000

Fall is one of my favorite times of year . . . The colors are dramatic, the temperatures are cool, and the air is so crisp and refreshing you can taste it in your mouth.

Below is a time lapse I shot from the shore of Two Medicine Lake in Glacier National Park. The clouds were beautiful and there was just enough breeze to offer a slight ripple, from time to time on the lake. I'd like to thank my good friend Jack Gladstone for the wonderful music that accompany's this time lapse video of the sun rise over Two Medicine lake in Glacier National Park. To hear more of Jacks work visit his website @ http://jackgladstone.com .

Two Medicine Lake, is located at the end of the road up the Two Medicine Valley. It's accessible from going through East Glacier, past the Glacier Impressions Gallery (it's open from June though August). That is Sinopah Mountain in the distance. It took me about an hour and a half to shoot this time lapse, I used about 1800 individual frames to complete the video. . .

If you watch closely you might see two things that are not so obvious, one is more so than the other. Watch it one time first, then come back and read what I think are the two interesting things that happen in this time lapse that you may not have seen the first time you watched it. Why not post your guess if you found something you think is interesting or unusual. . .

Okay, so I hope you watched it. What did you see? Anything special? Let me know! Take a guess and I'll be back in a few days to tell you the two things that I'll bet you missed . . .

In the meant time, don't forget to get outside and smell the freshness of fall! Follow us on twitter @tonybynum or facebook @ tonybynumphotography . . .

Cheers, Tony Bynum

Glacier National Park Fall Photography Forecast

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:36:00 +0000

After living here for more than a decade I've learned a few things about this place. First and foremost is to never predict the weather. Second is to never make plans without making backup plans. Third, never predict the weather. . .

That said, I'll make a forecast. This fall, 2012 on Glacier National Park's east side (photograph of the Empire builder clipping along the tracks just outside of East Glacier Park, Montana), should be stellar! By all accounts this is shaping up to be one for the record books. We had good moisture, warm summer days, and now the evenings are cold but the days are warm, the perfect combination for fall photography! The unknowns are the weather. At this point the leaf's are already changing but since I cant predict the weather, I cant tell you what's going to happen.

Fall colors and fresh snow in Glacier National Park. © Tony Bynum, contact me for licensing.

That said, if we stay on this warm day, cool night pattern, in two more weeks the color is going to explode out here! If you're going to plan a trip, just watch the weather. If you see conditions on the east side around East Glacier Park, Babb, or Saint Mary dip much below 20 degrees for a day or two, and it snows more than a few inches, you should plan to hit the west side of the park. Those conditions usually are followed by a strong Chinook wind that will strip the leaves so fast you'd swear the trees never had any in the first place.

The sharp ridge in the Crown of the Continent, Glacier National Park, rises above the quickly change colors of the aspen. ©Tony Bynum, contact me for licensing.

The outlook is fantastic this year! Plan a trip out here, but make sure you watch the weather and adjust accordingly. If you're coming no matter what, the west side around the North Fork, and the Lake Mcdonald area, along with Highway 2 are always fantastic but usually it ripens a little later than the east. . . Look for more larch than deciduous trees on the west side, and be sure to bring a Tiffen 77mm Circular Polarizer.

Have a great fall season in Glacier National Park!

Travelers Rest in East Glacier Park is a fantastic setting and a great place to stay when your in Glacier National Park. ©Tony Bynum, contact me for licensing.

Happy Fall, Cheers!

Tony Bynum

Glacier National Park - wellness - the art of balance in a changing environment

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:53:00 +0000

Long time observers of Glacier National Park know things are changing - the air is warming and the glaciers are melting! However, even with climate change threatening the Glaciers of Glacier National Park, there are more reasons to go there than to watch the last of them melt.

Sure, I'm as concerned about the future of the glaciers in Glacier National Park (and the people and animals that depend on that water for their lives), as many of you are, but while the glaciers are melting, other people are staying healthy by using the splendor, serenity and unspoiled vistas as a place to connect to nature.

Yoga is believed to be a connecting activity between the body, the earth, and the creator. On a recent hike in Glacier National Park with yoga expert a long time friend yoga instructor Robin Bergman-Martin, and her good friend, yoga instructor Liz Doyle, I had a chance to see just how these masters of yoga craft themselves into artful poses amidst the shapes and lines of the most beautiful places on earth, Glacier National Park.

Here's a few yoga photographs from our adventure . . .

Robin Bergman-Martin's lines reflect natures own angles with her striking King Dancer Pose in front of Mt., Sinopah, in Glacier National Park. Yoga helps connect the mind, spirit, and body with the creator. ©tonybynum all rights reserved images may not be used without permission.

Liz Doyle, of Liz Doyle Yoga captures the essence of spirit, mind, and body while balancing on a small rock, in a meditative pose, Two Medicine Lake, Glacier National Park. ©tonybynum all rights reserved images may not be used without permission.


Robin Bergman-Martin creates a stunning single leg balance pose on the edge of a boulder overlooking Glacier National Park. ©tonybynum all rights reserved, images may not be used without permission.

Liz Doyle manages one of the most difficult poses in yoga, the head balance. Please don't try this one at home, leave it to the real masters of yoga! ©tonybynum all rights reserved, images may not be used without permission.

After watching these two masters, I have a completely new appreciation for the art and science of yoga.

“In stillness all conflict must end.” ~ Phillip Urso

Glacier National Park - a wonderland of beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:23:00 +0000

What more can I say - this is the most beautiful place on earth . . . Sometimes when you try too hard to find a photograph you overlook the obvious . . . Try to focus less and laugh more . . . you'll find it!

Glacier Time - Time Lapse on the edge of Saint Mary Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:54:00 +0000

On Saturday, June 9th, I finally made good on a conservation donation I made almost a year ago. Back in September I donated a day with me photographing nature to the Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance. The purpose of the donation was to help raise money for the organization and help it reach it's ultimate vision, "A child of future generations will recognize and can experience the same cultural and ecological richness that we find in the wild-lands of the Badger-Two Medicine today." Fitting!

Based on the request of the person who purchased the auction item - me for a day - we headed into Glacier National Park. Our first stop on that mostly cloudy and rainy day, as it turned out, was Saint Mary's Lake, and Wild Goose Island. That location is best photographed in the morning. As I was learning to photograph Glacier National Park, I once drove back and forth from Browning, MT where I was living at the time, to Saint Mary Lake 25 times over the course of 25 days just to photograph it. However, on this outing we have only one day to get it right!

As luck, or fate, since we've been good would have it, we got great light and great clouds. As I was working with my new friend, I set up another camera to capture the scene over the course of about an hour. This is a time lapse of the clouds blowing over Saint Mary Lake, and Wild Goose Island in Glacier National Park.

I like the look of time lapse, particularly when there's some motion. Notice the trees, the lake and the sky. If you want to change it up a bit, try some time lapse, it's really fun!

Remember if you're a Facebook user, you can find me Tony Bynum Photography on Facebook where I post new photos almost everyday!

Cheers!

Spring time in Glacier National Park

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:51:00 +0000

Glacier National Park is coming alive. I can still see twilight over the mountains at 10PM! Yeah . . . By the end of the week I expect to see some balsam blooming. Already the lower ground flowers carpeting the lithosols are blooming!

Flowers bloom on a well drained lithosol. Glacier National Park in the Background. Nikon d700, 17-35 afs, f16.
© tonybynum.com All Rights Reserved.

People are beginning to show up, some tourists, but mostly workers. This past weekend things really started buzzing around East Glacier Park, but deeper into the park, you'd think no one knew about the place, it's deserted, well, almost . . .

Bull moose eating new buds, Glacier National Park.
Nikon d4, 200-400afs VRII @ f5, iso 400.
© tonybynum.com All rights reserved.

I love this time of year. By our standards it's spring, by most other's it's still winter, but spring in Glacier National Park is all about change and life! New life springs up around every corner. Plants begin to reach for the sky, animals feed more comfortably on green food. Moose and elk are growing new antlers and grizzly bear cubs sharpen their skills! It's a all about life! Life happens to us, not for us! Go live it!

For those that care, I mean really care about this place, consider calling your congressman and tell them to vote no on HB 1505!

If you've still not checked in with my facebook page, please do, you still have time to win the glacier park book, "the first 100 years," and my signed print of the cover photo. Gt to Tony Bynum Photography's facebook page and check it out!

Cheers!

Grizzly Bears Are Showing Along the Rocky Mountain Front

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:25:00 +0000

Two young grizzly bear cubs emerge from their winter slumber
along the Rocky Mountain Front.
Nikon D300, 500mm, 1.4x extender. © Tony Bynum.

It's that time of year again when the grass greens up, the buds on the Aspen trees start to swell, and the grizzly bears become active after a long winter's rest. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks bear biologist recently flew the rocky mountain front front and found that there many active bears. I encourage anyone who's going out hiking, recreating or taking a stroll to be aware of the potential for a grizzly bear encounter. The best way to protect yourself is to make some noise - so a bear know's your around - and if you become the target of aggression, bear spray is the best, final defense. Learn to use it, and pack it!

Click here for the full story by Carl Puckett who interviewed Mike Madel.

Tony

Oil Drilling on Glacier National Park's Eastern Boundary, the Blackfeet Indian Reservation

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:37:00 +0000

Oil exploration on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, bordering Glacier National Park's east side, is rapidly expanding. The decision to explore and drill for oil was made by the Blackfeet Nation and the Blackfeet Business Council. I respect the Tribe’s right to use its resources and earn income from selling them. I’m asking you to help support my documentary project. Let me explain, and show you what's going on through my project. I have been documenting the oil exploration on the Rocky Mountain Front for over two years now. I have photographs of oil drilling and videos of drilling mapped and online.

In the past two years over 30 new exploratory wells have been drilled on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. A few have been drilled within a few miles of Glacier National Park on the east side. I have heard estimates ranging from 80 to 100 wells along the western edge of the reservation, the area closest to Glacier Park, for full field development. Currently, each well undergoes an Environmental Assessment (EA) on a per well basis. There is no comprehensive analysis of the potential impacts to the social, economic, or environment from full field development. In other words, there is no Environmental Impact Statement in which to analyze cumulative impacts. Therefore, there is little information available to anyone about what the future might look like. Moreover, it’s only now, after more than 30 wells have been drilled that people are becoming engaged. To my knowledge, there has not been an industry or tribal sponsored public meeting or public hearing to discuss oil drilling on the Reservation. The only information we get is though EA's and a few public, and state sponsored discussions. The EA's are made available at a location in Browning, MT. No one is sure what full development will look like, or if it will even occur. We do know that there are about 40 more wells planned over the next year for a total of 70. We really are due a more comprehensive study of the potential impacts.

A few issues that an EIS could include:

wildlife habitat, including impacts to threatened and endangered species like the grizzly bear;
water quality and quantity - a lot of water is required for hydraulic fracturing, which is the only economically viable processes for recovering light-tight oil from the Bakken Shale zone;
potential for groundwater pollution from fracking;
other environmental concerns such as air pollution from dust, and emissions from diesel engines, and heavy truck traffic;
impacts to the federal class I area under the Clean Air Act (Glacier Park is a Federal Class I area - the highest level of protection from air pollution, Class one is a visibility standard, not a human health standard);
flaring, and off gassing from the well during and after fracking;
social and economic impacts associated with the numbers of new people and activities that will demand products, and services, and their impacts on the existing infrastructure, like roads;
cultural resources and historical areas;
light and visual pollution.

Native american sculptures designed and crafted by Darrel Norman, owner of the Lodgepole Gallery and Tipi Village located just west of Browning, MT, and a drill rig tower. © tony bynum, all rights reserved.

Buffalo graze in a pasture, next to an active oil well, east of East Glacier Park Montana, about 4 miles from glacier National Park, the Badger Two Medicine is in the background. © tony bynum, all rights reserved.

If the oil exploration involved only a few oil wells that would be one thing, but it's not. This is about a complete overhaul and industrialization of our landscape as we know it. An EIS would help us look at the potential impacts of full scale production and build out - which some have said could include as many as 800 wells in the next 10 years across the entire Blackfeet Reservation - with about 100 of those being within the grizzly bear recovery zone, (basically the area west of the Duck Lake Road) and the area closest to Glacier National Park.

Even with all of that in mind, I remain optimistic. The Blackfeet People have been here a long time. They also have a right to develop their resources, but what alarms me is that if history repeats itself, and I have no reason to believe it won't, this boom and bust cycle will once again play out along the Rocky Mountain Front, and the border of Glacier National Park, just as it has all over the world. The resources will be drained, the people will be left to deal with the legacy by people whose only goal was to make money. Let me be clear, money is not bad. However, the people who stand to make most of it, do not have a stake in the future of this landscape no more than a barber cares about the future of the hair he takes off the top of my balding head.

When the oil is gone, the industrialized landscape created, what will our future here be?

Are there Options?
Is there a chance that a more long term and economically sound decision could have been made? Well, lets see. All indications and proof are that the answer is most certainly “yes!” Wildlands are at a premium today, and rising, and as far as I can tell, we're not making more of it. Might it be a better for the long-term to embrace the land and the potential economic rewards associated with limited extractive use over drilling, roading, and polluting the things that people come here and spend money to see - the mountains, the wildlife, the fish, the culture, and the open spaces? If we foul this nest what's next? What is left on the table for an economy here in Blackfeet Country? We need to answer that question now because at the current rate of development, we will need to take action to implement that plan very soon.

The "Keep Your Options Open” Principle
A wise man once gave me sage advice. When thinking long term about resources management decisions, we should always consider the consequences of our actions and what they mean for future generations. There are limits to what we can do today. The principle goes like this, we should, in the very least consider alternatives that allow future generations at least as many options as we had. As far as I can tell, industrializing a landscape removes the one option that has, for this place, the biggest potential for long term economic rewards. Open spaces, wildlife, and recreation.

The fact is, everything is connected to everything else. What we do "here" impacts what happens over "there." Wise decision making should include thinking about, and acting upon the known needs of future generations. In a nutshell, we must be sure that we understand, as best we can, what impacts today's actions will have on the ability of future generations to chart their own future and the more options they have on the table, the more likely they will be to succeed and prosper. It’s as easy as saying, if we pollute our wild trout streams to the point that wild trout can no longer live in the water, there is no option for wild trout on the menu, or to catch for fun.

If we take options off the table, future generations are limited to what is available to them at the time. In a world of limited resources, some of which cannot be replaced in a lifetime or even 100, if we take away the opportunity to use the land for its wild character we eliminate the option to cater to those that demand and pay dearly to experience such settings. Open spaces, clean air, unobstructed vistas, and silence are among those that would be off the table. I am not talking about creating a wilderness. I am talking about using the landscape in its current state in order for it to continue to provide the same, and maybe more benefits for the next 500 years.

In closing I'd like you visit my website and look at the images, some of wide open areas and some of oil exploration, and watch the videos of the oil development on the Blackfeet Reservation. The goal of my project is first to educate, and second to build a visual record of the land before, during and after the dismantling of one of earth's most unique and coveted places. My hope is that this record can be used by future generations to help them put the land back together.

This is the third year of my documentary project on “Oil Drilling on the Rocky Mountain Front, Blackfeet Indian Reservation.” Please consider a donation, or a sponsorship. So far I've have raised, through donations, about 20% of the cost of this project to date. Any donation will go a long way to help offset the costs of documenting and reporting on the oil development along the Rocky Mountain Front and Blackfeet Reservation. You can make a secure, private donation below the oil drilling map of the reservation on this page. Or you can mail it to me, Tony Bynum @ PO Box 441 East Glacier Park, MT 59434.

Please share this blog post with anyone you think cares about the Blackfeet Reservation, the Northern Rocky Mountain Ecosystem in Montana, Glacier National Park, the Crown of the Continent, or trout streams and kids.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for commenting.

Tony

Better Late Than Never - Winter Arrives in Glacier National Park

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:45:00 +0000

If you're from Glacier country, you learn to never be surprised by weather and you cant ever rely on a forecast. Yesterday, I read the forecast, it called for one inch of snow. I woke up this morning to a foot, and it's coming down! So, winter has come a little late this year, but, as the saying goes, it's better late than never. We need the moisture! Thank you weather Gods!

The Two Medicine Grill, East Glacier Park, Montana
As I was driving by the Grill, on my way to take my daughter to school, I noticed this scene. It fits nicely with our way of life around these parts. We live an adventure lifestyle here but even the dogs know when to slow down. Nikon d3 24-70 f 2.8 af-s, F8, iso 200 1/60 of a second to allow the snow to blur. . . © tony bynum, all rights reserved.

Wildlife Protection Limits Travel to Designated Trails

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:19:00 +0000

Press Release from National Park Service - Glacier National Park

Wildlife Protection Limits Travel to Designated Trails
Travel on Trails Only in Specific Areas Through May 15

WEST GLACIER, MONT. – Off-trail travel through critical winter range areas is not allowed through May 15 in specific areas of the North Fork, Lake McDonald and St. Mary Districts of the park in an effort to protect wildlife. This restriction is intended to protect wintering ungulates such as deer, elk, moose and sheep from disturbance. Limiting human use to designated trails will help protect the animals during the critical winter and spring months.

This restriction does not affect the public’s use of designated roads, trails or river in these areas. Only off-trail use is prohibited between December 1 and May 15 of each year. Signs are posted at public access points in these locations.

In the North Fork area, the protection area is between the North Fork of the Flathead River and the Inside North Fork Road south of Logging Creek and north of Dutch Creek. Further south along the North Fork of the Flathead River, the winter range immediately east of the river from Big Creek south through Great Northern Flats, the Apgar Mountains area, is also protected.

In the Lake McDonald area the restriction to designated trails is in the Belton Hills area along the Middle Fork of the Flathead Rive r corridor. On the east side of the park, the winter range protection areas include the St. Mary, Two Dog Flats and Rising Sun areas.

Scientific evidence and research shows that human disturbance in ungulate winter ranges can adversely impact and stress wintering ungulate populations. In particular, ungulates occupy these areas just before and during the spring green-up, at the time of year when they are at their poorest physical condition. Disturbance to the wildlife can inflict major stress on the populations, which may result in the death of individual animals. By implementing these off-trail restrictions in some of the park’s most humanly-accessible winter ranges, the park is also mirroring state restrictions and providing consistency in protecting big-game populations and winter ranges.

Specific information about the protection areas is offered through narrative and maps in the Glacier National Park 2012 Compendium which is located on the park’s website at www.glacier.nps/glac by clicking on park management, laws and policies.

Grizzly Bears are Showing near Glacier Park

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:29:00 +0000

Sure sign of spring, the grizzly bears are out. This means pull your bird feeders and pack your bear spray! Nuf-said . . .
Grizzly bears are out along the Rocky Mountain Front! (link to full story in the Great Falls Tribune).

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:29:00 +0000

It's nearly February and we're still waiting for snow in Glacier Country. By most standards we have snow, but not by Glacier standards. The lack of snow this winter is somewhat of a surprise due to the fact that the forecasters all agreed it would be another snow filled winter - well, it's not happened yet. There still is time. February and March can be huge months for snow so I'm crossing my fingers that we'll get the snow we need to fill the water budget for the 2012 summer. Below is a photograph from last year's snow accumulation in East Glacier Park. It's nothing like this this winter!

Children walking from roof top to roof top on their way to School in East Glacier Park, winter 2010-2011 - an exceptional snow year in East Glacier Park, MT.

If we don't get the snow, travelers and visitors to the Park should plan a see the going to the sun road open a bit earlier this year! Yeah, that would be a change over the last 5 years when it's not opened until July in most cases. We still could have wet cool spring, and that could slow things down, but we will need a few more good dumps of snow up on Logan Pass. If we don't get it, I think we'll see it open by early June this year, just a guess.

The wind has been relentless this year! Even more so than usual. We've seen more rigs, buses and vehicles blown of the road over the past two months than we've seen in the past years combined. It's really been non stop wind! Today is no exception, I watched on the news that we hit about 100 mph yesterday and Saturday.

Wind blown snow across ice on a small pond east of Glacier National Park, MT on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
Shot with Nikon camera, 14-24mm f 2.8 lens @ 14mm, f22, two stop grad. RRS head and legs, processed in Lightroom.

I have a new Tony Bynum Photography website up and running if you care to check it out . . . www.tonybynum.com. I also published a new project that anyone who cares about Glacier National Park will want to look at and share. It's a conservation photography project that includes an interactive map of the Blackfeet Reservation on Glacier Park's east side. The map has videos and photos of the oil exploration and drilling on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and the Rocky Mountain Front. It's really quite remarkable what's going on, please take a look and leave a comment if you can, I'd like to hear what you all think.

I'm going to change this blog a bit. I want to make it more interactive, if you're interested in guest blogging please email me at tony at tonybynum dot com. I'd like to share this platform with others who write about Glacier National Park.

"Public Lands Protection Act" for Glacier Park - Total Farce!

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:17:00 +0000

"Stripping all regulations from federal public lands within 100 miles of the Canada, in order to protect us from terrorism, is like grabbing the shotgun and a box of number 7's when you hear a fly buzzing around your head." - Tony Bynum October 28, 2011

The phone in my office rang a couple days ago, "hey Tony, how would you like to get some aerial photos of the Rocky Mountain Front and talk about H.B. 1505, and 1581," "the federal lands protection act," and the "road-less release act" respectively. I paused for about a millisecond and replied, "let me think-about-it-yes." Of course I want to fly the Rocky Mountain Front - who wouldn't

Some are calling these bills land grabs by the federal government and a complete over reach. H.B. 1581 is meant to roll back the protections on millions of un-roaded federal lands and turn back the clock to a time when people were making their own roads with wood wagon wheels across unsettled land. Just so you understand, that era close officially in 1976 with, the "federal land policy and management act," or FLMPA.

Aerial Photograph of the Rocky Mountain Front and the Walling Reef as seen from 10,000 feet. This area would be open to the boarder patrol to access for any reason, including building roads and building forward operating stations. ©tonybynum
All images are protected by copyright, unauthorized use is prohibited. Please contact Tony Bynum for licensing.

Anyhow, it made sense for me fly since I've been doing a lot of it lately documenting the development of the industrial oil complex on the Blackfeet Reservation on Glacier National Parks east side. But back to the subject. Both bills are horrible and if passed could mean serious impacts to our wildlife, land, and our own public health. H.B. 1505 (how ironic that the framers chose to call it the, "federal lands protection act." I'm guessing that means, "federal lands" and "protection act" put together into one title - it certainly is misleading if you just read the title).

Oil drilling on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Glacier National Park, Rising Wolf Mountain in the back ground. All images are protected by copyright, unauthorized use is prohibited. Please contact Tony Bynum for licensing. ©tonybynum

1505 would allow U.S. Border Patrol to operate in any fashion it wants within Glacier National Park, including building roads and forward operating stations without any consultation with anyone, heck, they would not even have to pick up the phone and call the national park service. When glacier was named the crown of the continent I'm sure no one intended that to mean managed by the big "C" Crown!

After the flights I had some time to answer a few more questions and give my opinion about what these bills mean to me. Here's the CBS news broadcast that aired wednesday night on CBS in Montana.

It is hard for me to imagine, in this time of our country's history, there are people who are praying upon our weakness in order to push their land grab agenda. Along with 1505 there's 1581, again another bill that would open lands that have been manage for their wilderness characteristics for 20 years. If passed it would open millions of acres to roading and ultimately destruction.

People, if there is one thing only that you take away from this, hear me when I remind you that there is NOT more wild space. We should expect more people, but there are NO more wild places, unless of course your definition of wild places includes bourbon street in New Orleans. Once you wreck a place there's no going back. It is far better to protect and manage wisely than it is to destroy it and rebuild it later.

Stripping all regulations from federal public lands within 100 miles of the Canada, in order to protect us from terrorism, is like grabbing the shotgun and a box of number 7's when you hear a fly buzzing around your head. The sponsors are telling us that the federal government does not have enough authorization to control federal lands, and that it is just trying to level the playing field with the authority homeland security now has over state and even private land. Jed Link, a spokesman for Congressman Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., said the border protection legislation, which Rehberg supports, is limited in scope.

"It gives the Border Patrol the same access to the border on federal lands they currently have on state and private lands," Link said. Huh, what access does the Boarder Patrol already have over my private land - is this really coming from a republican constitutionalists - allow boarder patrol access to my private land - what! I’m confused folks . . . Is Rehberg a conservative, sounds more Meo-inian than conservative to me. . . Mr Rehberg, what happened to less government? Where have your conservative values gone? Or is this the one area where you believe it's okay to be big government?
Did you know that homeland security has the right to search your house if you live near the boarder - huh? Orwellian - who said that?

What we need is a fly swatter, not a shotgun. The people proposing this bill need to calm down and realize that creating a panic now is not the way to manage our Nation. Let’s look at the issues we have and build a sound plan to address them. Throwing up our hands and rolling back over 40 years of environmental protection in order to protect ourselves from our Canadian brothers to the north is just plain silly-talk . . .

Please let your representative know that we are smart people who can find simple solutions and are meant to solve specific problems. We don't need our local federal lands taken over by the border patrol and homeland security. . .

The news story featuring views about the Heritage Act, from Tony Bynum, Bill Cunninghan, and others.

glacier national park, tony bynum, east glacier park, montana photographs, best glacier park photographs, glacier park art, commercial outdoor photography, the rocky mountain front, crown of the continent

Fall Colors Glacier National Park

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:27:00 +0000

Chief Mountain on Glacier National Park's East Side and the Blackfeet Reservation during fall.

It's a rare treat to have the fall colors this good along Glacier National Parks East side. In most years the leaf's ether freeze and fall off or they begin to change and the fierce winds strip them before they get to full color. I captured this image of Chief Mountain (above), along Glacier Nation al Park's north east corner on Saturday October 8th 2011. Chief Mountain is an iconic spire the world over. It's eastern edge is on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation while the west side is in Glacier National Park. Chief Mountain is still cherished today and vision quests and ceremonies are a regular occurrence.

The image below is of a forest of aspens in Glacier National Park near East Glacier Park, Montana, ranging from bright orange to light yellow and green.

Colorful aspens changing from green to orange and yellow in glacier national park.

Fall colors with snow, Glacier National Park, Logan Pass area

As these photos show, not this year though. Glacier National Park fall colors this year are as good as I have seen then in the last 5-6 years.

I captured this tree landscape image near Logan Pass in Glacier National Park just after a fresh fall snow storm, notice the range of colors and the contrast it creates with the snow.

The forecast for the next week or so is for rain, wind and snow starting this weekend, so this may have been the weekend to be here - you just never can tell with fall colors in Glacier National Park. On the bright side, if you miss the color on the east side I'm sure you can catch some great color around Lake McDonald, on Glacier National Parks west side. And on of my favorite scenes are the fall larch, and they have not turned yet, so look for better color in late October and early November along the middle fork of the Flathead River along Highway Two on Glacier National Park's south end.

If you're interested in looking at more western tree species please take a look at this gallery of rocky mountain trees on Tony Bynum's website. Tony Bynum makes all of his images available for licensing or prints, please contact him at tony@tonybynum.com to discuss your needs.

Adventure, Hunting, and Photography, things to do in the Missouri River Monument

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:57:00 +0000

This is a departure from my regular glacier park posts, but it is important to me to share this response to Congressman Rehberg's hearings to consider gutting the Antiquities Act - the question is where are the jobs Mr. Rehberg?

www.tonybynum.com www.twitter.com/tonybynum www.facebook.com/tonybynum

September 12, 2011

Need Accountability for attacks on Sporting Heritage

Quiz time - What’s the most popular place in the world to hunt trophy Bighorn Sheep?

Give yourself a pat on the back if you were thinking of Montana’s Missouri River Breaks National Monument. If you didn’t get the answer, don’t worry, your about to learn something else. The coulees and canyon lands of the Breaks Monument will still be a huge sporting destination one hundred years from now because it’s world-class habitat and our hunting traditions were protected by proclamation a decade ago.

Hunting the Breaks country is big deal, which I can attest too as both a hunter and commercial photographer who’s always on the lookout for the best hunting and wild game photographs in Montana. Last year alone sportsmen spent over 20,000 days in search of trophy elk, deer, and big horn sheep in this popular ‘bread and butter’ hunting destination. But not everyone is as proud of our Breaks as the pick-up loads of sportsmen who are beginning to make their annual migration to central Montana from all corners of our state, and Nation.

Representative Denny Rehberg recently took the podium in Congress to demonize Monuments like the Breaks in an attempt to gut the Antiquities Act and make it harder for Montanans to pass along our hunting heritage. After scaring people for more than a year with the threat of a phantom Monument, he’s now trying to reap what he’s sown.

Its decisions like these that have caused many folks in the sporting community to wonder who has the ear of our Congressmen. Whoever it is, I don’t think its public lands hunters because the evidence is pretty clear his voting record hasn’t favored our pastime.

Recall, it wasn’t too long ago that Congressmen Rehberg voted alongside then California Representative Pombo on a 2005 bill that would have sold our public lands and prime elk habitat to developers of casinos, ski resorts, and condos for rock bottom prices. It was the largest public lands scam in recent history.

Now this year Congressmen Rehberg has supported another California lawmakers legislation to immediately axe roadless protections throughout Montana and the nation- from the limestone reefs of the Rocky Mountain Front to the deep larch and cedar forests of the Yaak. Its one-size fits all legislation and its causing a huge uproar among hunters. For good reason.

Montana has one of the longest hunting season in the country because of the habitat security that roadless public lands provide for elk, mule deer, and other big game. If you lose your roadless security you’ve just lost the headwaters of your hunting opportunity. It’s happened before in other states.

In defending his record, we’ve often heard Representative Rehberg say he is protecting Montanans from bureaucrats in Washington. It’s a good talking point but it ignores that both the Missouri River Breaks designation and the original roadless process were both transparent and open public processes which Montanans supported.

I watched the Breaks monument process very carefully as past member and chair of the Central Montana Resources Advisory Council. I was at every meeting for five years and heard every issue first hand. The truth is that there are people who just don’t like the government, period, so it’s easy to get them fired up when you tell them the big bad government is taking away liberties, regardless of the facts.

Montanan’s are always going to need clean streams to fish in and wide open spaces to hunt. Our roadless forest lands and BLM prairie lands are central to healthy wildlife habitat. Our patriotic duty is to protect our states hunting heritage not to make short sided, mostly selfish decisions that in the long run will take that away from Montanans.

Let’s remember what matters most. What legacy shall we leave our children and theirs? Public land, open hunting for the common man is a tradition out west. I wish to leave that legacy to my children and when this heritage is threatened by bad leadership decisions we need to hold our leaders feet to the fire. It is far better to manage wisely and preserve our intact systems than it is to dismantle and try to rebuild them later.

Tony Bynum is an award winning professional photographer, small business owner and adventure sportsmen who lives in East Glacier Park.

Take a look at the missouri river breaks monument, it's a fantastic place for a family adventure too.

tony@tonybynum.com

Summer Photography, Glacier Park, Blackfeet Reservation

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Bynum) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:37:00 +0000

Busy summer so far. It seems like the days are too long, but how could that be, as photographers we need light right? Well, the obvious answer is yes, but in the summer the golden hours of photography are only hours apart - apart between night and day that is! That means that there's about 4-5 hours of sleep when it's dark, if you are on location. Which means most photographers switch to bartender hours - but all of us sleep less - up all night, sleep during the middle of the day. To that end I'd like to share with you a few shots I captured recently.

There are few things that are as captivating to me as tepee's on the prairie and ad some nice clouds and beautiful light and you forget about how tired you really are! The one thing I must share with you is a secret which every photographer knows and until you graduate from knowing it to practicing it, you're just like everyone else.

TePee's in Montana ©tonybynum

The secret is - drum-role please - not a secret at all. Wa-wa-waaaa . . . sorry. In fact, it's just about shooting subjects that are available, and not stopping till you have to. Often times a unique subject, in spectacular light come along so seldom that when it does, you really need to buckle down and shoot photograph it. Seems simple ay. But how many times have you come home and looked at your files from a shoot and gone, "man, I should have shot more of that?" That feeling makes a pit in my stomach every time. It's so disturbing to me that I've turned it into one of my goals. "Never come home and say, I should have shot more of that." Or, "If only I had worked that subject a little harder." If I've seen it once I've seen it 100 times. A subject presents itself and we move on thinking that we can return, or that it will be there tomorrow. Well

I got news for you, IT WON'T!

The moral of the story, as it so often is, is get out and shoot!!!!

Summer days are already getting shorter by about 5 minutes per day. I'm busy planning trips and getting gear ready for the launch of my fall hunting photography. It wont be long now till the green grass gives way to silvery frost . . . Boy, life is about as fantastic as it gets!

If you're in the Glacier Park area, stop in to Glacier Impressions Gallery in East Glacier Park and say hi to Gina, Stacy or myself! Oh yeah, and one more thing, if you cant get over to East Glacier Park, but you can make it to the Flathead Valley, I just signed on with a Gallery in Polson, MT, it's called the, "Montana West Gallery," stop in and say hi to Shawna Croft, she'd love to meet you! And don't forget you can always check out images on my website, www.tonybynum.com.

Tony

Glacier National Park, Going to the Sun Road, Food & Flower Photography, Summer is here - finally!

noreply@blogger.com (www.tonybynum.com) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:53:00 +0000

It's been a busy July. I've been traveling a bit and therefore have not kept up my usual blog updates. I've been up and down the Rocky Mountain Front a dozen times and from East Glacier to the pacific coast snapping photos and talking to people about this unique area in an effort to raise awareness and money for habitat protection and conservation efforts.

My friend Will of Luna's restaurant in East Glacier Park, asked me if I'd like to "shoot" some dishes for him and I said "of course." I was able to photograph some pie, a salmon fish burger called, "grizzly bait" and a great looking chicken salad! Luna's has the best huckleberry pie in the region and before I could finish the shoot this one went down the hatch!

I've also started work on a long term project to document the development of the industrial oil complex on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. It's part conservation photography, part documentary, part journalism, and part nature, and very much enjoy it. All of these projects are about people and the place we call, "the rocky mountain front."

More recently you may have heard that the, "Going to the Sun Road" also known simply as, "the sun road" "Logan pass," finally opened. The road is one of our nations treasures and the life-blood of our tourism based economy in Northwest Montana. 2011 was the latest the opening for the going to the sun road since its creation, due to heavy snow pack. Every year I try to be one of the first commoners on Logan Pass (employees get to be up there usually for several days before the public has a chance to visit, getting it ready for business). This year I was third. I followed two other vehicles up the 15 miles windy road from Saint Mary's, Montana. In classic Glacier Park - Logan Pass form - I pulled into the parking lot after driving the last 300 yards clutching the wheel, the fog was so thick I lost the vehicle in front of me. Once in the parking area I could see only a few painted stripes on the ground and no sign of the other vehicles. After about an hour the fog lifted and gave way to a snowy July winter like landscape. I hiked around a bit and departed about the time the lot began to fill up.

A couple days later, on Sunday, I returned with my girlfriend Stacy for a morning ski and to check the conditions for a shoot I have planned this week. The snow was hard and bumpy, but hey, where else can you go at this latitude and ski in the middle of July?

Flower Update -
The flowers are late in most places - up to a couple weeks. Some areas are showing banner color while other's look less than average. Mostly I think some areas are just behind due to the long late winter we had. I'm expecting more color in the middle elevations over the next week, but right now I'd say the prairie at 4,000 feet has peaked! If you want to see flowers on Logan pass, bring your own, it's still under 10 feet of snow, it's going to be a while for sure.

Cheers!

Tony Bynum

Scouting Photography Locations,Trapping Grizzly Bears, Glacier Park Art

noreply@blogger.com (www.tonybynum.com) — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:25:00 +0000

Grizzly Bears and Grizzly Bear Management
The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and other's in the bear management team are ramping up efforts to trap grizzly bears along the Rocky Mountain Front and in Yellowstone National Park! Locations will be well marked. Be aware when you're out in the woods and pay attention to signs of bear activity (tracks, scant, freshly turned over rocks - usually large one's - winter kills, crows and ravens in trees - could tip you off to a carrion, etc). This season it seems that bears are roaming farther out, away from the mountains and subsequently may stay longer in search of greener pastures - pun intended! For more on the story find it at, "agency to trap grizzly's."

Scouting for that Perfect Shot - sometimes that means I'm not looking to capture that that perfect shot!
Scouting is one of the most important parts of being a nature photographer. Sure it's thrilling to trip on a gem of a spot and just shoot it on the fly, but in order to create those one of a kind shots, consistently over time, you need to find those locations that are capable of producing the kinds of images you want to create. After you fine them, you need to put together a plan and be ready to implement the plan when the conditions are right.

For example, in glacier national park this season it's been cold and wet with lots of snow lingering. In some places the snow pack is well over 200% of average water content and some say it's as has high as 390%! This tells me that the potential is there for great color as it warms and the flowers start to bloom! But it also tells me that all the pot holes that have been dry or very low will fill up.

Yesterday, the air was calm, hardly a breeze - which is unusual around here. So I sprang to action, grabbed my gear and raced out the door. I spend a good half day just hitting all the places that in the past I noted would hold water and be a possible source for a cool glacier park reflection photograph. My mission yesterday was to scout those locations that I know have the potential for producing a great shot given the right set of conditions. On this trip, I did not set out intending to create a master piece photograph, I wanted to cover ground and see as many locations as I could while it was calm!

I know that in the next month things will ripen, the grass will turn green and the flowers will pop! When it's "ripe," I dont want to be searching around looking for that perfect shot location. Instead, I want to know exactly where I need to be for the shot. To that end, I still shot the scenes while scouting just so I could analyze them back home on my computer, knowing full well that the color was not going to be what I wanted. Imagine this shot if the ground were green and the sky and mountains lit like this shot of Sinopah mountain.

Scouting enables me to plot a course for photographic success rather than leaving it to chance. For sure the weather will have to cooperate, but success is when opportunity meets preparation, and I need to be sure that I've done what I can before the opportunity arises. I do love the organic nature of just wondering around and finding those great places and capturing those spontaneousness photographs that turn into gems, but that's not a good way to do things if your trying to make a career of photography.

Stay tuned for my next blog post when I explain these . . . Care to take a guess? Give it a shot!

Glacier Park Art online Gallery
I recently set up a new online gallery with a few glacier park photographs. The online gallery will allow you to purchase directly a few sizes of prints, and other types of swag like key chains, coffee mugs, mouse pads and more! Any would make a great gift for the Glacier Park enthusiast in your life! The images are of Glacier National Park and were created over the past several years. Click on the picture you like, let it load then add it to your cart (button at the top of the page), then you will be able to select from the list of available products. If you find a photographic image that you like, that's not in the online gallery but on my site, or want to know more about any of the the images, please ask! Some of the photos in this gallery will also be available this summer at Glacier Impressions Gallery, Highway 49, just down the road from the Glacier Park Lodge here in East Glacier Park, MT.

Until next time, happy shooting!

Tony

Bear Aware, Spring in Glacier Park, Glacier Park Photo Gifts Launched!

noreply@blogger.com (www.tonybynum.com) — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:26:00 +0000

Bear Aware
How about a few bear refreshers! I've seen several grizzly and black bears around recently and would like to reminded everyone to be bear aware!

Here's a great video on being bear aware: http://bit.ly/iCaNvg

Here is a great video on how to use bear spray: http://bit.ly/bu1Kcx

Spring in Glacier Park
It is spring in Glacier National Park, finally! I've been told that some of the park camp grounds on the east side wont open till June 10th, and as of today, May 18 (Mt Saint Helen's erupted on this day in 1980), the roads on the east side of the park are only slightly open . . . what that means is they are not open very far, if you want more information on the park roads, Google "glacier park roads."

The Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) or the crocus flower is in full bloom. In fact this bloom is as good as I've ever seen it. For those not familiar with that flower, here's an example of one I shot just two days ago. In the coming weeks expect the following: balsam, glacier lily, yellow bells, camas, and many more!

The snow is melting rapidly around east glacier park. Luna's, a local restaurant is open, Serrano's opened a couple of weeks ago, the Grill and Ramsey's (not there are not kitchen nightmares there) of course remain open for business, and i'm seeing lots of activity in town! Glacier Impressions Gallery plans to be open soon too although I'm going to miss the opening few days.

I hope if you're planning a trip out to Glacier National Park, you'll find time to stop in and say hi to us at the Glacier Impressions Gallery on hwy 49 in east glacier park (on the road though town if you're going up to Two Medicine Lake, or driving over the scenic Looking Glass Road on your way to Saint Mary's), - Looking Glass is not yet open, too mush snow still; I'll update this blog when it opens!

Glacier Park Photo Gifts
I've also just launched a new online gallery with a few Glacier Park images that can be purchased online in the form of prints on paper, mugs, key chains, puzzles and cards, if you're interested, please take a look! Once there, just click the "add to cart" button and it will give you a list of items you can buy.

Glacier Park Gift Items

Cheers! Tony Bynum

Glacier National Park - East Side Opening's Delayed - chase the light!

noreply@blogger.com (www.tonybynum.com) — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:33:00 +0000

The recent news from the National Park Service, Glacier National Park is that most of the camp grounds on the east side wont open until June 10th, which is much later then average, due to snow pack and delays in getting roads open and other facilities operational. In some places the Park is reporting almost 400% of average snow pack! Wow . . .

The delays have impacted me and slowed my progress this spring that's for sure. The delays likely will have dramatic impacts on the businesses here in East Glacier Park as well, including my gallery. But with lemons one can decide to make lemonade, right! What does that mean, it means this is a great opportunity for me to photographs things that have, for one reason or another escaped me. Here's a list of a few things you can do to turn some bad news into a learning opportunity!

Start by thinking more about what the light is doing NOW, at this time of year, than on where you wish you were. The fact is that the most important aspect of great landscape imagery is LIGHT! Think more about light angles and less about that exact location you were planing, since last fall, to be at in May. Trust me, when you start shooting light and not subject it will open up a whole new world!

Try shooting small subjects close to your home, like budding flowers or buzzing bees in your yard.
Shoot landscapes when the trees are not fully leafed out (try them back-lit by the sun too), the colors and smaller leaves often allow you to produce interesting images that you've always missed in the past due to being in that "perfect place."
Try shooting water themes. Spring often is the best time to shoot water themes. Try to shoot them under cloudy sky's, you'll be surprise - try a polarizer, use a tripod!
Try shooting migrating waterfowl including shore birds are always available in the spring and not often in mountainous regions like Glacier Park, so look to your local pond or wetland for great waterfowl and bird opportunities.
Watch for clouds and shoot rainbows. Rainbows can be found almost anywhere and spring is often the best time to fine them. The trick to rainbows is to know when they will appear and how to find them. When you have rain and direct sun, you will have a rainbow. Put your back to the sun, look straight out in front of you and you will find the rainbow. Try to get the end of the rain bow landing in something interesting, or balance something right in the center, but under it if it's a full rainbow.

If you can't alter your travel plans, or you're coming to Glacier no matter what, all of these suggestions can be applied around Glacier National Park as well. There is so much to offer photographically around Glacier that no matter what, you should be able to find interesting subjects under any conditions. In fact, less than "ideal" conditions, and forcing yourself to shoot other subjects is what makes you grow as a photographer.

Tony

Rocky Mountain Front Discovery Tour

noreply@blogger.com (www.tonybynum.com) — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:46:00 +0000

The Rocky Mountain Front in Montana, the area from roughly Rogers Pass north to Glacier National Park is the subject of the Discovery Tour. Recently the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front teamed up with several others to sponsor the "Rocky Mountain Front Discovery Tour." The Tour was meant to showcase the unique outdoor recreation, cultural and physical qualities the Front offers. Many years of conservation activities have culminated in a place where grizzly bears still come on to the prairie, elk, deer and wolves are free to roam and blankets of wildflowers bloom freely every spring and summer.

The folks that put on the Tour and who created the Discovery Guide asked me if I would help them by presenting some of my photographs during the Tour. I was more than happy to help. In response to that request, I produced this video/slideshow of the Rocky Mountain Front. It contains some short video, a lot of photographs of local people, outstanding landscapes, and wildlife. I hope you take a minute to watch this video and if you find it interesting share your thoughts with me and share the video with your friends!

I hope you all are having a great spring! It's finally warming up here in Glacier National Park and I'm anxious to get out and get some spring photographs.

Thank you, Tony

What Makes Me Creative - I'm an Explorer - Grizzly Bears

noreply@blogger.com (www.tonybynum.com) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 04:15:00 +0000

Montana, A Huge Breath of Fresh Air!

What makes one creative? Is it place, is it age, is it genetics, experience . . ? As I crossed back into Montana from Idaho along I-90, returning from a recent trip to the Pacific Northwest, I felt like I was back home. Immediately after passing the "welcome to Montana" billboard, I rolled down the window, even while the snow was clipping by at 50 mph, and snatched a gulp of cold, clean, crisp Montana air. Next, I happily pushed the clock ahead one hour, to catch up to the mountain time zone - just being in the mountain time zone makes me feel more at home.

Do you have a place that makes you feel like you're at home? Does your soul know when it's connected to the earth and the air? Where on this planet do you feel most connected, balanced and at home? For me it's Montana and the Rocky Mountains, particularly the eastern slopes where it's cold, windy, and the sky's are as large as my imagination with boundaries set only by the rugged cliffs, endless sky and my ability to navigate the terrain.

Being in a place that makes me feel like I'm at home is what allows me to be creative. This does not mean I dont travel or that I'm not creative when I'm shooting on the road, quite the contrary. It means that place is important to me and it's important to have a place that allows you to feel at home. For me that's Glacier Country in Montana. It's beautiful, remote, timeless, rugged, hard, clean, and free. There are no Starbuck's, no Costco's, no traffic and few people. It does get lonely at times, cell service often sucks, there are fewer job opportunities and housing is marginal, and I have to work harder than most of my colleagues, but the quality of life that it all brings and the creativity that it allows me to generate makes it all seem like the right place at the right time! Are you living in your creative place?

Spring In East Glacier and Grizzly Bears

It's spring in East Glacier, a good deal of local snow pack left last week, but there's still mountains in my yard, and today it's cold and the forecast is for more winter like weather. It's almost May so it can't be long now until we see more dirt, grass and soil than ice and snow! Already we are only 50 days from the longest day of the year, the trees are budding in places, all a sure signs of spring. It also means the bears are out and lurking around. Be sure to give yourself a bear spray refresher (know how it works) and above all, be sure you have a fresh can on you and ready for use when you're out!

More on Grizzly Bears. I'm often asked where to find bears, how to photograph them, how close do I get and so on. I always remark, "grizzly bears are where you find them, they are anywhere and everywhere at any time. You have to be on guard and alert at all times. Don't approach them, and for heavens sake, don't try to track them down." I very much enjoy a good photograph of a grizzly bear but I do not seek the critters out, instead I use opportunity and seize it when it presents itself and without danger.

To me there's something magical and invigorating about living and working in a landscape where a bear is on top of the pyramid, but I also give them respect, their space, and do whatever I can to avoid encounters with them while in the back-country.

On that note, this is the time of year that I pay special attention to what's going on around me when I'm outside. Since I like to roam widely and make my own path - trails and obvious routs are not my style - trails are for hikers, and I'm an explorer - in the spring I try to be more visible and less quite than ever. The bears like brush, creek bottoms and places where's there's lush green forbs growing. And soon, the boars will be chasing the sow's around which makes their exact locations unpredictable!

I dont recommend people set out in search of bears to photograph, at least not in Glacier National Park. The grizzly bears around here are well known for their aggressive and "territorial" behavior. If you want really to photography grizzly bears there are lots of great places in Alaska where you can get all the pictures you want and remain relatively safe doing it.

As a closing note, I'd like to thank the dedicated members of the Professional Outdoor Media Association for all the their generous support in electing me to the Board of Directors. I was honored to receive the nomination and now I'm very happy to accept the position! Thank you POMA!

Tony

COME TO MISSOULA, MT on May 3rd for a great presentation!

If you need something to do next Tuesday, come the University of Montana on May 3rd, where at 6:30 PM I'll be showing on the big screen, some of my images of the Rocky Mountain Front, and Ben Lamb of the Montana Wildlife Federation will be speaking about the Rocky Mountain Front - check it out here: http://bit.ly/muA4aL