September 2010

The joy of living in Montana! Many summers August in Montana means hot and dry weather punctuated by smoky skies from blazing wildfires. These conditions are the reason that I don’t schedule any photo workshops during the month and in some years it’s hard to make a decent image in the smoke filled skies. 2010 was a very pleasant exception as we were blessed with pleasant temperatures with a good mix of rain and thunderstorms making for exceptional skies in which to make intriguing images.

I re-discovered camping spots such as the Ten Lakes Scenic Area near the Canadian border. This remote area is blessed with great hiking trails to tranquil small lakes and high ridges. It was exhilarating to paddle the kayak in Big Therriault Lake and see an otter swim by while a black bear was in the forest and an osprey was fishing by circling the lake and then suddenly crash diving into the still water. Then to awake during the middle of the night amongst towering pine trees and look up and see the Milky Way accented by the flash of a shooting star. Of course, I had to get my camera setup for this spectacle. I made a really cool time-lapse movie in which I took a 30-second exposure every 2 minutes for 4 hours. I crawled back in my sleeping bag and let the camera do the work.

I also attended the Northwest Montana Fair for the first time in about ten years. It always reminds me of my youth back in Ohio when “fair week” was the highlight of the summer right before heading back to school. My goal was to capture the lights of the carnival rides in the ambient light of dusk. There is about a 20-30 minute window after the sunset where the manmade light mixes in synch with the fading twilight. I wanted to test out my new flash diffuser to see how well it worked under these conditions. I found a family that was perfect for the shot and as you can see by the results, the flash worked superbly. I also shot some really cool movie footage of the “moving” lights to add to my upcoming multimedia shows.

http://www.agpix.com/platform7/AGPix_chaney/?platform_num=7

At the end of the month I traveled east of the mountains over to Great Falls, Montana. I haven’t shot many bicycling images this year, so I wanted to bag new mountain and road bike images. I was fortunate to hook up with some great models and had favorable conditions. One of the mornings I decided to make the 40-mile drive north to the small town of Fort Benton. I’ve always been drawn to this small town full of history that is situated on the Missouri River. I had an idea of what I wanted to shoot, namely the Grand Union Hotel and the monument to Shep, the loyal dog (Google it..), but as I was driving around I noticed an old bicycle adorned with flowers sitting next to a table and chairs that looked like a street scene in Europe. Sometimes the unexpected unfolds right before your eye and brings the most excitement! Next, the sun broke through the clouds onto the hotel and the monument. I took the images as three separate exposures and then blended them in Photomatix Pro (HDR). I was pleased with the results as great color and sky matched with the shadow detail only possible by using this kind of new technique.

http://www.agpix.com/platform8/AGPix_chaney/?platform_num=8

Fall colors are coming soon. There is still time to sign up for the two upcoming autumn workshop classes. First up are the glorious hardwoods of northern Minnesota. This class features forests ablaze with color, waterfalls, creeks, and lighthouses along the scenic shore of Lake Superior. Don’t miss out on an excellent opportunity for great images in a great setting!

Next up will be Columbia Gorge in Oregon where thunderous waterfalls cascade in a lush forest setting. Bigtooth maples with red and yellow leaves will contrast nicely with the green mosses of the forest making for vibrant images. Snow-capped Mount Hood will loom over fruit orchards that will be in color in the Hood Valley.

For more information on these classes and a peek into the 2011 schedule go over to the workshops page.

http://www.chuckhaney.com/workshops.html