u/SingingSkyPhoto

When we glance back and consider what has been, it is easy to look with regret upon what has occurred in the past. Thoughts like, “If I had only done this”, or “If I had not done that, things would be so different” come easily. 

I think about the past when I am wandering around in places like this. I wonder how tall the mountains used to be before the ice. I think about what it looked like when this land was covered in glaciers. Then, after the ice had finished its work of carving this work of art, how different did it look than before the ice appeared? How tall were the waterfalls? How deep were the canyons? I love to imagine this wild place eons ago when Native People viewed these majestic scenes. Did it look the same as it does now? Do you know what I think? I think mountains like Palace Butte and Maid of the Mist Mountain have endured some difficult times. I imagine that if they could talk, they might express some regret at what had happened. Think about it though, if the Ice Age had not left its mark here, things  would look much different. This unmatchable landscape would likely not be nearly as rugged and interesting. 

I think life is like that for all of us. Most of us have endured pain and difficult circumstances. To be sure, some of you have faced a more difficult journey than others. On the other side of that though, there can be a beauty that is difficult to comprehend. Be patient, stay strong when you can, lean on each other when you can’t, and embrace the journey. The passing of time leaves its mark on all of us, and it is a beautiful thing. 

To mark the passing of time, I have used a very long exposure to create this image. 433 seconds long to be precise. It has a magical way of capturing the movement in the clouds and really adds a sense of richness to the image. 

Just as relentless gravity pulls water down the creek, I am drawn with no less vigor by the power my imagination has over me to wander down this gravel road. In Wendell Berry’s essay, A Native Hill, he shares these thoughts on the difference between a road and a path.

“The difference between a path and a road is not only the obvious one. A path is little more than a habit that comes with knowledge of a place. It is a sort of ritual of familiarity. As a form, it is a form of contact with a known landscape. It is not destructive. It is the perfect adaptation, through experience and familiarity, of movement to place; it obeys the natural contours; such obstacles as it meets it goes around.”

By this definition and despite my mode of transportation, this road is much more of a path. My knowledge of this place has not dimmed my sense of wonder for it. Even though I know by loving memory what view may appear around the next corner, I am drawn inexorably to experience it again. Wendell proposes that roads resist the landscape and wish to avoid contact with it. Not so with this primitive road. It chooses to embrace the landscape as it carries my love for wild places and starry night skies deeper into the terrain. I’m not sure why anyone would resist the pull of any type of path that carries them away from hurry and towards the solace the natural world has to offer.

Yellow Lady Slipper Orchids are stunning beacons of light on the dark forest floor. All orchids require specific soil conditions to thrive. Most propagation occurs through the roots. Something interesting about their seeds is that they are so tiny that they contain no nutrients. They rely on a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi to provide the food they need to germinate. These fungi actually tie an entire forest together through a fascinating network in the soil and roots of the trees and other plants. These flowers have formed a mutually beneficial symbiosis with me too.  I get to witness stunning beauty in a peaceful environment and they get a free portrait session!

Nikon Z8 focus shift step 4

Sigma 105mm Macro

ISO 400, f/4, 1/50th sec

70 images stacked in Helicon Focus

Method=C (S=10)

I believe I could have stayed under this tree all day long. With its lower branches covered in glowing green Wolf Lichen and its crown standing tall above the other nearby trees, this huge Douglas Fir Tree is a beacon of life on this hillside. Scattered on the forest floor, like candy sprinkles on a birthday cake, so many flowers were doing their best to attract pollinators. Red Squirrels chattered away off in the distance. An occasional breeze would meander through the forest, its whispery presence could be heard in the Aspens below me as their leaves danced to the rhythm of the gentle current. What I really crave about places like this is my favorite birdsong. The Swainson’s Thrush is an ordinary looking bird with a stunningly beautiful voice. It sounds like someone playing some sort of circular chord progression on a flute. Sit under this tree with me for a few minutes. Take a deep breath, feel the breeze on your face and listen to the song of the Swainson’s Thrush. There may not be a more perfect way to spend a morning.

Much like a Black Tie event, I believe that black and white images create a sense of elegance and even simplicity. It seems counterintuitive to remove color from an image of a flower, but I personally like the look. 

Much like a Black Tie event, I believe that black and white images create a sense of elegance and even simplicity. It seems counterintuitive to remove color from an image of a flower, but I personally like the look. 

Much like a Black Tie event, I believe that black and white images create a sense of elegance and even simplicity. It seems counterintuitive to remove color from an image of a flower, but I personally like the look. 

I missed Nature Photography Day yesterday, so here are four of my favorite images from a variety of genres.

I missed Nature Photography Day yesterday, so here are four of my favorite images from a variety of genres.

I went for a walk in the woods this morning. Low clouds and a steady rain made for wet pant legs and soggy shoes, but this photographer was not deterred! My first stop was to check on the progress of the Wild Iris, whose blooming I have been anticipating. There were several that will open after a few more sunny days. This meadow is covered in patches of Iris plants, to here’s hoping they all produce blooms. You can bet I will be back to check in on them!

As I wandered the edges of the meadow, a bit of dark pink caught my eye. Most of the Shooting Stars here are past prime, so this had to be something else. Turns out it was Prairie Smoke! I snagged a shot of a particularly prodigious plant, and wandered over to where I had noticed a few Glacier Lilies still in bloom. I found a nice trio of them, all covered in rain, which is when I also noticed a spear of grass with a drop of water at its tip. I positioned the camera to get a distant Lily showing inside the drop. That drop was smaller than 1/8” of an inch in diameter! 

The rain started coming down heavier now, so I went back to the truck to dry the camera off and head up the road just a little bit. I followed a game trail through a dense stand of Douglas Fir trees. This offered a bit of respite from the rain, but I brought an umbrella to set up over the camera this time, since raindrops on lenses doesn’t look so good in a photo. I meandered to a decaying stump I had found on a previous walk. It has a small Wild Rose bush growing from within, but it is a ways from blooming. I wandered to the edge of the grove and made a few photos of some interesting trees with foggy mountains in the background. 

Back to the truck again and on to a spot where I was hoping to find some Calypso Orchids still blooming. On the way, I saw a nice Whitetailed Deer in the forest. I found a small window in the trees, and didnt even get out of my truck for that one! Another mile to the trailhead and another adventure! It took some serious bushwhacking through a lot of blown down trees to get to an area with the setting I was hoping to find the Orchids in. Voila’, there they were! I found a few single plants, but then, looking through the branches of a small Fir trees, I saw a large splash of pink. It had to be what I was searching for. There, on a bed of Moss and a variety of Lichens, stood a soggy, but brave clump of lovely specimens. I unstrapped my kneeling pad from my backpack and got to work making a series of images. I slowly wandered back to the truck. A few of the raindrops were turning into slushy snow, but I was warm and grateful for a morning full of walks in the woods and meadows. I walked away with 40 GB of images on my memory card. Because of the way I stack images for some of these close-up flower shots, I ended up with taking 780 photos! 

I went for a walk in the woods this morning. Low clouds and a steady rain made for wet pant legs and soggy shoes, but this photographer was not deterred! My first stop was to check on the progress of the Wild Iris, whose blooming I have been anticipating. There were several that will open after a few more sunny days. This meadow is covered in patches of Iris plants, to here’s hoping they all produce blooms. You can bet I will be back to check in on them!

As I wandered the edges of the meadow, a bit of dark pink caught my eye. Most of the Shooting Stars here are past prime, so this had to be something else. Turns out it was Prairie Smoke! I snagged a shot of a particularly prodigious plant, and wandered over to where I had noticed a few Glacier Lilies still in bloom. I found a nice trio of them, all covered in rain, which is when I also noticed a spear of grass with a drop of water at its tip. I positioned the camera to get a distant Lily showing inside the drop. That drop was smaller than 1/8” of an inch in diameter! 

The rain started coming down heavier now, so I went back to the truck to dry the camera off and head up the road just a little bit. I followed a game trail through a dense stand of Douglas Fir trees. This offered a bit of respite from the rain, but I brought an umbrella to set up over the camera this time, since raindrops on lenses doesn’t look so good in a photo. I meandered to a decaying stump I had found on a previous walk. It has a small Wild Rose bush growing from within, but it is a ways from blooming. I wandered to the edge of the grove and made a few photos of some interesting trees with foggy mountains in the background. 

Back to the truck again and on to a spot where I was hoping to find some Calypso Orchids still blooming. On the way, I saw a nice Whitetailed Deer in the forest. I found a small window in the trees, and didnt even get out of my truck for that one! Another mile to the trailhead and another adventure! It took some serious bushwhacking through a lot of blown down trees to get to an area with the setting I was hoping to find the Orchids in. Voila’, there they were! I found a few single plants, but then, looking through the branches of a small Fir trees, I saw a large splash of pink. It had to be what I was searching for. There, on a bed of Moss and a variety of Lichens, stood a soggy, but brave clump of lovely specimens. I unstrapped my kneeling pad from my backpack and got to work making a series of images. I slowly wandered back to the truck. A few of the raindrops were turning into slushy snow, but I was warm and grateful for a morning full of walks in the woods and meadows. I walked away with 40 GB of images on my memory card. Because of the way I stack images for some of these close-up flower shots, I ended up with taking 780 photos! 

I went for a walk in the woods this morning. Low clouds and a steady rain made for wet pant legs and soggy shoes, but this photographer was not deterred! My first stop was to check on the progress of the Wild Iris, whose blooming I have been anticipating. There were several that will open after a few more sunny days. This meadow is covered in patches of Iris plants, to here’s hoping they all produce blooms. You can bet I will be back to check in on them!

As I wandered the edges of the meadow, a bit of dark pink caught my eye. Most of the Shooting Stars here are past prime, so this had to be something else. Turns out it was Prairie Smoke! I snagged a shot of a particularly prodigious plant, and wandered over to where I had noticed a few Glacier Lilies still in bloom. I found a nice trio of them, all covered in rain, which is when I also noticed a spear of grass with a drop of water at its tip. I positioned the camera to get a distant Lily showing inside the drop. That drop was smaller than 1/8” of an inch in diameter! 

The rain started coming down heavier now, so I went back to the truck to dry the camera off and head up the road just a little bit. I followed a game trail through a dense stand of Douglas Fir trees. This offered a bit of respite from the rain, but I brought an umbrella to set up over the camera this time, since raindrops on lenses doesn’t look so good in a photo. I meandered to a decaying stump I had found on a previous walk. It has a small Wild Rose bush growing from within, but it is a ways from blooming. I wandered to the edge of the grove and made a few photos of some interesting trees with foggy mountains in the background. 

Back to the truck again and on to a spot where I was hoping to find some Calypso Orchids still blooming. On the way, I saw a nice Whitetailed Deer in the forest. I found a small window in the trees, and didnt even get out of my truck for that one! Another mile to the trailhead and another adventure! It took some serious bushwhacking through a lot of blown down trees to get to an area with the setting I was hoping to find the Orchids in. Voila’, there they were! I found a few single plants, but then, looking through the branches of a small Fir trees, I saw a large splash of pink. It had to be what I was searching for. There, on a bed of Moss and a variety of Lichens, stood a soggy, but brave clump of lovely specimens. I unstrapped my kneeling pad from my backpack and got to work making a series of images. I slowly wandered back to the truck. A few of the raindrops were turning into slushy snow, but I was warm and grateful for a morning full of walks in the woods and meadows. I walked away with 40 GB of images on my memory card. Because of the way I stack images for some of these close-up flower shots, I ended up with taking 780 photos! 

Yellow Mountain Columbine Aquilegia flavescens

These flowers are to me, the pinnacle of floral art. You have probably noticed that I love wildflowers, but Columbine have always been a favorite. It could be because “aquilegia” means Eagle in Latin, or it could be because of where they grow. I first met Blue Columbine while exploring the backcountry of Rocky Mountain National Park. I loved seeing them blooming among the rocks at tree line. My favorite place to see them was at the outlet of Sky Pond at just shy of 11,000ft of elevation. They are much harder to find here in Montana, but I have seen a few. Red Columbine are stunning as well, with their slightly smaller flowers and forest setting. The Yellow Columbine is no slouch when it comes to beauty. They love cool moist settings along the forest floor. Their flowers grow on long, slender stems making them nod in the slightest breeze. I found this one in a spot I visit frequently. It is situated between a roaring creek and a steep talus slope where Pika’s thrive. There are towering Douglas Fir trees with a few Lodgepole Pine trees sprinkled in. It’s in a steep walled canyon that makes the sun rise later and set earlier, making for a perfect place for these beauties to thrive. It makes me thrive too.

This is a stack of 104 images. The camera takes a series of shots, using a 105mm macro lens, with the focus point starting where I choose. Then it moves the focus out incrementally for each additional shot. I use a program called Helicon Focus to merge them all into on image with all the sharp areas combined. The background is not artificial but is the result of the way the lens blurs the background foliage.

Trees are a favorite subject for most photographers and I am no exception. Here is a gallery of some of my favorite tree photos from over the years. My apologies to those of you who do not like snow! It seems I get more of these in the winter! In some of these the temperature was in the 70's, in one of them it was -40ºf!

Trees are a favorite subject for most photographers and I am no exception. Here is a gallery of some of my favorite tree photos from over the years. My apologies to those of you who do not like snow! It seems I get more of these in the winter! In some of these the temperature was in the 70's, in one of them it was -40ºf!

Trees are a favorite subject for most photographers and I am no exception. Here is a gallery of some of my favorite tree photos from over the years. My apologies to those of you who do not like snow! It seems I get more of these in the winter! In some of these the temperature was in the 70's, in one of them it was -40ºf!

May was a very productive month for me when it came to photographing the early season wildflowers around Bozeman, Montana. I managed to get out several times a week all month.