I spent today on assignment in north-central Montana for The Big Sky Journal, photographing Smoot Honey’s factory, warehouse and sticky goodness. Smoot is Montana’s largest honey producer, and these ladies and gentlemen know their bees. Several generations of the family work the business, and to my delight as I worked with several generations I realized I was surrounded by fathers, sons, brothers and cousins.
It is hard to beat an assignment where the owner of the business says “have at it” and gives me free rein of the facility to explore, photograph and work in. It beats having a minder any day.
It also felt exceedingly good to put aside the sandals for once and muck about in my weathered pair of Blundstone boots.
Northern Montana is home what often seems to be more more nuclear missile sites than people, and I was caught off guard several times today as I bumped along a dirt road and came head-to-head with a military convoy. Nothing like a Humvee zipping down the middle of the road to brighten one’s morning.
Any day working an assignment feels like a treat, and I’m finding nothing makes me happier than a day hard at work behind the camera or putting pen to paper.
Here’s to a busy fall!
Tags: Assignments
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Jessica, I like your blog and loved it on blogionaire.com
Mentioning smoots honey brings back a lot of memories I taught penny smooth how to scuba dive. That was a great experience she is a really neat lady I hope her and her family are doing well.
Hey Terry! It looked like the crew was doing well – lovely people! It was such a pleasure getting a glimpse into their operation.