One of the hardest lessons for me as a photographer has been learning to take advantage of photography opportunities when they pop up. Ninety-eight percent of photos you have to work your rear end off for, but sometimes, in that oh-so-rare two percent of the time, something amazing comes to you.
This was one of those times… sort of.
Sunday, I drove back from Bozeman to Pinedale, dealing with significant snow and wind all the way. A five-hour drive morphed into a nine-hour trek across the great white unknown. For much of the trip the delineation between the sky and the ground was not visible. Blegh.
I eagerly look forward to the Henry’s Fork section of the trip every single time. There’s something simply awe-inspiring about driving along that renowned river, and something peaceful about passing through the trees, knowing the friendly outpost of West Yellowstone is just around the bend.
I was driving along at 40 miles an hour, peering through the blowing powder, when I looked over and saw a collection of swans and ducks resting on a peaceful section of the river. Road conditions prevented a quick pull-over-and-stop, so I slalomed into the next pullout and muscled the Fire Girl Suby through the unplowed snow. Soon enough I was able to park the car near the river and hiked through the snow to a vantage point for these images. Jeans and Danskos be damned. I wanted these shots.
And, as I usually am, I’m glad I turned back for the images.
Tomorrow I’m out in the Upper Green covering a national sled dog race. Wind chills are forecasted to near -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Yee-haw!
Tags: Fire Girl Photography
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