The passion, commitment and motivation comes from there, but the inspiration to make nature, wildlife and outdoor photography my livelihood is due in part to Marty Stouffer and his long running TV series “Wild America.”

There probably is not a person in the outdoor media world, over 30 years old, that has not seen at least one episode of, “Wild America.” Stouffer’s series, “Wild America” was, for a young outdoors-man, the “holy grail” of wildlife and outdoor TV experiences. To this day it’s still the longest running wildlife and nature show ever aired on PBS.

After watching those episodes of “Wild America,” it dawned on me that if someone made those films it means there’s a job doing it – right!  So, while I did not run right out at 10 years old and buy an 8mm camera to start my own journey to become a relevant outdoor, nature, and wildlife photographer, the seed was planted. That seed sprouted many years later and today I have a successful career in the outdoor media world.

Bighorn Sheep Photograph on the Cover of Western Hunter Magazine – ©tonybynum.com

When Marty emailed me to talk about the bighorn sheep photograph he saw on the cover of  Western Hunter Magazine, it reminded me that his TV series is what got me thinking I could have a career in the outdoor world. I replied to his email thanking him for the complements and for his great contribution to the outdoor media world. Later that day, I decided to call and talk directly to him. Imidiatly upon hearing his voice I recalled many of the episodes I watched as a young kid growing up.

A couple of weeks after Marty and I first talked, I received the full box set of 120 episodes of “Wild America” in the mail. What a surprise. Marty, one of my childhood heroes, and one of the greatest cinematographers to work in this business, personally sent ME a collection of the greatest wildlife, nature and outdoor films ever produced! I’m grateful to Marty.

Box Set of 120 episodes of Wild America by Marty Stouffer

This brings me to my closing comments. If you are interested in becoming a professional in the outdoor world, I encourage you to consider joining the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA). I love the organization so much I decided to become a board member. Today POMA is the Nations premier traditional outdoor media organization, made up of some of the nations top outdoor TV producers, film makers, photographers, radio talk show hosts, and writers.

If you are in any way part of the outdoor media world, you need to join POMA. If you’re not yet a professional, we have special membership just for you. If you’re interested in becoming a member contact Tony Bynum. Before you do, I encourage you to check out our website for more information about becoming a member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association.

Get out there and find your passion in the outdoor media world!

Sincerely,

Tony Bynum

You also can find Tony Bynum on Facebook, and Tony Bynum on Twitter

The post Nature, Wildlife and Outdoor Photography – who inspired you? appeared first on .

Here are some additional Montana photographs captured by Tony Bynum along the way.

I hope you enjoy the read as much as we did telling the story!

Tony Bynum and Stacy Dolderer

The post Montana Nature Photographer Tony Bynum and Science Teacher Stacy Dolderer Dive Deep into the Montana Prairie in Search of Wilderness Characteristics appeared first on .

“You should never use camera to make your pictures. You use yourself, your experience, to make the pictures with the camera. Not the other way around.”

For years I’ve been trying to put this concept into words.  I’ve always told people that I don’t study other photographers work because I felt it diluted my vision.  I always wanted to think of my photography as unique and my own.  Antonin Kratochvil just changed my mind. Watch this short interview with Antonin Kratochvil, him images are impressive . . . his last words are most important!

Think about it!

Do you have a photography hero?

Sincerely, Tony Bynum

The post The Holy Grail of Photography In one Quote – Antonin Kratochvil changed my mind. . . appeared first on .

Read the full story: “A Snapshot of Drilling on a Park’s Margins”

drill rigs set up to frack oil on the blackfeet reservation with rising wolf mountain glacier national park, montana, usa the background (Tony Bynum/tonybynum.com)

Tony Bynum

The post Photography With a Purpose – Oil Drilling on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation appeared first on .

Those are the paraphrased words from a real freelance photographer to a magazine editor asking if the editor would consider his work for publication. After the initial request, the editor politely told him that the content he uses is supplied mainly in-house, and therefore they were not accepting freelance or unsolicited photographs at this time. Following the editors reply, the photographer obviously felt it necessary to basically tell the editor that their stuff sucked, and then recommend to him, that he’s the real pro. . .

What the photographer wrote in that email sounds absurd, right? Most of you would agree that it should go without saying that you don’t start a new business relationship by telling those that you want to work with, they suck, but obviously it happens.  I’m here to tell you, using that kind of language will not only get you nowhere, it will get you there fast, especially in a business community as small and tight as ours.

Pome Conference 2013 Columbia, South Carolina

As a professional outdoor photographer myself, a photo editor, and contributor to many of the popular outdoor publications you’ve grown up with, and a pile of the more recent ones, how likely do you think I will be to consider using that guys photos, or refer him to someone else, or support him when someone calls me to verify his professionalism? Being confident and self-assured is one thing, but trashing the editor by telling them they need to work with a real pro, is nuts!

The professional outdoor media world is a relatively small industry. People know each other and share information about whose good, and what works and what doesn’t, all the time. I’m not saying you have to toe-the-line or you won’t make it. You should certainly chart your own course. But telling a magazine editor that their covers suck and that you’re available if he/she needs a real professional, is a sure way to ruin your career.

So how do you make it in this business? Many people have found a mentor, or worked as an intern for an existing, well established individual professional or company. After getting the requisite experience, some branch out on their own and become a freelancer or start their own companies. The other way to do it is to just gut it out and work your butt off to create great content, and an even better markenting strategy.

A friend of mine, Stephanie Mallory, of Mallory Communications, and fellow member of the  the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), wrote a great article talking about her own experience and included a few citations and comments from others like Bill Konway, John Phillips, Michael Waddell, J. Wayne Fears, and Chad Schearer, describing briefly how they managed to, ”make it” in the traditional outdoor media world. By Stephanie’s estimation, it sounds like no matter what route you take you have to learn how to be a professional and work hard! I would agree.

I guess the moral of this story is that in order to become a professional, you must first learn how to act like one.  Your first step should be to join an outstanding professional organization like the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) – you can find us on Twitter @poma_hq, or contact me directly with by commenting on this post, or shoot me a tweet @tonybynum.

POMA’s Mission @poma_hq simply put, is:

“To foster excellence in communications at all levels, help members build their businesses, connect media and industry, promote fair and honest communication of the traditional outdoor sports and conservation stories, and mentor the next generation of traditional outdoor sports communicators.”

We are having our annual conference March 6-9th 2013 in Columbia South Carolina, here are the details, “Professional Outdoor Media Association Annual Conference.”

Sincerely, Tony Bynum

Twitter: @tonybynum

facebook.com/tonybynumphotography 

#MustFollowMonday – @tonybynum Always sharing interesting content. Photographer, key player in outdoor industry.

— Cam Pauli (@CamPauli) February 11, 2013

The post How to Ruin an Outdoor Photography Career with One Email appeared first on .

In any event, I knew I was not going to get anything good because I physically could not get to where I wanted to be. So, here’s where the backup plan comes into play.  Plan “B”, always answers the question, “what to do if plan A does not work.”  For me plan “B” means watching the light. No matter what, light is THE most important element of nature and outdoor photography – bar none! I’ll have the debate with anyone, anywhere, at any time . . .

So, as plan “A” began to deteriorate, I made a decision to go to plan “B”. Plan “B” was to get someplace – really anyplace – where I would have a chance at seeing the morning light reflecting off the mountains and clouds  no matter if there was an animal available or not – the goal was to just to get to a place where I can shoot the reflecting light off the mountains for 5 minutes. . .

Here’s the results . . .

Morning sunrise on the rocky mountain front, Montana.  Nikon d4, 24-70mm 2.8 @f8, iso 400, 1/60 sec., handheld. For sale, as are all of my images, license, or fine art prints on canvas, metal, or paper – custom made to suit your needs. Image © tonybynum.com

Having a plan “B” once again saves the day!  I’m starting to wonder if plan “B” should become my new plan “A?” Hmm, give that some thought!

Sincerely, Tony Bynum

Please find me @tonybynum and on facebook at Tony Bynum Photography.

Right now I’m going to give a print to the 2000th twitter follower!  Take a screen shot showing me you’re #2000 and email it or repost to twitter, and you’ll win!

@tonybynum liked your plan B very much and the amazing outcome

— Nikhilesh K Singh (@nikhilksingh) January 29, 2013

The post It’s not the photograph I went looking for, it’s better! appeared first on .

Pome Conference 2013 Columbia, South Carolina

Date:          March 6-9th 2013

Where:      Columbia, SC

Please use this POMA Conference hyper link, or the one below, to find out more and to register!  Time is running out, please get registeed now before prices go up and rooms run out!

http://tinyurl.com/crws59z

See you in South Carolina!   Tony Bynum

The post Join us at POMA 2013 Conference appeared first on .

Please download, from the link below, the short, well written essay, with Tony Bynum’s photographs, courtesy of Montana Quarterly and Scott McMillion.  Tony is taking the details and explanation of this Montana conservation project and what it takes to cover millions of acres of the remaining, intact, open prairie and badlands, on the road across Montana from Billings and Bozeman, to Missoula, Havre and Helena, starting mid February 2013 (stay tuned for exact dates, times and places).

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE PDF OF THE STORY FROM THE WINTER ISSUE OF MONTANA QUARTERLY

RIGHT HERE: The Road{less} Traveled

I hope to see you all very soon,

Sincerely,

Tony Bynum

Buy Montana Quarterly! @tonybynum ‘s photos of the vast plains of #Montana are awe-inspiring!

— Carol Buchanan (@CarolBuchananMT) January 28, 2013

The post Montana Quarterly Features Critically Important Montana Conservation Photography Work appeared first on .

Photo collage on the cover of Field and Stream Magazine feature a grizzly bear photograph by Tony Bynum. Photo Illustration created by Jesse Lenz.

In today’s busy publishing world, editors and designers are asked to do more with less. However, a production like this photo illustration requires just the opposite. I imagine this cover took a lot of time, planning, and a huge commitment of resources. So, aside from being an extraordinary photo collage, the time, effort, planning, cooperation, collaboration and teamwork that must have gone into creating this illustration was nothing short of remarkable . . .  Just consider the number of photographs in the collage, then think about all the people that must have worked on the entire production from the photographer to final editor. I’ll bet it took hundreds of combined hours to create this piece.

If you just start by imagining the time it took for the photographers to create each photo. Then imagine how long it took the photo editors to find just the right shots. Add the editorial staff and then Jesse Lenz’s time and I’ll bet there’s a 1000 hours into that one illustration. So how did it come about? I was so intrigued with the cover when I saw it, I decided to contact Jesse, and congratulate him on a fantastic piece of work. We talked for awhile about the process of creating the piece and then moved on into other subjects, but my hunch was correct, it took a lot of work and cooperation from everyone.

I think this kind of work is the ultimate expression of team work at a time when it seems that we are suffering from a lack of such commitments.  Sure, each of the images was already created, but finding the right photos that all fit well together and then getting it all done in a timely manner, I’m sure was quite an undertaking.  I applaud the photo editors, designers, and people like Executive Editor, Mike Toth and Managing Editor, Jean McKenna for putting forth the effort and expense to go beyond the norm even in the face of greater work loads, smaller budgets and tighter deadlines.

If you like this cover, or think @fieldandstream are on the right track by working together to make cool stuff, be sure to make a comment or two on this post, or send the editors at @FieldandStream, and @thejesselenz a note and tell them how much you liked the February 2013 Field and Stream cover collage.

Sincerely,

Tony Bynum

If you want to see a really cool portfolio application for your photographs, check out the selection of images created by Tony Bynum over the past couple of years.

Always find me on twitter @tonybynum or facebook at Tony Bynum Photography

The post A Thousand Hour Magazine Cover? – could this magazine cover have taken a 1000 hours to create? appeared first on .

One of the most rewarding and fun projects I’ve ever had the privilege to work on . . .  Stacy Dolderer and I had a great time exploring places few people ever get to see . . .

I’m taking this show on the road later this winter and into the spring.  I’ll be speaking in Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Havre, and Billings . . .  Stay tuned for dates, time’s and locations!

Have a Merry Christmas!

Tony Bynum

@tonybynum

The post Montana Prairie – it’s not all just flat, dry, BLM land appeared first on .