Willie Huang Photo
The Promontory
People say it is a successful trip to the mountains if you can catch one day of good light during a week’s stay. That day came on Day 3 of our Glacier National Park boot camp with attendees Alan and Aaron.
After spending a seemingly interminable night mostly in the parking lot of Logan Pass due to night time road closures, we managed to get over an hour of sleep in our cabin before setting out to our sunrise location. Two hours before sunrise, the sky was mostly cloudy with a few small openings. The sunrise conditions were looking promising. Fast forward to thirty minutes prior to sunrise, the clouds moved swiftly and mostly cleared out of the area leaving behind crystal clear skies. Having been skunked the past two days, we were on the verge of getting demoralized watching the clouds evaporate before our eyes. However, sometimes, a little patience and faith are needed to capture the light.
Mother Nature gave us a glimmer of hope as the leading edge of a storm approached from the west. They seemed too distant to reach us by sunrise time. To our luck the clouds moved and they poured over the scene within 15 minutes. Just like that the scene went from being monotonous clear blue to dramatic and textured. Moments later, the sun rose above the clouds on the horizon and lit the scene with beautiful dynamic warm light. Though not the pinks and reds of fiery sunrises, I really enjoyed seeing the warm golden yellow light burst from the horizon and illuminating the mountains. Upon seeing this light, we were practically jumping with joy. Our excitement got the better of us until our encounter…
In the midst of all the shooting and being glued to the backs of our viewfinders, Aaron noticed something moving in the distance and all of a sudden yelled out “holy sh*t!” A young adult grizzly bear popped its head up from behind the tree trunks for a look. Realizing who we were, the bear was stunned and quickly galloped across the slope not 40 feet in front of us! Perhaps it was a bit too much action for so early in the morning.
Stay tuned for more to come.
PS – The grizzly bear head is visible in the background of the photo.
Canon 5D Mark II
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II
The Promontory
People say it is a successful trip to the mountains if you can catch one day of good light during a week’s stay. That day came on Day 3 of our Glacier National Park boot camp with attendees Alan and Aaron.
After spending a seemingly interminable night mostly in the parking lot of Logan Pass due to night time road closures, we managed to get over an hour of sleep in our cabin before setting out to our sunrise location. Two hours before sunrise, the sky was mostly cloudy with a few small openings. The sunrise conditions were looking promising. Fast forward to thirty minutes prior to sunrise, the clouds moved swiftly and mostly cleared out of the area leaving behind crystal clear skies. Having been skunked the past two days, we were on the verge of getting demoralized watching the clouds evaporate before our eyes. However, sometimes, a little patience and faith are needed to capture the light.
Mother Nature gave us a glimmer of hope as the leading edge of a storm approached from the west. They seemed too distant to reach us by sunrise time. To our luck the clouds moved and they poured over the scene within 15 minutes. Just like that the scene went from being monotonous clear blue to dramatic and textured. Moments later, the sun rose above the clouds on the horizon and lit the scene with beautiful dynamic warm light. Though not the pinks and reds of fiery sunrises, I really enjoyed seeing the warm golden yellow light burst from the horizon and illuminating the mountains. Upon seeing this light, we were practically jumping with joy. Our excitement got the better of us until our encounter…
In the midst of all the shooting and being glued to the backs of our viewfinders, Aaron noticed something moving in the distance and all of a sudden yelled out “holy sh*t!” A young adult grizzly bear popped its head up from behind the tree trunks for a look. Realizing who we were, the bear was stunned and quickly galloped across the slope not 40 feet in front of us! Perhaps it was a bit too much action for so early in the morning.
Stay tuned for more to come.
PS – The grizzly bear head is visible in the background of the photo.
Canon 5D Mark II
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II