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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.

The Casting Shot

admin Blog, Fishing May 5, 2021May 2, 2021kootenai river

There are a couple of staple shots in the realm of fishing that most photographers get accustomed to taking, the fin and grin, the release, the take, the underwater, and so on. One of the shots that I love taking but is hard to get in the habit of taking is the casting shot. There are a couple of ways to go about it; you can stand behind the subject or in front of the subject to get a more head-on view of the line, you can go from above depending on the terrain and equipment you have to use, or of course, you can go from the side. Personally, I think it all depends on the light, the foreground, and the background. These elements really dictate what stance to take on the photo. The Kootenai River is a gorgeous mixture of colors but the mountains in the springtime aren’t necessarily all that interesting, so going from the side made sense here. Plus, with my two friends both fishing, I wanted to see them both in the photo. There are many ways to capture this element of the sport and it’s important that no matter which way you do, that you at least try.

The Kootenai Falls

admin Blog, Landscape May 3, 2021May 2, 2021kootenai falls, kootenai river

Well, I finally got all my photos finished from the trip, which considering the trip was a month ago, shows just how many I had to get through. I really did enjoy finishing these images though. The Kootenai River really is an amazing place and the topography of the land in that area of the state is just breathtaking. The river is controlled by Libby Dam, 17 miles upstream from the town of Libby, and regulates how much flows out from Lake Kookanusa. The Kootenai River is the third largest tributary to the Columbia River.

In the springtime, the flows are much lower than during the high runoff months of May and June, thus the river looks like this with more visible banks and pools. During the runoff months, the river swells and becomes very deep, very wide, and can be dangerous to navigate for outdoor recreation. While I was there last month on a fishing trip, we had to stop just once at the Kootenai falls, which is a natural barrier for fishing spawning, to do the whole tourist thing and see the sights. The Falls are accessible by a 1.6 mile easily manageable hike to the swinging bridge or the upper falls. Both spots are worth the trip. In the fall, the fish tend to pool up beneath the falls, and great schools of salmon, trout, and sturgeon can be seen. These were taken with the Nikon D5 and 18-35 f3.5/4.5.

The Kootenai River, a New Adventure

admin Blog, Fishing, Landscape April 20, 2021April 19, 2021kootenai river

My apologies for not posting much lately but I’ve rather busy since I got back from the latest Montana adventure, this one taking me all the way up north to Libby and the magnificent Kootenai River. It was one heck of a trip that I’m still processing images from and as you can see it’s unlike any river I’ve posted about before. The fishing was great and the photography was great so there will be more to come.

79 Years Later

admin Blog April 18, 2021April 19, 2021

Today is the 79th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. 16 B-25 bombers took off from the carrier USS Hornet on this day to bomb Japan in the first strike after Pearl Harbor. While the mission had minimal strategic value, the moral effect of the mission was everlasting.

April 18th is a big day in aviation. It represents the resolve that we as a nation were willing to carry out in a time when it was needed the most. The eighty men that made the trek to Japan did something that had never been done before and thanks to hard-working volunteers it will never be forgotten.

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