When people see my images of Montana, or the PNW, they often see photos taken in the absolute best conditions. For example, the brief but brilliant fall, or the vibrant spring that lasts ten days between winter and the scorching heat of summer.
My images of sparkling blue lakes, fall-kissed aspen leaves and warm, inviting evenings are the exception, not the rule. They stand out as beautiful outliers to the grey, monotone nine month winter and the brown vegetation of late August.
This is the reality of Montana.
This image of a giant elk is one such outlier. It is but a flash of time in a brief and glorious fall. Filmed as winter edges down the slopes, but not so far as to turn the land and days to grey. The mighty bull elk rests as his domain unfolds before him. It’s as if he knows the sun will only be up for a few hours a day, as if he is preparing for the long months of darkness and enjoying the last sliver of good weather until winter dies and his grass is made good again.
