MONTANA PHOTOGRAPHER IN ALASKA – FLAT TIRE VIEW FROM ALASKA

If you’re going to drive to Alaska there is pretty much only one way in and one way out, and that’s the Alaska Highway from the Yukon Territories of Canada. After passing the huge St. Elias Mountains of Kluane National Park in the Yukon, you’re greeted by the Nutzotin Mountains just across the border in Alaska (pictured here). If it’s a clear day you can also see the massive Wrangell Mountains further in the distance behind the Nutzotin, but they weren’t visible when we arrived. Be warned, the Alaska highway is pretty rough for the last few hours in the Yukon and flat tires are common. We managed to make it just across the border into Alaska before getting our only flat tire of the 14 day trip. It was sprinkling and there was a beautiful sunset on the horizon, so naturally I photographed the sunset while my esteemed colleague, driver and cousin Chris (aka C-Unit) changed the tire. We were in need of a break from the road anyway and I ended up making a few of my favorite photos from the entire trip, so thank you tire gods! And thanks to Chris for being the craziest and best driver a photographer could ever hope to have.

Tips for photographers: This is a three image panorama that I photographed handheld from the road. I know that sounds bad right?! How lazy! But I’ve increasingly turned into a roadside landscape photographer, using a long lens to pick out landscapes from the road like a poacher dropping big game from a truck. Wow that doesn’t sound like a good comparison! We were on the road for two weeks during this trip, and we did a lot of run and gun, pull over and shoot stops. I know this is not a recipe for success. To make a great landscape photo usually requires hard work to get to an epic location, and then patience to wait for the light, two things that take a lot of time that we did not have. So what was the end result? Well I made at least one good photo this way, and I’m sure I’ll find a few others, but those are far and few between. Chances are, if you’re shooting from the road, with no tripod, you’re not going to make anything very special unless you get lucky.

I am Montana based wedding and portrait photographer Paul Bellinger. I love to travel and our motto at Paul Bellinger Photography is that we will go anywhere and do anything for our clients. There is no wedding too big, too small, or too far for us to travel for, and we’ll gladly make your portrait on top of a mountain as well. Please visit www.paulbellinger.com for destination weddings in Montana or anywhere in the world, and www.portraits.paulbellinger.com for our portrait studio in Billings Montana.

MONTANA PHOTOGRAPHER – THE BIG SKY AT NIGHT

Montana is an amazing place, and as impressive as the big sky is in the day, it’s even more magical at night. I recently made a huge road trip to Alaska, and despite seeing so many beautiful places in Alaska, Yukon Territories and British Columbia, Montana was still impressive when we returned home. After watching the sun go down outside of Glacier National Park, we stopped near Belt Montana to view the Milky Way and make a few pictures. We really wanted to make some star photos on our trip but it became more and more difficult the further North we went, because the sun doesn’t really go down very far in the summer and there is too much light in the sky to see the stars. But Montana saved the day on our last night of the road trip and gave us a spectacular view of the Milky Way practically from the highway. Wow, it’s awesome to call Montana home!

Tips for photographers: Photographing the night sky is fun and it’s something every photographer should go out and do sometime. There is a lot written about astrophotography and you can get the impression that it’s difficult, or requires special gear and techniques. I found it pretty easy, even using pretty bad glass for night photography. I made this photo with a Canon 17-40 f/4 L lens and Sony A7ii camera body. A faster lens, f/2.8 or wider, would be ideal for night photography, but I was able to make do with f/4 because the sky was especially bright in Montana. The best tip I can give is to use a really heavy duty tripod that won’t blow around in the wind during 5-15 second exposures and is easy to operate in the dark. It helps a lot if your tripod is really tall too, so you can see what you’re doing without bending over all night. More than anything, just go out and try it with whatever gear you have, it’s a lot of fun!

I am Montana wedding photographer Paul Bellinger and I love to travel for weddings. I go anywhere and do anything for our clients. There is no wedding too big or too small, and no wedding destination that is too remote or extreme for us. My studio is located in downtown Billings Montana and it would be my honor to photograph your Montana wedding or destination wedding anywhere in the world. Visit www.paulbellinger.com for dramatic, fine art wedding photography as epic as your love story.

MONTANA PHOTOGRAPHER – SPRING IN THE BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS

We’ve had a lovely cool and rainy streak this mid-May and it’s created some beautiful conditions in the mountains. Snow is possible pretty much all year around in the Beartooth Mountains, especially at higher elevations, so I wasn’t surprised to see a light dusting of snow and frost on the foothills of the Beartooths outside of Red Lodge Montana.  It made for a magical scene with cold and foggy conditions in the mountains, obscured by clouds, while the lower meadows are a lush green, complete with grazing cattle.  Montana is sure beautiful!  We can’t get enough of it!

Tips for photographers: This photo was made next to Highway 78 North of Red Lodge with a 135mm lens on a full frame Sony A7ii body. Montana makes for easy pickings sometimes, you just have to pull over and that’s about it. I prefer a longer lens for my “side of the road” landscape photography because it allows you to isolate a more narrow scene and eliminate distracting foreground elements that you otherwise can’t control because you’re stuck on the road and can’t hike up closer to search for the perfect foreground.  So I tend to compress the foreground with a longer lens, either my 135mm or 70-200mm.  The 135mm is lighter and smaller so it’s almost always in my bag.

I am Billings Montana wedding and portrait photographer Paul Bellinger.  Please visit www.paulbellinger.com for wedding and portrait bookings.

BILLINGS MONTANA PHOTOGRAPHER – BEARTOOTH BEAUTY!

I’ve been sharing a lot of black and white photos lately so I thought I’d interrupt the flow of black and white with some colorful eye candy from the mountains. This is one of the many spectacular views from the scenic Beartooth Highway that cuts through the Beartooth Mountains between Red Lodge Montana and Cooke City Montana.  The pass is over 10,000 feet and puts you at eye level with the Absaroka mountain range in the distance.  It’s a fun drive, with lots of switchbacks and hairpin turns.  I’m sure it would be a blast on a motorcycle, although the weather is unpredictable.  I can’t wait to take my wife and dogs back to this spot again this summer!

We really love it here in Billings Montana!  It’s comforting to look out to the West and see those big beautiful mountains in the distance.  Every time I see them I wonder to myself why I’m not IN THEM, and I’m tempted to drop everything and head for the mountains.  It’s exciting to have that temptation every day!

If you need a wedding photographer please visit http://www.paulbellinger.com

If you need a portrait photographer in Billings Montana please visit http://www.portraits.paulbellinger.com

BILLINGS MT PHOTOGRAPHER – BANDRA NIGHTS!

I have some very cool family in Mumbai!  This is the view from the roof of my aunt and uncle’s home in Bandra, which is a suburb that has been described to me as the Tribeca of Mumbai.  Well it’s also kind of the Beverly Hills of Mumbai because some of Bollywood’s leading movie stars live on the famous Bandstand road featured in these photos.  It’s interesting to note that according to my uncle, the fishing village in the foreground of the top photo is older than the city around it.  As a result, the fishing village has land ownership rights that predate the city and thus cannot be pushed out to make room for new condos.  It’s so India to have a humble fishing village in the middle of one of the most expensive and high demand neighborhoods in the world!  This is why I love India, I never know what is going to be right around the corner and I’m in a constant state of amazement as a result.  Thank you to my amazing family in Mumbai for showing us such a wonderful time!

Tips for photographers: Stay ready to shoot and don’t be lazy! Some of the best photos are made in a matter of a moment.  Part of the reason I only took my Sony A7 to India and not my big heavy Canon 5D Mark III, is so I could always have my camera with me without it being too cumbersome or conspicuous for travel and street photography.  On this night our family threw a fabulous dinner party so I didn’t do too much photography, I was busy eating and drinking.  But when we went up to the roof for a drink the view overwhelmed my laziness and I went downstairs and grabbed my camera bag.  I didn’t have a tripod so I propped the camera on the ledge of the roof using the camera strap under the camera to level it out and get the angles I wanted.  I knew the wide angle shot with the fishing village in the foreground was going to be my favorite, but I had the 135mm on and made a quick image with it (the bottom photo) before switching to the 35mm for the top photo.  Both of the exposures are 30 seconds taken with the Sony A7 and Canon L lenses.  It took me about 5 minutes of shooting between drinks to make these two photos.  I am always amazed at how quickly beautiful photos are made compared to how long it takes to find them sometimes.  The afternoon these photos were taken we flew back to Mumbai from Goa.  I thought Goa would be a very inspiring place for photography, but it turned out that Bandra would steal the show.

I love Billings MT, the city we live in, but I don’t think there is any better way to pass the time than travel.  Everywhere I travel, whether I like the place or not, gives me a new perspective.  Sometimes that new perspective is not much different than my normal perspective.  But there is no doubt in my mind that India will always give me a wildly different perspective than the one I am used to.  I can’t wait to go back soon.  http://portraits.paulbellinger.com

MONTANA PHOTOGRAPHER – TESTING A NEW CAMERA AT THE RANCH

I’m testing a new camera system, the Sony A7 and here are a few of my favorites from a recent day at the ranch.  The fall colors are so pretty out here in Montana.  I am very blessed to live in such a beautiful and inspiring place with great friends that invite us to their ranch!

Why am I testing a new camera system?  I’m a very active photographer and I’m always trying to make better images, so it’s important for me to constantly test new technology that might give me even the slightest edge.  Whether it’s on a wedding day, or on a train across India, I always have my camera with me everywhere I go and never stop making photos.  This new Sony A7 camera is smaller and lighter than my current system.  I am hopeful that the A7 will become my primary travel, landscape and portrait camera, while making a nice backup for my heavier duty wedding photography gear.  Maybe one day I'll go entirely with Sony and drop all my Canon gear.

At Paul Bellinger Photography we specialize in Montana wedding photography, but we also do a lot of portrait photography, including corporate headshots, fashion portraits and editorial, senior portraits, glamour portraits, and boudoir portraits. www.paulbellinger.com

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER – PILOT PEAK SPECTACULAR!

I am a Montana wedding photographer but part of my job is to scout epic locations to take my clients for wedding portraits, engagement sessions, honeymoon sessions, etc.  So I am constantly exploring my new home in Montana to find awesome locations.  Well this is one of them!  Pilot Peak is technically in Wyoming, but it’s hard to tell what state you’re in around this area, as the Beartooth/Absaroka wilderness follows the Montana/Wyoming border.  This spot is about 2 hours from Billings Montana and is only about 30 minutes from the top of the Beartooth Pass outside of Red Lodge Montana.  There is a little lake nestled in the woods below and I can’t wait to take a wedding client down there for an epic session!  Who wants to go?

I am Montana wedding photographer Paul Bellinger.  I specialize in epic, dramatic, fine art wedding photography.  My photography studio is located in Billings Montana but I shoot weddings all of shapes and sizes and in wedding destination from the beaches to the mountains.  It would be my honor to photograph your wedding.  www.paulbellinger.com

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER – ENGAGEMENT ADVENTURES

Montana is a beautiful wedding destination that attracts couples from all around the country.  I feel so lucky to live here with my amazing wife and work in a profession that enables us to explore this beautiful area.  All of these photos are from a recent engagement session adventure to Tofino, British Columbia.  Naturally, my wife and I took the scenic route, exploring Idaho, Washington, the Palouse, the Olympic Peninsula, Pacific Rim National Park Canada, Sea to Sky Highway Canada, Banff National Park Canada, Glacier National Park USA, and we drove up and down Western Montana on two different routes.  We saw bears, bald and golden eagles, elk, mountain goats, a coyote, a fox and birds galore.  We spent some time with our awesome clients, Jenny and Daniel, who took us to some beautiful beaches, canoeing to a tiny lake island, and to two amazing seafood restaurants (and an equally impressive food truck that serves poutine).  I can’t wait for the wedding adventure we’ll have in Big Sky Montana this summer.  We made some beautiful engagement photos right on the Pacific Ocean.  It was a dream week with my wife, who had never been West of Bozeman Montana, had never seen the Pacific Ocean and had never been to Idaho, Washington, or Canada.  I’m so lucky to have a partner like her to explore with!  She’s also the navigator and she watches to make sure bears and mountain lions don’t sneak up behind me while I’m making photos!  So here’s a few photos I’m grateful to have made with her.

We found these snowy foggy trees and pristine pond in Kootenay National Park Canada.  We stopped to read a sign about a mother grizzly and two cubs that were in the area, and that we found soon after. 

It was very refreshing to spend some time in the magnificent Canadian Rockies, but my favorite mountain photo of the trip was this black and white of the Howe Ridge from Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park Montana. 

After being in the mountains for days, it was nice to return to the prairie of Western Montana and be greeted with a beautiful prairie sunset near Judith Gap Montana.

I am Montana wedding photographer Paul Bellinger.  I love photography and I specialize in dramatic fine art wedding photography that is as epic as your love story.  From the mountains to the beaches, I photograph weddings of all shapes and sizes, and in any wedding destination in Montana or beyond.  I would be honored to be your wedding photographer.  Please contact me through my Montana wedding photographer website www.paulbellinger.com

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - INSTAGRAM ALERT!

Check out some of the iphonography you’ve been missing if you haven’t followed me on instagram @PJBellinger!  I am a Billings Montana wedding and portrait photographer, but I love all types of photography and never leave home without my camera.  Like one of my mentors, Chase Jarvis, I think the best camera is the one that’s with you, and more often than not, that’s my iphone.  Instagram is my primary outlet for iphonography and it pushes updates to Twitter (@paulbellinger) and facebook (@pjbellinger).  So find me on one of those places and enjoy!

MONTANA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - A NEW SPOT FOR MONTANA MOUNTAIN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

I spent the day scouting for new locations to take my Montana wedding clients for sessions.  

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

Dad on the banks of the Missouri overlooking our hometown Omaha Nebraska!  It was probably 0 degrees fahrenheit plus a cool breeze coming off the river.  Hence dad's snow suit!   Happy father's day dad!  I can't wait to shoot some landscapes together again soon!

My stepdad Bruce posing with my beautiful wife Nini in front of Bruce's huge smoker at our Husker tailgate party!  We had the smoker up and running before sunrise!  I wish father's day was during Husker season, so we could celebrate appropriately.  Happy father's day Brucey!


Paul Bellinger Montana wedding photographer Billings Montana wedding photography www.paulbellinger.com

HINKSON CREEK BLUES

Hinkson Creek Blues, Columbia MO

This reflecting pool caught my eye as Nini and I walked with the dogs along Hinkson Creek in Grindstone Nature Area yesterday.  There are several nice reflection pools along the creek now that the high water has started to recede.  I tried to get Big Red to pose in the water for me with a big reflection, but there were too many squirrels in the area.  Maybe next time.

This is a six exposure HDR.  I had originally set up my tripod about 10 feet in front of where this one was taken, but noticed the branch reflection and had to move back to place it in the frame a little better.  I used a circular polarizer to increase the glare on the water, bringing out the reflections and the blue sky.  When we were on our way to the park I noticed we would have a boring cloudless blue sky and I thought it would not be a very productive outing.  I'll have to remember to look for reflections the next time I see a cloudless sky.

Photo taken Feb 17, 2012

AFTER SUNDOWN

After Sundown, Rocheport MO

The final of three sunset photos from our trip to the "best beach in Missouri" on the banks of the Missouri River.  I usually plan to stay for an hour after sundown and take photos during the blue hour when the light goes cold and blue.  I really love the way the camera catches that deep blue light.  This photo was taken just after sundown.  See my previous posts from the best beach in Missouri here and here.

This is a five-exposure HDR and the exposures range from .5 to 8 seconds in one-stop increments.  After the sun had set I was still set up facing directly toward the sunset.  But Nini pointed out that the Southeastern sky was glowing purple!  I quickly recomposed to get some of the purple light in the frame.  It was gone before I could get off six exposures, so I was left with five to work with!

Once again, CreativeLIVE is LIVE today and it's free.  The workshop is "Posing Masterclass" with Bambi Cantrell.  You can go to www.creativelive.com/live but if your internet is slow I recommend the low resolution link here:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/creativelive-lowres

Photo taken Feb 22, 2012

DUSK IN THE WOODS

Dusk in the Woods, Columbia MO

The boys and I took a quick hike at Grindstone Nature Area.  The sun had already went down and it was getting cold, but I decided to take the high ridge trail out of the park anyway.  I was treated to this lovely view of the dusk sky along the trail.

This is a six exposure HDR.

HIGH WATER

High Water at Mini-Rock Falls, Columbia MO

To get this photo I was standing on rock that had two inches of water flowing over it.  My hiking boots are awesome so my feet stayed totally dry.  Composing photos like this can be physically demanding.  Trying to balance in the middle of the creek, on slippery rocks, hunched over for the low perspective, holding your breath so your glasses don't fog, can really wear on your body.  Once I get everything set and finally stand upright and take a deep breath, I usually experience a moment of dizziness from the blood rushing back to my head!  It would be a lot easier if I just got in the water.  Right now it's a little cold though and in the summer we've seen water moccasins swimming in this area of Grindstone Nature Area.  I prefer cold water over snakes I guess, so maybe I'll get some waders and really get serious with this creek.

This is a single exposure.  I used a circular polarizer reduce the glare and allow the colors to shine through, and a six stop neutral density filter to allow for a long 30 second exposure.  I like to take long exposures on the creeks I come across in town, getting lots of practice for PHOTO ADVENTURES to come.

Photo taken Feb 7, 2012

LEAF FALLS

Leaf Falls, Columbia MO

I named this little bit of white water on Hinkson Creek "Leaf Falls," since the leaves create a mini-waterfall.  We've been spending a lot of time at Grindstone Nature Area getting our dogs back in tip top shape after being spoiled rotten by Paul SR. while we were away in India.  Thanks Dad! ;)

This is a single exposure.  I used a circular polarizer to give some visibility to the creek bottom in the foreground and to reduce the glare on the white water that was even more blown out than it looks here.  I also used a neutral density filter to cut out six stops of light, allowing me to use a 25 second exposure.

Photo taken Jan 29, 2012