Nature and wildlife photography take a good eye and good camera equipment to capture just the right shot of your subject. Sometimes you wait for hours and others you wait seconds. Here are just a few of the memories captured by photographer, Mark Townsend.
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copyright/Mark Townsend
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October 2, 2018 This Semi came driving along while I was trying to get a photo of the color along the Swan Valley road. I almost did not take this photo waiting to let the truck pass. I am glad I did not wait. I feel it adds to the Montana roads we travel on.
The Driveway into the Marcus Daly Mansion was closed by the
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| Marcus Daly Mansion driveway |
time we went past it. I stopped at the gate and took a few photos to show how the trees are turning to fall colors. By early next week they should be fantastic. If you have not been to the Mansion, it is well worth the ride to see it. Just north of Hamilton, Montana on East Side Road. I am sure if you search for it, the website can give you exact miles and times that it is open to the Public.
Looking West from the road called Wild Fowl Lane that runs
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Lee Metcalf Refuge Bitterroot Mountains
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through Lee Metcalf Refuge. The sun came out just enough to give some color to the woods and the fog opened enough to see the Bitterroots. Still some frost and snow on the tips of the trees.
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| Skalkaho Falls copyright Mark Townsend |
Today, though, we switched gears and direction. Around 2PM the sun was out, and the day was turning rather nice. I said... Let’s head up to Skalkaho Falls and see if there is any snow around it. We packed up some water and clothing, just in case, grabbed Punkin and headed out. By the time we got up to the Falls, the sun was down behind the mountain to the west of the falls. It was now covered in dark shadow. I set up my camera to get the best settings I could for the photos.
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copyright Mark Townsend
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I enjoy seeing how the photos come out in Black/White. I think it gives them so much more of a rugged not-to-be-messed-with look. The clouds broke up just right to add a lot to the photos. I feel a few clouds in a photos sets off the photos. Keep watching More photos of the Bison Range to come.
Lynn and I saw a lot of these little guys running all over trying to
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| chipmunk copyright Mark Townsend |
gather food before the snow covers it all. They don’t stand still for long, so you have to be ready to take photos as you can. I stayed very still, and he stepped out of the bushes on the side of the road. I got two photos. I like how they came out... Lots of other animals to see at the Bison Range.
Here are some random wildlife photos:
Turkey in a tree copyright Mark Townsend
A flock of pelicans copyright Mark Townsend
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| Whitetail buck copyright Mark Townsend | |
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| Photo bomb by a deer copyright Mark Townsend |
Our journey wouldn't be complete without more of that beautiful Montana landscape.
**All photos used in this post are the property of Mark Townsend Photography and may not be copied or used in any form without permission.
Mark Townsend and his wife, Lynn, live in Montana with their dog, Punkin. If you like Mark's photography, please let him know by checking out his Facebook page, link provided below.
