Hiking and Photographing in the Bridger Mountains

Not long ago we set out on a journey to hike to Sacajawea Peak, named in honor of the Shoshone woman who joined the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805. The day was gorgeous...not too hot, a slight breeze and absolutely clear skies.  Sacajawea Peak is a 2.21 mile hike one way and much of the hike is quite steep.  Our hike began at about 10 am and we reached the top just after 11 am for a quick bite, and a stunning view of the Valley - Big Sky Country!  At an elevation of 9665 feet you can really see for miles and miles, amazing views.  The photography opportunities are to die for...the wide variety of mountain wildflowers is incredible combined with the vast views of the valley make the perfect combination.  Flowers such as Indian Paintbrush, Purple Bluebells and White Lillie's cover the ground as you make your way up the mountain.  It seemed a popular place to hike so the threat of seeing any predators on the trail was quite slim. As a precautionary, we did carry bear spray and talked loudly amongst each other for the entire hike.  This is a hike that I would highly suggest to everyone that is physically able...it's definitely an experience to be placed on your bucket list!  Be sure to bring your water bottle and a camera and take advantage of the great photo opportunties that the Bridger Mountains has to offer!

The BEST Time for Animal Photography

The best time for photographing animals is dictated by the light. Without a doubt it is the hours immediately after sunrise and immediately before sunset. During these times the light is truly beautiful. The morning the light is golden, in the late afternoon it is a wonderful golden orange. They're not called the golden hours for nothing! Another good time for beautiful light is immediately after a thunder storm. If you don't take advantage of these times your exposures will be harsh and contrasty. Photographing in wonderful light is one of the keys to achieving success with wildlife photography. A short time with an animal in good light is all you need to produce stunning pictures. The worst possible time to photograph is between 11 A.M and 1 P.M.

One of the greatest things about animal photography is the adventure of it. When visiting Animals of Montana, whatever animal you are photographing you'll be learning about its behavior, getting to know where it can be found, photographing it and then continuing to learn about it as you go through your photographs. At the end of a trip you'll know the animal quite intimately.

Baby Animal Season Approaching!

Photographing baby animals can be one of the most trying tasks in the photography world. For one they are moving constantly, they don't stay in one position for long! The training process has begun with the young animal actors, but only in the way of bottle feeding, which is where the strong bond between trainers and animal begins. At Animals of Montana this coming baby animal season we expect baby wolves, skunks, bobcats, lynx, red and cross fox and possibly a few others. Depending on the species, we take the babies into our home at 14-20 days old and begin bottle feeding around the clock. In order to be successful, this is crucial in the process of raising and working with all of our animals for the motion picture and still photography industries. A bond is formed that is so strong that it noticeable to even the most naive individual. It's rewarding and challenging and it's truly what separates Animals of Montana from the rest.

Mother and baby interaction photography also takes place at Animals of Montana when possible. This type of session is more easily managed as it just involves the animals performing natural behaviors; as in nursing, a mother mountain lion carrying her cubs, baby wolf pups jumping at their mom's face enticing her to regurgitate..the natural photo opportunities are endless.

The later part of May and early June is a great time for photographing baby animals in the Montana wildflowers. The hillsides are covered in vibrant colors sure to make any photogapher drool!

Catch the Perfect Reflection

One rule of the thumb is that the deeper the water body, the more difficult it will be to get a clear reflection. Seasonal ponds can be great reflective surfaces from where you can compose great photos. One thing, however, that is common with all water bodies is that you need relatively calm bodies to get proper pictures. Ripples in the water can mess up the reflections and that is why it is important to photograph reflections when the wind is not so strong to cause the water to become disturbed. For our Moab Photograhy tours, we visit the "potholes", as seen in this photo where the water is no more than a couple of inches deep. Morning hours are more favored for capturing reflections though evening hours will also be as good. The key here is to photograph when the sun is high or there is enough light to create good reflection - Moab is the perfect location for this. High noon provides enough light but more often the light is too much that photos became over exposed or the reflections became too dark. Reflection Photography is an art, it is very much about experimentation, but once mastered, it certainly does add a great touch to any photograph!

Photograph Montana Wildflowers and Wildlife - The Perfect Combination!

We are nearing the season when Montana blooms with color! Fields and hillsides are layered with an array of colors...yellows - Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Reds - Indian Paintbrush, Blues - Bluebells and many others.

The best time to photograph Wildflowers is a cloudy, overcast day. Direct sunlight will cast harsh shadows and create bright highlights on wildflowers, causing a disaster for exposure.
The clouds act as the perfect light diffuser: giving you the most perfectly balanced light you can get.

When photographing wildflowers, it’s easy to focus all your attention on the beautiful flowers and forget about the background. But, a good background will help your image by drawing more attention to your subject. We organize tours specifically focused around the Wildflowers season. Allowing you to photograph Wildlife in Wildflowers - Picture Perfect!

May and June is a great time for baby animals and the Montana Wildflowers. Photograph Baby Wolf pups howling intently surrounded by a hillside of Arrowleaf Balsamroot. A beautiful sight and a memorable experience!

Join us on our Spring Wildflowers and Babies Tour OR the Nature's Lullaby Wildlife Baby Photo Tour coming up this Spring!

Photographing Wildlife in Moab, Utah

Capturing the beauty of Red Rock Country!
Moab is a paradise for photographers, videographers and outdoor enthusiasts. The rare and profound landscapes provide limitless photo opportunties. As most know, the best time to photograph is during sunrise or sunset. The Red rocks illuminate a glow with intense color. The cloudy days also offer great opportunties for one of a kind photographs...the dramatic cloud formations, along with the shadows that they cast add great depth to a photograph. If the Red Rock Sky is cloudy, any time of day is great for photographing. Stormy weather in Moab almost always results in great photo's too...the vast panoramic views are spectacular when a sunbeam bursts out of a cloud. The color of sandstone can really intensify when it's wet.

Just 20 miles south of Moab are the La Sal Mountains. Reaching an elevation of 13,000 feet, these alpine mountains are the second highest mountain range in Utah. The La Sal's offer numerous hiking and biking trails, along with several campsites. The La Sal's are made up of Whispering Pines, Quaking Aspens, and bubbling brooks, making this hot spot just mintues from Moab, a must see!

It is an annual event for our animal actors to pack up and make the journey to Moab for an unforgettable three day photography tour! On board, Mountain Lions jumping canyons, drinking from shallow potholes, Bobcats posed amongst the colossal sandstone formations, photograph a Grizzly Bear standing tall in the La Sal Mountains amongst large groves of Quaking Aspens and much more! It's an experience that is sure to keep you trigger finger working overtime!
For more information please visit our Website: http://www.animalsofmontana.com/ and read about the Trio of Red Rock Canyon Tours we have coming up and SAVE 10% if booked before March 15.2012!
The Bret B. Hicken Red Rock Memorial Tour OR The Moab Fall Wildlife Photography Expedition OR Discover Moab, Spring Wildlife Photography Tour.

The Creation of the Wolf...

Mating season for the Wolves is well under way. Wolves only breed one time of year and this takes place anywhere from January through April with the alpha female having only 5-7 days of estrus. When this takes place, the alpha pair may move out of their pack temporarily to prevent interruption from other pack members. Almost all of the time, the alpha pair is the only pair to mate, avoiding over population.

When the pair are about to mate, they bond, sleeping close, they greet each other making quiet whining sounds, bump their bodies together and various other bonding gestures. As the courtship progresses the male can smell the readiness of his mate, his tongue will flick in and out, testing the air for traces of her sex hormones. If she happens to not be ready to breed, she will deny the male with snapping of her jaw and growling.

Once the breeding process begins, an actual physical tie occurs caused by the swelling of the males penis and constriction in the females vaginal wall. After about five minutes the male stops, twists around so the two are end to end. This is where the actual exchange of sperm takes place. The two can remain tied together for up to a half hour!

After the mating process, the pair continues to be affectionate. Wolves do often have long lasting bonds with their mates, but if one wolf passes, the widowed mate may breed with another wolf. Also, some wolves bond to different females of the pack in different years, destroying the myth that they "mate for life". It is an interesting process to learn about and we are fortunate enough to witness the entire process with our captive wolves! We get film and photography requests for "breeding interaction between wolves". Our wolves are not shy and will go through the motions with or without an audience present! This makes for great wolf footage that is rarely captured in the wild.