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Aviation

Aviation photography is one of the most adrenaline-packed fields to work in! It’s fast, fun, and full of challenges. From static planes, ground to air, or air to air, each area possesses its own obstacles and its own rewards. On

Wildlife

Humans are not the only inhabitants of this world. All wildlife share an important role in the world ecosystem. Telling their tale takes patience and knowledge but it is important that we document their stories while they are still here.

Landscape

Our natural world is an amazing place! There is a romance to the landscape that transports one away from life and into a state of tranquility. Bringing out that romance takes a good photograph and a little help in the

Fishing

Everyone who fishes has their own story and there’s no better way to tell that story than with a photograph. It requires speed and precision to get the fish back in the water quickly and to make the client happy.

Tech Talk

There are ten straps out there for every camera body. Each person has a preference as to which one is the best. For me, it comes down to safety, functionality, and comfort. We spend a lot of money on our

Education

From books to magazines to websites, there is always something to learn and as a photographer, our job is not just to take pretty pictures but to also push the envelope for ourselves and our fellow photographers through that knowledge.

Field Reports

What’s happening in Montana or the Rocky Mountains? What’s the latest adventure and the newest story? Every photoshoot is something different and each one has its own lessons to be learned. Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned.

In Honor of VE Day 1945

admin Aviation, Blog May 8, 2022ve day, victory europe day

Today we honor the many sacrifices that were made seventy-seven years ago, when on May 8th, 1945 VE Day, Victory Europe was declared. The end of WWII in Europe had begun with the German surrender and while the war continued on in the Pacific and peace was not entirely secured yet in Europe, the end was in sight. Today is an important day to remember that hard-fought victory and the many sacrifices that were made.

WWII changed the lives of everyone. It was the second time in the same century that the world was engaged in conflict and sadly it was not the last time that nations were fighting each other. Kids and adults had to fight to secure peace. It was not an easy victory, it took time and many lives. As we go through these uncertain times now, let us not forget the past and most certainly not repeat it.

Seven years ago, I had the privilege to document the Arsenal of Democracy Flyover, in which 52 aircraft flew over the nation’s capital in honor of the 70th anniversary of VE Day. Over 800 veterans and 30,000 people were in attendance at the national mall. The Texas Flying Legends Museum brought eight aircraft in support of the flyover. This is what it was like for them.

Spring Time Clouds Are Back!

admin Blog, Landscape May 3, 2022April 30, 2022ennis lake

Spring in the Rockies is such a fun time of the year. The days are longer and warmer but the storms are still moving through so the afternoons can be filled with some great cloud-filled skies. I know I’ve talked a lot about clouds before but they do add more unique elements to landscape photos than just a blue sky. Not only that, but when you have a nice lake reflecting that sky, all the clouds add more patterns to the water’s surface making that lake look more interesting. On top of all that, there is something peaceful about a nice calm spring afternoon outside.

Spawning Colors

admin Blog, Fishing April 22, 2022April 17, 2022cutbow

Certain times of the year are better for fishing than others because the fish have changed color and are more “beautiful” to catch. I put that in quotes because from a sheer enjoyment factor, every minute out is fun but photographically we are always looking for more color or vibrancy that makes the subject pop and stand out from others. Rainbows are in their Spring spawning phase and in smaller streams, it’s common to find reds that are filled with eggs. It is important to be extremely careful around these reds as a footprint can destroy them and thus destroy future generations of fish. Once you catch that one specimen that deserves a little extra time, keyword there is little, be sure to keep it wet while taking a photo and focus on the smaller details and the whole specimen. The cheeks and eyes caught my attention on this cut-bow which is why I focused closely on the face. It put up a good fight, so it was fast in and out of the net.

10 and 80, How Time Flies!

admin Aviation, Blog April 18, 2022April 17, 2022B25, b25 bomber, b25 doolittle raid, doolittle raid

You might have seen that title and wondered what the heck I was talking about. 10 years ago I went to Grimes Field in Urbana, OH for the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. It was an event like no other and it cemented my love of aviation. There were 20 of the flying B-25’s in the world at one place at one time, it was the most ever seen together since WWII. Better than that four of the last surviving Doolittle Raiders were in attendance, along with Carol Glines an honorary raider, and one of the survivors of the USS Hornet CV-8 (I’m sorry to say I don’t recall his name at this time). Since then, Edward Saylor, Dick Cole, David Thatcher, and Thomas Griffin have all passed away with Dick Cole being the last of the raiders to go. Today marks the 80th anniversary of the raid that made them all famous.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, Roosevelt went to Congress to ask to declare a proclamation of war against Japan. Congress agreed and soon after Japan and Germany declared war on the US with the US declaring war on Germany. This would set off the United States’ involvement in WWII. Roosevelt went to his military leaders to come up with a strike against the heart of Japan in response to Pearl Harbor. A submarine commander came up with the idea of launching bombers from a carrier to attack mainland Japan. It was a bold and highly dangerous plan in which the precious American fleet would have to go well into the domain of the far superior Japanese fleet. 16 B-25 bombers launched from the USS Hornet on April 18th, 1942, and bombed mainland Japan before flying further onto China where the planes were to be handed over to American allies in China for further use in the war. This did not happen as all but 1 plane crashed due to bad weather and nightfall. The one surviving plane landed in Russia and was confiscated. The history of the raid is fascinating and many historians have spent a lot of time researching and interviewing survivors from all nations. This blog post hardly does it justice. You can read an older post of mine here to learn a little more but I would advise you to pick up Carol Glines, the Doolittle Raid for a more in-depth account of events.

Lastly, while the anniversary of the Doolittle Raid has always been about the brave men that took part in the raid itself, being able to remember and honor those folks wouldn’t have been possible without volunteers like those of the Children of the Doolittle Raiders, National Museum of the United States Air Force, all the private museums that fly and maintain the B-25’s and all the folks that are involved with these planes, the veterans and honestly those just helping to make these events function.

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