Finding the moment: A Day at the Bison Range

Posted on September 22, 2011 by DL Dorr

I have neglected one of the great natural resources of our area. For too long I have not visited what was once one of my favorite haunts: the National Bison Range at Moiese, MT. It takes only 90 minutes to drive there and if it’s done early in the morning, as I did yesterday, there is little traffic to contend with along the west shore of Flathead Lake, although I did run into school traffic at Pablo and Ronan.

As I approached the main gate from the East I found low-lying fog hugging the potholes and river bottoms around the Ninepipes area, although by the time I arrived at the entrance most evidence of the ethereal wisps were gone except for the shroud above the Flathead River.

The road which runs as a loop (open from May-October) is called the Red Sleep Mountain Drive is a 20 mile stretch of gravel road and takes one to such places as: Headquarters Ridge, Pauline Creek, Elk Park, Bitterroot Trail and Antelope Flats.

Yesterday was a perfect day! I drove the loop twice and was transported to a place I rarely find: solitude in the moment.

Bozeman M&M

Posted on November 30, 2010 by DL Dorr

“Today’s photographer can survive without yellow page advertising & only needs twitter, facebook, linkedin, flickr, personal blog and a personal website plus a skill set of understanding html, wordpress, social media, social networking and social marketing.” Rolando Gomez

In early November I attended a MPPA M&M session in Bozeman, featuring Mark Bryant from Missoula. I broke the drive into two parts and spent the night in Helena with my niece and her husband (thanks Angie and Brooks!). Always one to take the ‘slow roads’ to where ever it is I’m going, if possible, I took a road called the Boulder cutoff road…because it goes through Boulder, MT (interesting eh?). I stopped in Boulder for a short bit and strolled a street market where local Hutterite’s were selling their produce. Just south of town is a resort called Boulder Hot Springs (amazing imagination went into the name, don’t you think?) which has a beautiful old building of Spanish/California style architecture. I stopped and photographed for a while, intrigued by the interesting lines of this old building.

Once back on the road I saw this old church, the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. It was built in 1880-1881 by pioneers of the Boulder Valley area.

Once in Bozeman I had contacted a model for a shoot. Gabrielle answered my message and we shot in several locations and out fits. These are some of the shots we got from that session.

On the way home my mind was swirling with ideas spawned by the seminar and my weekly assignment: Unexpected Beauty.

Blessings,

Ballerina Project – McKenna

Posted on October 15, 2010 by DL Dorr

On Sunday we drove to the Northfork of the Flathead River with a short stop at the Camas Creek entrance to Glacier National Park to take advantage of the early morning river bottom fog which was illuminated by the quickly rising sun. It was frosty and our ballerina, McKenna, was quickly wrapped in wool blankets between shots to keep her from getting too chilled or possible frostbite. McKenna’s parents James and Sherry were along for the excitement and were even put to work holding lighting on more than one occasion. Thanks, James!

At one point we stopped at the Polebridge Mercantile to buy some of their world famous baked goodies and get some warm drinks. You can only imagine the strangeness of McKenna walking in to a backwoods, bohemian, bistro attired in her pointe shoes. The looks she got were of bewilderment, but it didn’t bother her in the least. At one point the owner of the Mercantile asked us what we were doing and we explained everything to her. Wow…the things we have to go through for good pictures!

Blessings!
D.

105 in dog years

Posted on September 30, 2010 by DL Dorr

At least once a year, my wife and I take pictures of us as a couple…usually around our anniversary in October. For many years, as I suspect is true for a lot of people, we didn’t have our pictures taken, for many reasons. We were too busy, we were too broke, the kids were never around, and blah, blah, blah. This has changed and I regret not having more images of just Ann and I. There will be a large gap in the pictures taken of us after our wedding until the kids were born. Now they are gone and it’s just us and the dog, Yojii.

What you can’t tell from this image is there is a man on a bicycle on the bridge. He’s talking on his cell phone as he probably couldn’t get cell reception anywhere else. Here is an un-retouched image:

Getting a decent image is always an exercise in gymnastics, track and field (pole vault and broad jump), and dog-whispering. I set the timer on the camera for ten seconds, sprint to where I’ve predetermined my place to be, move the dog to face the camera, smile pretty and wait for the shutter to activate…which at times isn’t very long and we have some very interesting poses! The reason for the massive smiles is because of all that activity.

There are times when we are able to get the dog ‘posed’ and at one time he would pose himself because he could hear the beeping timer on the camera. Those days are gone now because his hearing is gone. On his next birthday he will be 15 years old! That’s 105 in dog years. We’ll miss him when he’s gone…he’s a part of our family.

Blessings, D.

Petite

Posted on September 16, 2010 by DL Dorr

Leigh Ann DiDomenico, if she were soaking wet, might tip the scales at 95 lbs! However, don’t let this fool you into thinking she’s a lightweight. She’s anything but. This woman is a “commercial print, beauty and petite fashion model”, a psychologist, counselor, nationally ranked slam poet, actress, author, youth mentor, licensed minister and an artist. Not only that, she’s gorgeous, inside and out. Add her to the impressive scenery in Glacier National Park in the rain and her true work ethic comes to the front. In short (no pun intended), she is an Angel.

River Dance

Posted on August 30, 2010 by DL Dorr

The middle fork of the Flathead River is one of Montana’s premier whitewater rivers and the landscape is world class with the deep emerald greens and sapphire blues of the water. Because of scheduling conflicts the only time we (Keiko and I) could arrange for this shoot was in the evening. My major concern with this location is that it is a very popular ‘swimmin hole’ for locals and park employees…not to mention fisherman, rafters and kayakers. We got all of that and then some. As I had expected Keiko was the consummate professional that I saw in all the dancers from Northwest Ballet Company. The rocky shoreline was trickier than I had expected for footing, but Keiko persevered. Keiko is a two year veteran of the Digitalmontana Ballerina Project.

When we started, the sun was still higher in the sky than I wanted.

But as the shoot progresss the lighting became more even and softer:

The gracefully arched bridge gave us an added architechtural element that reflected the grace and movement of Keiko as she danced along this beautiful stream.

During our shoot, not only did we have many obstacles to work around, like people jumping off the bridge in the background, we also had a special visitor inspect the set:

As the sun dropped below the horizon the light became magical and we shot until it was nearly black:

Thanks, Keiko, for your amazing performance and thanks, also to Megan (from the Avalanche Gorgeous shoot) for providing her help on the set and technical advice to Keiko.

A slideshow with more images can be found here: River Dance. If you do not have the Photodex plug-in you will be asked to install it on your computer. It’s small, easy and safe. It’s a great way of sharing your important slideshows with friends and family. Go see Keiko’s River Dance images!

Blessings! D.

Avalanche Gorgeous

Posted on August 27, 2010 by DL Dorr

Megan had emailed me last year and wanted to be a part of the first Ballerina Project shoot. Unfortunately, I had already selected four girls to be part of it and, eventually, between Marisa (owner of Northwest Ballet Company) and myself we’d decided we would make this a ‘plum’ for soloists and principals or seniors.

The area for this shoot had been scouted by my wife and myself a few days prior and I contacted Marisa for the schedule and logistics…costuming etc. I wanted to arrive at Avalanche Gorge before the sun came streaming down into the forest bottom and messed with the gorgeous cathedral-like lighting I wanted. Poor Marisa is a night person and my early morning hours have caused her much consternation…with her own shoot in the canola field and now with Megan’s shoot. I’m sure she considered not going, but I’m certainly glad she DID come. Her assistance and technical support was invaluable and besides…she’s a good friend!

I was more than a bit concerned shooting in this area as it is one of the most popular hikes in Glacier National Park and at times seems more like a mall than a mountain trail. What I didn’t want was a crowd of gawkers or someone who would interfere with our shoot. I’m sure they were astounded to find that Glacier Park has the most unusual ‘wildlife’. Marisa, Megan and I felt like an exhibition, but only a few tourists stopped to ask questions; all comments were favorable however, most kept hiking.

I can hardly imagine a more picturesque place in the world, let alone a stage for one of the most beautiful art-forms known to mankind around the world. That day it provided us another visual example of combining two forms of beauty and creating a third…a synergy was created.

Megan added style, grace, athleticism and beauty that I have come to expect from the Northwest Ballet Company members, but this shoot was hers alone. Welcome to the Ballerina Project, Megan.

To view a simple, slideshow of more images from this shoot, click this link: Avalanche Gorgeous If this is the first time you have seen a Photodex slide show, you will be asked to download a plug-in in order to view the show. The plug-in doesn’t take long and doesn’t take up a lot of space and is very safe. It’s a great way to share slideshows.

Wheat Country: Day One

Posted on September 1, 2009 by DL Dorr

When Ann and I returned from our June trip to Idaho, Washington, and Oregon we drove from our last stop in Tacoma to Spokane, most of it on US Highway 2. To get there we took a jog off Interstate 90 near Ellensburg and drove north to Leavenworth, WA, just to say we’d been there. It was HOT, and the town was crowded with the usual tourists, despite the dire news on the state of the economy. It was a quick stop because of the heat and the crush of bodies on the narrow steets of this quaint Bavarian-styled village.

When we left we drove east and picked up US 2 outside of Wenatchee, WA…the heart of Washington Apple country, and followed the mighty Columbia north for a short distance. Once out of the Columbia River canyon the landscape becomes an endless ocean of wheat. Miles upon miles of golden grain stretching to the eastern border of the state. At that point, highway 2 is little more than a two laned road…and old one at that…dotted by small farm communities, country roads and old barns. It was here I made myself the promise: to return and photograph the wheat country of Washington and it’s disappearing barns, farm buildings and machinery.

On August 18th we left for Spokane where Ann would catch a ride with her brother back to Oregon to visit with her mother one more time before the summer ended. I would stay at Bob’s apartment and make it my base for my day trips into the wheat country that surrounded Highway 2. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the wheat harvest was just starting because of some late rains which had raised the moisture content above the requisite 11 percent for elevator storage. My first day took me past the small town of Reardan, WA to the Sunset Highway west of town. The Sunset Highway was the precursor to Highway 2 and the main east-west route from 1937 to 1964. The Sunset Highway today easily fits my description of a ‘slow road’. A place where you can pull over, get out and take a picture without fear. A place with the charm and serenity of a time long past from our national consciousness.

From this road you will pass by places like Mondavi which consists of three houses and a system of grain elevators located near the railroad tracks (and doesn’t even show up in a Google search).

Near Mondavi are some old buildings that I wanted to photograph for this project that I had photographed earlier when we visited in June. This time I ‘bushwacked’ to my vantage point.

For me, there is something about carrying a camera that makes me fearless when approaching strangers.

“Even without taking pictures, carrying a camera enhances life. It provides you with an excuse to pause, to look, to inquire, to talk, and to take notice…It allows us to take notes, scribble observations, and deepen what we know and what we will later remember. While it seems like carrying a camera causes the whole world to transform before our eyes, something deeper is taking place. The change isn’t occurring in the world, it’s happening inside of you.” Chris Orwig, Visual Poetry

As I bushwacked to these isolated spots I passed two combines and trucks getting started for the morning. I stopped on the side of the dusty country road and walked over to the nearest truck and asked if I could photograph their harvesting operation. The man in the truck was very friendly…as I’ve found most people in rural America to be. Steve, called the boss on his two-way radio to ask for permission and stuggled to explain what I was doing, but eventually the boss told him that it was okay…but we’d need to talk about ‘royalties’ later. He and his son were the combine drivers. They would drive around the huge field of wheat and when their storage bins were full of grain they would radio the grain trucks. The big trucks would amble across the dusty field ruts and rock back and forth like a pendulum, pull alongside the combine and the driver would stop, pull levers, flip switches, and press buttons and wheat would start spewing out of the long spout that reached from here to there. Soon, thirty TONS of wheat filled the truck bed.

Steve, the driver told me that it would be a mediocre harvest…no bumper crop…this year. Two years ago was huge, he said.

Once the truck was full we ‘sped’ over to the Mondovi elevator to get weighed and then dumped our load. Workman everywhere will always have their eyes on the lookout for cute members of the opposite sex, this was no different. Guys are like that.

When we returned to the field there was some excitement going on. The bossman had scared a Whitetail doe out of the field he was cutting and was informing his son via two-way radio to be on the lookout for a fawn hunkered down in the field so he could avoid running over it with his blades.

The remainder of the day was not quite as melodramatic, but the pictures were just as interesting. I wondered about the dreams people had when they started their farms, built their houses, and what they felt when they left those dreams behind. If only the remains of those dreams could talk…what would they say?

Blessings,

McKenzie’s Midsummer Daydream

Posted on August 1, 2009 by DL Dorr

McKenzie, Keiko and I left Kalispell last Friday at 4:00 AM in order to reach the summit of Logan Pass in Glacier National Park before sunrise. As soon as we arrived we set about girding our loins for the battle ahead…swarms of mosquitoes defended the wooden walkway above the visitors center. We sprayed each other down and Kenzie and Keiko went to change and I ascended the stairway which took us to the trail. I waited at the top, and had a staring contest with a Bighorn sheep who was grazing at the corner of the building…it was obvious he was in no hurry to leave on my account. The girls were prompt and we headed up the boardwalk to find the right spot which would allow us to photograph Kenz and Mt. Oberlin at the same time. We found it, but the lighting was not as good as expected so after a few exposures we moved off to the side and that was when the repellent began to wear off for Keiko and I. McKenzie was fine …she was standing on a rock knoll that must have been getting just enough of a breeze to keep the dreaded insects at bay. I decided that we’d had enough fun and we retreated outnumbered by a billion to one!

As soon as we left the hill, it started to rain. And it rained…and rained. We all sat in the vehicle staring in silence at the rain bouncing off the windshield…we were bummed. Our next site was to be the Highline Trail, but there is no way I wanted to put Kenzie out on a rain-slickened rock ledge above the Going-to-the-Sun highway. We drove down off the summit to the east and hoped that our third site wasn’t getting rained out. The rain slackened and then quit and we could see the sun shining on St. Mary’s, a small town at the east entrance of the park. It was looking good. We back-tracked a bit to a restroom for a change of costume and by the time we were ready to go it had started raining again.

We drove back to the summit where it was raining even harder, we sat in gloomy silence. Finally it quit. Simultaneously, Keiko and Kenzie said, “Let’s do this!” and I agreed. I dropped them off at the trailhead near the parking lot and drove to the observation deck below the trail and across the highway…about 100 yards away.

They walked to the rocky ledge of the area where we had discussed would be our shoot area and I was ready at nearly the same time. We had walkie-talkies to communicate with each other and we commenced with the shoot. At the same instant we started the shoot, the wind picked up and the rain started to drizzle. I asked Kenzie if she wanted to quit and she told me that it wasn’t that bad, so we continued. What a trooper!

Now, when you hike or visit Glacier National Park, the last very last thing you expect to see on the trail is a ballerina in a pink tutu! People stopped in amazement (or possibly confusion…thinking they’d taken the wrong turn somewhere along the trail) to ask what was going on and it was explained that it was a photo shoot…then they wanted to know where the photographer was (as it was pretty obvious there was none standing nearby) and when the girls pointed out my location (which was shrouded by the shrubby alpine vegetation) they couldn’t see a thing and probably thought the girls were on drugs! My side was equally as hilarious. At one point I was using my 500mm lens, which is quite an attention getter…it’s big and white and about three feet long. Of course people, mainly men, would ask what I was taking a picture of…a goat? I told them, “A dancer.” They asked, “What kind of goat is that?” I replied, “It’s not…it’s a dancer.” “Well, what kind of sheep is a dancer?” still not getting it. I said, “It’s a girl in a tutu standing on the ledge across the highway.” Silence.

To view a slideshow of more images from this shoot click on this link: Kenzie’s Midsummer Daydream

If you have never watched a Photodex slideshow you will be asked to install their plug-in, which is necessary to view this show. It’s harmless and doesn’t take up much space and it loads quickly. This is a great program for watching slideshows of images! Try it.

Finally we were able to finish shooting and I called them off the rock face and we met at the summit parking lot and we exchanged our respective stories of the disbelief and confusion we’d spread among the tourists of Glacier National park that day. We laughed long and hard.

We’d triumphed over ravenous mosquitoes, wind and rain, disappointment and weird looks from the visitors…and we’d gotten most of the shots we came to get. We would have to return and reshoot “The Ledge” portion of the shoot and also the Sunrift Gorge scenes, but our day at the park was a success and we had a good laugh doing it.

Idaho Falls

Posted on August 1, 2009 by DL Dorr

At 486 feet above the waters of the Snake River, the Perrine Bridge is the highest bridge in the state of Idaho and the only man-made structure in the US where Base jumping is allowed year-round without a permit. The jumpers often refer to it as Potato Bridge.