Hugh Carey: Gets the blood flowing

Copyright Hugh Carey 2007

F-stop: 5.6
Shutter: 1/250
ISO: 400
Lens: 300mm
WB: Cloudy

After searching for a feature photo all over campus on foot on a dull, cloudy morning, I spotted some people bouncing and floating in the air in a backyard behind a 7-foot tall wooden fence. I figured it was a trampoline, but I still wanted to hide it to make viewers more curious. Though I could’ve made the subject much sharper by increasing the shutter speed. I thought 1/250 was fast enough. Dang. Ah well, I’m happy to have spotted them at the right time. The longer the time and the more area you cover, the chances of finding a spontaneous photo increases.

– Hugh Carey

Krista Miller: Attempting the summit

Copyright Krista Miller 2007

I just did a photo story for my “Outside Montana” project in my multimedia class on this guy Don who is 52 and has been skiing every month for 26 consecutive months. It was one of the most amazing and fulfilling experiences I have had in a long time. Don picked out a trip to Stanton glacier, just off the summit of Great Northern Mountain located between Hungry Horse Reservoir and the southern boundary of Glacier National Park. Our hike was a steep elevation gain of 5,000 feet in 5-6 miles. We encountered mountain goats and did a little scrambling to summit the peak, which is considered the tallest in the Great Bear Wilderness area, a part of the Bob Marshall protected areas. Don skied about three runs on the glacier, which is pretty much solid ice and was a little soft on top due to the melting. We also spotted smoke coming out of the wilderness area while on the summit. The views are amazing and I am honored to have seen and touched something many people will never see. I almost forgot – about 10 turns were had by yours truly.

– Krista Miller

Shane McMillan: A nip in the air

Copyright Shane McMillan 2007

Aperture: f/3.5
ISO: 200
Shutter: Auto
White Balance: Sunlight

This isn't really a special image, but as I was riding to work this morning I decided I wanted to get a shot that captured the change of the season a bit. I got on my bike and within a few pedal-strokes I was zipping my coat and tucking my hands in my sleeves. Summer has ended, but still on the banks of the Clark Fork this little flower clings to those last warm rays of sunlight and struggles to bloom even as the entire force of the atmosphere shifts. I guess that is a lot of thinking for a picture of a flowery bush thing, but it just got me thinking.

Hugh Carey: Banner photo story

Copyright Hugh Carey 2007

I shot this one while backpacking in Capitol Reef National Park, which is in the remote backcountry in southwestern Utah, far from any paved road. What I like about this photo is the diversity of exposure. There’s a silhouette, exposed subjects plus a little bit of over-exposed background. The caves of Utah are pretty much the biggest playground for photographers who love to play with extreme exposures. So come on down!

– Hugh Carey

Kristine Paulsen: Creative coersion

Copyright Kristine Paulsen 2007

A bicycle wheel propped up over a garbage can urges River City Roots Festival-goers to be responsible recyclers.
I like this photo mainly because of the subject matter. It's just such a funky way to ask people to recycle.

– Kristine Paulsen

Kristine Paulsen: Banner photo story

Copyright Kristine Paulsen 2007

This photo was taken on Flathead Lake this summer for my internship at the Daily Inter Lake in Kalispell, Mont. I was super psyched to get this assignment: go and hang out with sailboat racers on Flathead Lake in the evening. I mean, come on. That's a pretty sweet setup for an intern. I was even happier to think about how great the light was going to be and it was amazing just as I thought. The reporter and I hung out with the two manning the boat for a couple hours, just waiting for the cool air to drop down and start filling the sails. And then it all began happening.
The sun slowly started to sink behind the mountains. The light skipped across the surface of the water turning its texture to shining jewels. The sun got caught in the billowing sails, causing them to glow softly, sort of like large softboxes all over the lake. People began to move around their boats, readying themselves for the beginning of the race. The tinny sounding horn blared a tiny blare, and race we did, oftentimes barely missing other boats. I could have jumped across to them if I had wanted to, which I didn't. I was sure to anchor myself firmly to the mast with one arm, shooting with the other and hoping I was steady enough for a sharp shot. (That's another story in itself...it's pretty darn difficult to shoot on a rocking sailboat. And I sure as heck wasn't going to be “that intern who fell into the lake.”) So, we raced. And raced and raced. And, what do you know, we won! The couple who actually did all the work was ecstatic because they'd never won before. They, very nicely, told the reporter and I that we were their good luck charms. We headed the boat back into the slips, sipping beers as we lazily maneuvered in the general direction. It was right before we docked that I took this photo. I was so happy to have experienced such a wonderful evening with so many photo opportunities and so much laughter – and then I saw this shot with Brian and the masts silhouetted in the waning light, oh, and that light on the water resulting in such beautifully rippled reflections. It was delicious. I took the shot, drove back to Kalispell and put together a nice package for the Sunday paper. Voila. I love being a photographer.

– Kristine Paulsen

Hugh Carey: Sunset couple

Copyright Hugh Carey 2007

Camera: Canon EOS 20D
F-stop: 22
Shutter speed: 1/200 sec
(with flash)

As I was riding my bike along the river with my eyes peeled out for a feature photo, I noticed there was a couple sitting on the riverfront rail right across the river. Bingo. Found a feature. I rode my bike almost as hard as I could to get to the nearest bridge and prayed that the couple would still be there when I arrived. I breathed a sigh of relief as I got to the couple relaxing and enjoying the view of the Clark Fork and Mt. Sentinel bathed in the goldish color of sunset. I politely asked the couple if I could take pictures of them and they happily allowed me. The sun was just minutes away from sinking behind the mountains. I decided to compose the dramatic photo of the sunset with the couple in foreground. I hooked up the flash to my Canon 20D so I could expose for the sunset and use the flash to keep the couple exposed in the foreground. It was hard to get the right angle because I was reaching out off the rail as far as I could before almost falling 10 feet onto the large rocks. That would make an embarrassing phone call for the couple to get ambulance for some guy who wanted to take pictures of them. But nope, never fell and got the shot. Whew.

– Hugh Carey

Krista Miller: Banner photo story

Copyright Krista Miller 2007

This was a great photo opportunity! The Tour De Fat is an event sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Co., one of my favorite Missoula events. This gal won the Fat Tire cruiser bike given away as a raffle prize at the 2007 tour in downtown Missoula. She was so shocked and surprised, and she had such great facial expressions! I have only won something like that once, and I imagine that if I had won that beautiful bike, I would be that excited too! To get this image I was in the right place at the right time with my camera ready.

– Krista Miller