Glacier Park

Well people, fall is here. It's been raining for two days and the snow is stacking up in mountains. The forcast was for up to 2 feet above 5500 (that's below Logan Pass, for those that know the park). I will venture out to the high country later, after the storme blows over.

Before the storm the colors were coming on but not as good as in past years due to the great lack of rain this summer. most plants started to wilt and go domant due to lack of water not temperature or photo period.

Its 38 degrees and raining at my house in East Glacier Park. I can see fresh white snow on the mountains through the clouds. Here's an aspen shot taken from my front porch. Tony

Another fall aspen shot, enjoy.

And one more for the AA fans out there.

Wow, thanks for the update! Getting ready to get my skiis out now :-). Your report reminded me of some backpack trips we had done in the Bob this time of year and gotten snowed on. Please post some pics!

I posted three recent photo's. Here's one for the Bob fans out there, can you guess where it is? I'll post a few more after-storm photo's if I get any worth viewing!

Hey Tony,

Glad to see you are back! The shots are awesome. I love aspen trees. I am surprised they are so rich so early. Would you say that they are at their peak right now? I know that Yellowstone, they would have another few weeks 'til peak time.

The shot of the bull elk is very cool too. I find them to be so spectacular - your guy has a very healthy look to him.

-JM

It's not easy to say when or if the trees are at their peak as there is a great deal of variability from drainage to drainage due to micro-climates. It is not like Yellowstone or Teton. Moreover, it's very hard to predict and almost impossible to plan a trip to see. In most years, the trees start to change and then we get a cold snap followed by high winds in the 50-70 MPH range and all the leaves are blown from the trees. There are places here where the trees have lost all their leaves already, so, it is impossible to tell you when the peak is or was.

I believe the colors are bit early this year due to a lack of rain this summer. . .

The key, in my view, to great fall shots, (and other shots for that matter) around here, is great LIGHT! I like to use backlight, like the shot of the aspens and crow. . . That was taken with strong back light thus you get the glow of the leaves making them look much more dramatic and vibrant than you would think.

I believe it takes a great deal of effort to take photo’s during non-optimal shooting periods, like early fall. So, you have to be more creative with lighting and do things like shoot into the sun when your logic tells you to put the sun to your back. If I would have shot the aspen crow shot with frontal light, it would have been very average and bland. . .

Take care, Tony