Montana Photo

Mallard Drake. © Jason Savage

Thought I would post a few pics of our local Mallards here in Helena. I think if someone can photograph birds in flight, they can photograph just about anything! These guys are hard to track and always keep you on your toes, especially when they come dive bombing in for a landing. I don’t consider myself that much of a wildlife photographer, but I do enjoy photographing birds in flight as it’s not only challenging, but very exciting when there’s some action.

If you do get into bird photography, it helps to have a longer lens and something in the 400-500mm+ range. Not only that, but with today’s newer cameras incorporating some amazing auto focus tracking technology, your odds of sharp photos has never been better. But beyond the equipment, it helps to get out there, day-in and day-out, getting used to anticipating their movements, studying behavior and getting in the habit of following a fast moving subject.

Mallards on Ice. © Jason Savage

Mallards. © Jason Savage

Mallard Drake Landing. © Jason Savage

Mallard Hen. © Jason Savage

Mule Deer. © Jason Savage

Thought I would post a few pics from Canyon Ferry a couple weeks back and other spots nearby. Lately I’ve been spending more time  scouting around the north side of the lake and surprisingly, there is always something to photograph if you look hard enough. The wildlife around the lake includes Mule Deer, Mountain Goats, Big Horn Sheep, Pronghorns and an array of waterfowl.

This time of year it can be tough to be inspired when things get gray and cold, but if you get out there and really start exploring you will usually run across something worthwhile to photograph.

But it does help to go where the action is and planning your photography accordingly can deliver more exciting and dramatic images. I usually find that bodies of water during the winter are good places to check out as not only do they provide interesting subjects for landscape photos,  but being a source of survival for wildlife, you will find them congregating nearby.

Canada Goose. © Jason Savage

Mallards. © Jason Savage

In case you missed my first installment of Subaru vs. Deer a couple months back, I thought I would post the follow-up, Subaru vs. Truck!

I was hoping to have some awesome winter Yellowstone Photos for everyone this weekend, but we had a slight change of plans yesterday afternoon. A guy driving a pickup truck decided he needed to turn at coincidentally the same time we happened to be driving by.

My friend John and I were heading to Yellowstone for a few days of photography and instead we’re at home popping Ibuprofen. Thankfully everyone was OK.

Unfortunately(fortunately) this will conclude the Subaru collision series.

In case you didn’t notice, for the last couple months there has been a cool little icon on the sidebar of my blog titled “Blogging for Hunger”. The World Food Programme has initiated new tools for us bloggers to get in on spreading the word for the Hunger crisis going on around the world. “A Billion for a Billion” is a new campaign designed to harness the social network of the internet to spread the word about what’s really happening, and how we can help. If everyone donates a $1.50 a week, there can be tremendous changes made. Seriously, $1.50 a week.

Check out the link.

http://www.wfp.org/1billion