Trip Report: Roadside Photography in Montana

I've never tried my hand at road side photography before. At least, not quite to the degree that my friend and I did in Montana recently. But given our difficulties with the weather, we had tried a few different things, that being one of them. Of course when I say road side, the term "road" loosely. I'm not entirely sure some of the paths we drove on can legitimately be called roads, but I digress.

The places we visited were actually quite beautiful, and not as photographed or disturbed as more popular areas. As such, it would be prudent to not disclose the exact locations for certain shots; I simply don't want to add to the trampling of such areas by the few bad apples out there.

The Crazy mountains loom ominously to the north. The tale goes that a woman who lost everything, went mad and lived out her days in those mountains.

To the northwest, stands the Bridger range, named for Jim Bridger, one of the mountain men that explored much of Yellowstone.

Due west is the Gallatin range, with the Madison even further to the west; mountains rise again forming the Teton range further south. They stand as the most beautiful mountain range in the U.S.A. if my opinion on the matter holds any weight. East of the Tetons and to the south, the mighty Wind River range stand in their glorious display.

And here, the Absarokas are the predominant feature. They extend from Paradise valley to the west, just north of Yellowstone, to the Beartooths (technically part of the Absarokas) and the rocky mountain front to the east. And from this spot in the north, to the Wind River range to the south.

While not nearly as dramatic as the Beartooths proper, the Tetons, or the Wind River range, this is still a chain of mighty mountains. The view from Paradise Valley is stunning; the name for it is fitting.

But pocketed in between hills and mountains and valleys are stretches of land that give a closer look up into parts of these summits. After having scouted the scene one night with my friend, I decided to go for a sunrise in this location the next two mornings.

In this particular place, nestled in the foothills, is a small stretch filled with ranches and some homes, farmland, and hiking trails. The Elephant Head is probably the most unique feature of this small range we shot, though I didn't get an image of that peak. But Shell mountain and Livingston Peak also dominate the sky.

My first morning at the location. While I was hoping for alpenglow on Shell Mountain, which didn't happen, I was still able to find some nice light on the mountains.

Shell mountain is supposedly named so because of seashell fossils found on its summit, indicating its once being under water, at least that's what I heard. As a believer in a literal Genesis, I would certainly agree with the sentiment. I hope one day, if the Lord wills, that maybe I could undertake a venture to the top and see some of those fossils If not, a view from the valley is still a wonder to behold.

Next to Shell mountain are some other peaks, including Livingston Peak (if I'm identifying it correctly).

I really loved the way this peak dominated the scene, and the way the ridges caught the light. The foreground hill had a touch of fall color, adding a nice touch.

In fact, the whole range has a beauty to it, all its own.

The eastern side of the Absarokas near Livingston, Montana.

Being fall, there was a wonderful display of autumnal color on the aspens and willows, though we were still a little early.

This area is home to people as well as wildlife.

  Image left: Several deer were running around this area filled with farm equipment. Home on the range really is where the deer and antelope play. Image center: A cow stands over its apparently newborn calf. Image right: A gravel road winds through the landscape.

Driving home the evening we first stopped by here, we saw a bull elk in pursuit either of a female or another bull to spar with, the second elk being too far away to identify with my eyes.

The main animal I recall seeing, however, were cows. As you may see in other blogs about this trip, cows were a predominant feature in our travels.

There were a lot of cows in Montana. A lot. In the distance are high cliffs with the crazy mountains even further off. I took this shot through the windshield, which explains the hint of a glare in the image.

All in all it was just a strange mixture of mountain landscapes, fall color, cows, and the human element.

Can't explain why there's a random Porsche in the middle of nowhere on a trailer, but it caught my eye. The light that morning was especially beautiful.

"The Gatekeeper" - A cow stands guard over this classic automobile. If she had a license and drove, I bet she'd really moooove. Ok, I'm sorry, bad cow pun.

While maybe not as overwhelming in its stature as the Tetons, or as mesmerizing as Lamar Valley in Yellowstone; This particular view of the Absarokas was a joy to behold, and to photograph, and a welcome lesson on getting off the beaten path. I hope that this short look into a small section of Montana shares at least some of that with you.

A very typical Montana scene. Rolling fields, fences, distant mountains and big sky. In this image, the distant Bridger range looms in the distance, lit by light that breaks through the clouds above.