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Olympic National Park Workshop 2017

May 22, 2017 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Outdoor Photographer
Shi Shi Beach. Canon 5D Mark IV 16-35mm f4L IS f11 1/350 ISO800

Just wrapped up another fabulous trip to Olympic National Park on Washington’s stunning peninsula. A week of beaches, rainforests, and great company made leaving hard to do this year.  I started my week off with a couple days of backpacking on Shi Shi Beach located near the town of Neah Bay, scouting some new locations and visiting Point of Arches before kicking off my workshop. Shi Shi was hard to beat and certainly didn’t disapoint, it’s probably one of my favorite beach locations on the peninsula, with some epic sea stacks and tidepools, not to mention some stunning sunrises and sunsets. I was however bummed to miss the classic line of rocks that protrude out of the sand and add some amazing foreground shots at Point of Arches. These can be hit or miss depending on time of year and whether they are covered by sand which is determined by the ever changing  conditions there. Still pretty sweet though. 

Our workshop kicked off mid week, just in time for the rain to start and boy did we get rain! Our first day in the Hoh Rainforest it poured all morning giving us a wet day, but great conditions for the rainforest. As unwelcoming as the rain can be, it really helps bring out the colors and contrast, adding great elements to the foliage. The waterfalls and rivers were also flowing very nicely this year. The winter had brought heavy snows, wet conditions and combined with the persistent cold and rainy spring, made some small falls and creeks very photogenic this year. 

Photography Tour
Hoh Rainforest. Canon 5D Mark IV 24-105mm f4L IS II f4.5 1/60 ISO6400

Our second day of the trip we ventured down to the Quinault Rainforest, which I think has become my absolute favorite place to shoot as far as rainforests go. It can be a little off the beaten path for a few visitors as it sits on the Southwest edge of the park, making it a longer drive for some travelers and maybe doesn’t get as much attention as the Hoh and Sol Duc do. However I think its ferns and interior forest offer up some of the best compositional opportunities and its small creeks and falls add a well-rounded shooting experience. We lucked out while we were there and had a nice break in the rain, giving us time to wander the forest a little more easily.

Woman Hiking Rainforest
Quinault Rainforest. Canon 5D Mark IV 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II f5.6 1/250 ISO3200

On our last night we decided to take a drive out to Cape Flattery  which is a phenomenal area located just about as far northwest as you can get in the lower 48. It’s located just outside Neah Bay and managed by the Makah Tribe which requires a recreation permit when visiting. Its views are stunning as you wander the tops of the cliffs viewing cormorants, tufted puffins and sea stacks from above. Pretty amazing place and well worth a trip for photographers. 

Washington Coast
Cape Flattery. Canon 5Dsr 16-35 f4L IS f16 1/8 ISO100

Now I’m sitting here editing images, playing catch up, and planning for more trips before I head back out. I’ll soon be posting my 2018 itinerary for this workshop and can hardly wait to get back!

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for new images and updates on trips. 

Montana Photography Destinations

February 13, 2017 by Jason Savage 1 Comment

Montana Photo Workshop

Planning a photography trip to Montana and wondering where to spend your time? Here are few of my favorite locations throughout the state that I revisit year after year for amazing landscapes, wildlife, and to experience the diversity of Big Sky Country. 

Montana is our fourth largest state in the US but it feels much bigger partly due to its large open spaces and much like Alaksa it’s one of the least populated states, topping just over a million people for the entire state. Definitely more cows than people here, in fact more than double.

What really makes Montana stand out even more than its big wide open spaces is its diversity. Spend your time in the northwest and you’ll find expansive wilderness areas, millions of acres of national forest and mountains, big mountains. The Continental Divide cuts right through here creating an impressive backdrop from Glacier National Park down to the southern border of the Rocky Mountain Front. 

Venture east and you begin to head into the plains where rivers like the Missouri and Yellowstone snake their routes through the state joining in the northeast to continue their journey to the Mississippi. When you get out this way you get an understanding for what “Big Sky Country” means and you also get a sense of how small you are in the great wide open of eastern Montana. 

Below are just a few of my favorites places to explore that represent a good cross section of the state if you’re looking for some key locations during your travels. I have left out Yellowstone, because technically almost all of it’s in Wyoming (although many of us still secretly consider it a part of the state).

Two Medicine Lake
Two Medicine Lake. Canon 5D MkIII 16-35mm 2.8L II f16 3″ ISO100

Glacier National Park

If you can only visit one destination in Montana, Glacier National Park is the place to go.  I find my time spent here is usually some of the most productive of anywhere else and for good reason. You simply can’t beat the dramatic landscapes and abundant wildlife. The mountains rise up from the plains in the east and tower over you with sharp jagged ridges, glaciers, and sweeping vistas. The blue waters tinted with glacier silt of the many lakes reveal their multicolored rocks, like candy under the turquoise surface and wildflowers erupt in an epic display of color throughout the park.

There’s also only one road though Glacier and it’s probably the most jaw dropping 50 miles you may ever experience. Literally blasted out of the cliffs, hugging the mountains with thousands of feet of empty space below, it joins the west and east side of the park climbing in the middle to the top of Logan Pass. Completed in 1933 after nearly three decades of construction it’s a real testament to the determination and ingenuity of the men who constructed it and put in place a scenic drive that seemed an impossibility.

Bringing your long lenses? Grizzly & black bear, moose, big horn sheep, mountain goats are just a few of the large mammals that call Glacier home. Head to the northeast for some of the highest concentration of grizzly bears in the lower 48 or head up high and hang out with mountain goats as you point your camera over sub alpine meadows dotted with wildflowers and stunning backdrops of some of the parks 10,000ft peaks. 

Best time to visit is July-Oct, the rest of the year main access to the interior of the park is closed due to snow.

Montana State Parks
Makoshika Sunrise. Canon 5D MKII 17-40mm f4 f11 1/30 ISO100

Makoshika State Park

Head east, far east in Montana, to the small town of Glendive nestled up against the North Dakota border where you will find Maksoshika State Park, a surreal landscape and one of our coolest State Parks (in my opinion) in Montana. Makoshika is relatively small, only about 11,000 acres, but it sits in an area that is unique geographically and gives a glimpse into our prehistoric past. The park is an ancient exposed seabed that has been shaped by wind and water over millions of years and gives you a sense as you’re hiking through that you’re wandering in some sort of martian-like landscape. 

Makoshika in Lakota translates to “Bad Land” or “Bad Earth”, which seems appropriate as it’s situated in the badlands that stretch between Montana and North Dakota connecting up in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is a short drive east from Makoshika. The badlands in this area can be beautiful in late spring as the rains come and green starts to dot the brown parched landscape. In early summer, awesome thunderstorms make their way through bringing lightning shows and dramatic weather that can make for some fantastic landscape photography.  

To get to Makoshika head to the town of Glendive just off of I-94. There is some camping inside the park and also lodging in town. Late spring through fall is the best time to visit, but be prepared in mid summer for hot temps and drier conditions. 

Montana Fall
Rainy Lake, Montana. Canon 5D 70-200m 2.8 f11 1/20 ISO100

Seeley-Swan Valley

Are you searching for the perfect fall location to explore in Montana? Wondering where the best time is spent for great colors and epic landscapes? When fall arrives there is one place I head every year and that’s the Seeley-Swan Valley located in western Montana, a short 45 min drive northeast of Missoula. 

The valley is bordered by two distinct mountain ranges, the Missions to the west and the Swan Range to the east. On the other side of the Missions lies Flathead Lake and the Mission Valley and to the east past the Swan Range lies the famous Bob Marshall Wilderness. What makes the Seeley-Swan Valley so special? 

One, it’s home to a chain of lakes that stretch from north to south, some large some small, providing great landscape opportunities, especially with fall reflections. Second the valley is thick with larch or “tamaracks” as the locals call them, the only deciduous conifer and one that turns a brilliant orange in the fall, one of the primary reasons for photographing the area. Third are the mountains. Both ranges provide great backdrops, especially when the snow comes to the high country, adding nicely fitting snow capped peaks into the scene. 

Not only are the views amazing, but you have some great wildlife opportunities with both grizzly & black bear, moose, elk, and other large mammals. Not to mention some birding opportunity as well with bald eagles, loons, waterfowl and other migrating birds.

The best time to visit if you’re coming for the larch, is mid-late October. 

Montana Photography
Sunset, Rocky Mountain Front. Canon 5D MKIII 15mm 2.8 f16 1/30 ISO100

Rocky Mountain Front

What can I say about the Rocky Mountain Front? Well if I had to sum it up in into one word, I think it would be “Wild”! That’s the sense I get every time I make a trip into this incredible wilderness area. The “Front” in Montana stretches from just south of Glacier to the town of Lincoln and the two main towns that border this area are Choteau and Augusta. The mountains here rise up dramatically from the plains towering over the foothills where ranchers graze their cattle and grizzly bears still wander onto the plains just as they did before these lands were settled. 

One of the main draws of the Front is the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Just beyond the front range lies one of the largest roadless wilderness areas in the lower 48. Home to the second largest migratory elk herd in the United State and also the largest band of Big Horn Sheep it encompasses some of the most important and protected lands we have here. For day hikes or multi-day trips you can explore endlessly here with jaw dropping views and wildlife just about everywhere you turn. 

In the late spring I like to visit the Front as huge blooms of wildflowers appear carpeting the foothills and making for some awesome foregrounds. Late May into early June can be the best time, especially when the rains arrive. As you explore here whether driving the backroads or hiking in, you rarely see many people, giving you a sense that you have this whole place to yourself. I liken it to Glacier without the crowds. 

Montana Bison
National Bison Range. Canon 1DX 500mm f4L IS II f4.5 1/8000 ISO800

The National Bison Range

The National Bison Range is located just north of Missoula next to the small town of St. Ignatius in the southern end of the Mission Valley. The Mission Mountains provide a spectacular backdrop all along the valley in the east and extend to the Bison Range. The National Bison Range was established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt to provide a natural habitat where bison could roam, protected. The Bison Range is just over 18,000 acres and is home to about 500 head of bison. 

What makes the Bison Range such a special location for photography is it also has some of the best elk and white-tailed deer photography around. Visit in the fall and you will have the elk and deer in rut, which is pretty amazing with some huge bull elk bugling everywhere you turn. The range also is home to black bear, bighorn sheep, and a fantastic bird habitat. 

The reason I like to visit here so often is the combination of great close-up wildlife  photography combined with the scenery of the Mission Mountains. It’s a productive area to work both early morning and late evening, with the latter providing the best lighting for your mountain backdrop. There’s one scenic drive that goes through the range with the upper portion being a one way tour taking you up into the higher elevations. 

Best time to visit is Spring-Fall, with special attention to Bison, Elk and White-tailed Ruts. 

 

 

 

Top Ten Favorites from 2016

December 31, 2016 by Jason Savage 4 Comments

Now that 2016 is coming to an end, I thought I would share some of my favorites from this year. It’s been an adventurous year in the western U.S. and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some truly wonderful travelers on my workshops. I’m always amazed at the dynamic nature and diversity of our groups and how everyone shapes each trip. When you put a bunch of passionate photographers together in some stunning places, you can’t ask for a better time.

One of the things I love about teaching photography workshops is watching the creativity that is stirred up by the group. Watching each other work and how each individual approaches the same scene spurs new ideas and really helps encourage thinking outside of your creative comfort zone. I think sometimes I learn just as much while teaching and traveling with others.

As we begin 2017, I look forward to meeting new friends, exploring new places and staying in gratitude for the amazing abundance we all share here. Wishing everyone the best in the new year!

Tetons
Canon 5Dsr 24-70 2.8L II. f11 1/125 ISO100. Grand Teton National Park.

Washington
Canon 5Dsr 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II. f11 1/6 ISO100. Washington’s Palouse region.

Palouse
Canon 5Dsr 100-400 4.5-5.6L IS II. f11 1/30 ISO100 Red Barn in the Palouse.

Montana Horses
Canon 5D Mark IV 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/500 ISO3200 Bitterroot Horses.

Canoes
Canon 5Dsr 11-24mm f4L. f16 1/10 ISO100. Glacier National Park.

Yellowstone National Park
Canon 7D MarkII 500mm f4L II. f8 1/1000 ISO800 Yellowstone Bison.

Glacier National Park
Canon 5D Mark IV 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/350 ISO800 Aspens, Glacier National Park.

Wild Goose Island
Canon 5Dsr 24-70mm f2.8L II. f11 1/6 ISO100 Wild Goose Island, Glacier N.P.

Montana Cranes
Canon 5D Mark IV 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/3000 ISO1600 Sandhill Cranes, Montana.

Montana Mountains
Canon 5Dsr 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II. f8 1/750 ISO800 Como Peaks, Montana.

Spring Photography Workshops

June 28, 2015 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Oregon Waterfalls
Elowha Falls, Oregon. Canon 5D MarkIII, 16-35mm f4L IS. f16 1″ ISO100

Well I’m finally back home after a busy spring in the Pacific Northwest. I had some fantastic travelers and amazing destinations this year. April I was out in Oregon working the Columbia River Gorge, exploring some new locations and it really seems like the waterfalls here are just endless. The more I explore further into both Oregon and Washington the more I am amazed I what I keep stumbling upon. Beyond the green and waterfalls, wildflowers were early this year and I was fortunate enough to catch them at the beginning of the month, but towards the end of April things were definitely winding down, still some great stuff though.

Olympic National Park
Ruby Beach, Washington. Canon 1DX, 16-35mm f4L IS. f4 0.3″ ISO3200

The month of May had me tromping around one of my absolute favorite locations in the western U.S., Olympic National Park. I can never get enough of Olympic Peninsula’s rainforests and the endless compositions you can find as you wander through the old growth sitka spruces and big leaf maple trees. We also had great beach stuff as well, visiting the iconic Ruby beach and Rialto and lucking out with some pretty sweet sunsets while photographing the seascapes.

Washington Waterfalls
Palouse Falls, Washington. Canon 5D Mark III, 11-24mm f4L. f4 30″ ISO1600

June I was in Washington’s Palouse region and had a fantastic trip photographing the soft rolling hills of eastern Washington and visiting the many classic barns throughout the area. We also had a fun night photographing Palouse Falls under the milky way while a group of fun and wild photographers lent their light painting skills and helped light up the falls. All in all a great trip and one of my favorite areas to shoot close to home.

It’s nice to be back in the mountains of Montana though and to see all the new life that’s happening here in the Bitterroot Valley.  We’re beginning to see arrival of new fawns in our backyard, nesting birds, and young goslings growing up. Summer is officially here. In a couple weeks I will be heading back out to Washington’s Olympic peninsula, this time on official family vacation with the promise of putting down the cameras and soaking it up at Lake Crescent for the week:)

In July I will be gearing up for more Glacier National Park workshops and should have some more stuff to share soon. Thanks to all the great travelers on my workshops this year, you all have truly made it such a pleasure and a whole heck of a lot of fun being out there doing what we do!

Montana Wildfires

July 24, 2014 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Montana Wildfires
Lupine and Wildfire, Montana.

Lupine and sunset just outside of Glacier National Park. Back in 2006 the Red Eagle Fire burned over 30,000 acres in Glacier and on Blackfeet Tribal Land drastically altering the landscape on the east side of the park.

Canon 1DX 16-35mm f4L IS (handheld) f16  1/20  ISO 400 -1, Singh Ray 3 stop Grad Filter

Heavy Runner Mountain

June 16, 2014 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Heavy Runner Mountain
Heavy Runner Mountain, Glacier National Park

While exploring near the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park I was treated to an amazing morning with a thick blanket of fog covering the valley floor with Heavy Runner Mountain rising up out of the mist, creating a simple but powerful scene.

Glacier Ferns

May 29, 2014 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Ferns, Glacier National Park
Western Oakfern, Montana

Western Oakfern, Glacier National Park

Canon 5D markII 16-35mm 2.8L II  f13  1/15  ISO1000

 

Ken Burns National Parks Film

May 23, 2014 by Jason Savage 2 Comments

Ken Burns National Parks
Ken Burns & Buddy Squires, Swiftcurrent Lake, Glacier National Park.

Here’s a bit of a throwback I found as I was going through my archives yesterday. This was an amazing morning we had on Swiftcurrent Lake while I was working with Ken Burns on his National Parks film in Glacier National Park. It was a real privilege to be involved with such an important project and film about our National Parks and also to work with such an incredibly talented group of people.

Olympic National Park Workshop

May 16, 2014 by Jason Savage 2 Comments

Washington Photo Workshop
Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park

Yikes! Where’s the time gone? Between traveling, workshops, packing to move into our new home, and a 4 & 6 year old, things are a wee bit nuts right now.

I’ve just returned from my Olympic National Park workshop in Washington state, and man what a trip! We had rain, rain, and more rain, but it made for some awesome images in the rainforest. We even lucked out on our last two days with some gorgeous sunrises and amazing light. And to top it all off, a fantastic group of photographers! Now I’m back home getting caught up on editing and getting ready for my next round of workshops here in Montana….

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Bull Moose, Yellowstone National Park

February 4, 2014 by Jason Savage Leave a Comment

Yellowstone Moose
I recently encountered these five bull moose in  Yellowstone on a very cold, quiet morning in the northeastern corner of the park. There’s certainly something about seeing this many bulls together at once. What a morning!

Canon 1DX 500mm f4L IS, 1.4X f11 1/1000 ISO3200

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About

Based in Montana, Jason works as a freelance and commercial photographer, specializing in travel and outdoor photography.

His work has been featured in National Geographic Traveler, Time, Outside, Audubon, Outdoor Photographer,The Nature Conservancy and many others.
His images have also been featured in numerous advertising campaigns, books, and calendars around the world.

Contact

Jason Savage Photography
546 Fox Meadow Ln.
Hamilton, MT 59840
jason@jasonsavagephoto.com
406-202-0709

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