Tony Bynum Photography

Interview with Elk Hunter Magazine’s Photography Editor

Stacy — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:59:09 +0000

In this interview with Elk Hunter Magazine Tony discusses some hunting tips and techniques as well as his personal observations about how to train for a hunt and documenting the experience through photographs. Read to the end! Tony gives a great discount offer to readers of Elk Hunter Magazine!

An Interview with Elk Hunter Magazine’s Photography Editor Tony Bynum

1. What do you like about elk hunting the most?

2. Do you prefer bowhunting or rifle hunting elk?

3. How do you personally prepare for an upcoming elk hunt?

4. What tips for preparing for an upcoming elk hunt can you give the elk hunter who maybe slides a little on their conditioning throughout the year but finds out they drew a good tag and wants to get fit for the hunt (say they have two months to prepare)?

5. On a typical elk hunt, what’s always in your backpack?

6. Do you have any tips for taking good elk photos and documenting the hunt? Can you recommend a couple of the best point-and-shoot cameras for the average hunter?

7. What do you like to do when you are not hunting?

8. What kind of movies do you like?

9. What is your favorite food?

10. Tell us something our readers would never guess about you?

11. Tell us about your business and your websites?

Read Tony’s responses…

“Time Capsule Project”

Stacy — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:25:12 +0000

Montana’s Public News Service released this thoughtful report on the Blackfeet Oil Drilling Project on February 13th. It’s encouraging to see this quality of coverage about Tony’s effort to document the changing landscape of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and the Rocky Mountain Front.

Time Capsule Project Under Way at Blackfeet Reservation

February 13, 2012

EAST GLACIER PARK, Mont. – An East Glacier Park scientist and professional photographer is on a mission. He wants to be sure there are plenty of “before” pictures on hand as the landscape, and people, change on the Blackfeet Reservation. And he is making his collections of photos and maps available for anyone to see at www.TonyBynum.com.

Blackfeet Indian Reservation Oil Drilling

Stacy — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:14:09 +0000

“Philip Anschutz is drilling on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation outside of Glacier National Park. Tony Bynum is documenting it.” Glacier National Park Travel Guide recently interviewed Tony about the oil drilling along the Rocky Mountain Front & Blackfeet Indian Reservation here. They posed these six questions to him:

What is your experiencing photographing Glacier National Park and the surrounding area?
Why photograph the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and the oil drilling now? What about this specific project inspired you to begin?
What were/are your goals behind documenting the oil drilling on the Blackfeet reservation?
Is there opposition to the drilling in the community? Who is the opposition? Who are the proponents?
Do you think there is any way for the drilling to be stopped? How much time do we have left to get the word out and prevent the spoiling of this landscape?
And a bonus question: What’s your favorite hike in Glacier?

Visit Glacier National Park Travel Guide’s website to read his responses and explore the great resources they have to offer.

How To Make Photographs that Sell – Just Do It!

Tony — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:31:46 +0000

Most of us create images that we like and we hope other’s like too. When we share a photograph on facebook, we often get a dozen “likes” and a few comments like, “I love it,” “you really have an eye,” “you have a gift,” these are all common and rewarding to artists, but how do you create images that sell? The answer for me is, you just do it. . . Let me explain.

Your photographs have to speak to people. By speak to them I mean they should help them have an experience, or feel something special in their heart or mind when they view it. The image must draw them into the scene, and cause them to think deeper. Over the past decade of producing wildlife, landscape, and outdoor commercial images for the travel and tourism industry, the outdoor commercial products industry, and editorial sector, I’ve learned something about what makes a salable photograph. But how did I create them?

My most successful images, and by success I mean in sales, have come about when I just let it all hang out. When I’m in the field, I’m exploring with my mind and soul. I find that I create the most compelling images when my purpose is to learn. Sure, I create images while on assignment, in which case there is always a theme or subject and therefore I have to create images that capture the essence of the project, but I find that I do my best work when I’m in my “zone.” When I’m just “freelancing” the environment around me. Whether I’m on an assignment in the middle of a rugged landscape shooting commercial products, or whether I’m shooting landscapes, or wildlife for my stock library, my best images come when my mind is clear and I’m exploring.

The key to exploring is to be open minded while still having purpose (I know this sounds like an oxymoron but it’s essential). My purpose is to learn more about the land and the people and critters who use it. I explore and learn first, then create images that I believe are compelling. I look for those places that have elements needed for a compelling photograph then I learn as much about the place as I can. It’s like hunting, you have to look, listen, smell, and most of all, pay attention. You have to be in tune with the place and to do that, your mind has to be free. You must be able to ignore the “noise” and focus on the subject.

Here’s an example. This image is pasted across the nation in magazines, on the sides of buses, elevator doors, billboards, skylights, and even entire store fronts in major cities like Chicago, Minneapolis and Seattle. It is being used to brand the state of Montana and it’s the cover of the 2012 Montana Guide.

the cover of the 2012 montana guide book

: Photograph of glacier national park on bus downtown Chicago.

To me it’s a magical image. I captured it while I was exploring a place I’ve been to 100 times! But my mind was open and clear and my purpose was to expose an image that could be used to show people the beauty of a place I cherish. I did not go there thinking, “I must come home with a great photograph.” Instead I went out thinking, “I want to really see what’s here.” Sounds a little philosophical I know, but give it a try.

glacier park bear grass, sun rise glacier national park, logan pass glacier park, going to the sun mountain glacier park, heavy runner mountain glacier park, (© tony bynum)

So the answer to how to create images that sell is, you dig deep, but not too deep, push hard, but not too hard, be aware and focused but not so focused that you ignore the big picture, and remember, keep your mind open, explore, and just do it. If you have questions or comments please share them! I’d love to get your feedback.

Tony

Montana Travel!

Stacy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:27:45 +0000

The Montana Official State Travel Site!

“MONTANA represents the untamed, the wild, the natural. Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks are starting points. Between the parks lie mountains that don’t have names yet, in ranges you’ve never heard of. Scattered in their valleys, you’ll find small towns full of friendly locals sharing the unexpected and even maybe their huckleberry pie. We invite you to explore the parks and all the places in between”

Can you find Tony’s photos on this website?

2012-2013 Montana Guidebook

The cover of this year’s Montana Guidebook is one of our favorite Montana images! It’s now available!

See the full image!

POMA Media Center – New Products 2012

Stacy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:15:18 +0000

Tony is currently a board member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA). POMA recently launched the POMA Media Center (PMC). This service will “provide significant added value to its Corporate Partners, freelance opportunities to its Media Members and establish an as-it-happens news service to for the outdoor industry and all media/communicators interested in providing online, outdoor recreation news.” Outdoor Hub, December 7, 2011.

The POMA Media Center service is utilizing the Outdoor Hub video platform which provides a “YouTube-like” platform. It is a video news service that reports outdoor industry news which will cover new products/technologies, industry/business, issues/legislative updates and much more.

Hungry Horse News – “Photographer’s eyes..”

Stacy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:25:53 +0000

Chris Peterson of Hungry Horse News interviewed Tony and another local businessman, Darrell Norman about the expanding oil infrastructure on the Blackfeet Indian reservation, the Rocky Mountain Front, and adjoining Glacier National Park. His article speaks to the impact on local people as they anticipate inevitable changes.

Photographer’s eyes on reservation oil rigs

CHRIS PETERSON Hungry Horse News

In 2009, the first new oil exploration on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation began, just a few miles from Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountain Front.

East Glacier photographer Tony Bynum was there to record the scene. Over the past two years, more well rigs have gone in, and roads have been carved across once vacant prairies.

Bynum continues to take his pictures. He charters flights to shoot the development from the air. He’s set up a Web site with an interactive map that shows well locations and photographs. To date, he’s spent about $15,000 of his own money on the project.

“The purpose is to give people a sense of the drilling and the proximity to Glacier National Park,” he said last week.

The Rockies Today Headline!

Stacy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:17:50 +0000

The Missoula Independent “Indy Blog” wrote a nice article about the Rocky Mountain Front Blackfeet Oil Drilling Documentation Project. Its been exciting to see the word about this important project spread. With thoughtful articles such as this we hope to build awareness and help people pay attention. We at Tony Bynum Photography appreciate the time and effort of all those involved with making this sort of coverage happen.

An illustrated guide to oil drilling on the Blackfeet Reservation

POSTED BY SKYLAR BROWNING ON TUE, JAN 31, 2012 AT 1:30 PM

The images that jump out the most show a drill pad located a half-mile from the new Browning High School, adjacent to residential homes and the Lodgepole Gallery and Tepee Village, and with Glacier National Park in the background. There’s an aerial shot that puts the proximity of the pad in perspective. Two on-the-ground photos put Glacier’s Summit and Littledog peaks firmly in the backdrop.

A Ski Photo Cover Shot with No Skier – it’s simple.

Tony — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:09:17 +0000

ski tracks across two medicine lake, glacier national park

This photograph was captured while working on a wolverine research project in Glacier National Park. The set of ski tracks, actually two sets of ski tracks – one over the top of the other – coming across the frozen Two Medicine Lake from a grand mountain landscape, was captured on the last day of our three-day winter back country expedition. It also landed on the cover of the January/February 2012 issue of Montana Magazine, one of my favorite Montana specific publications. So what is it about this photograph that landed it on the cover of Montana’s most popular magazine? The answer is simple…and it, the photograph, is simple. Let me explain in more detail why I think the photographs works. First and foremost is the composition. The tracks lead the eye into the vanishing point where you pick up the bulging base of Rising Wolf Mountain in Glacier National Park, but it follows the Dry Creek Valley and on up to the title “MONTANA” – some would argue it’s the other way around, from the title to the ski tracks, but I won’t get into that. The title anchors the ski tracks, almost compressing the photo, thereby drawing you into the image as if you could fall into it. The sky is open and blue, something I have found over the years to be particularly important to photo editors for a clean masthead. Second, contrast and tone. The deep contrast is found between the white snow and the dark, almost black, forest shadows caused in part by the sun angle. Together with the middle tone sky, the contrast and tone all work together to help balance the image. Finally, the photograph lacks an often important element to editorial photography…the presence of a human. I think this photograph works better for that reason by making the viewer ask were the skiers coming or going, and where are they now? Sometimes you don’t have to have every element in a photograph to make it work, sometimes less is more. The primary reason I took the photo was I wanted a photograph to help remind me of our epic, 25-mile mid-winter ski expedition deep into the heart of Glacier National Park. But I also wanted to show the world what Glacier Park looks like in winter. I hope I succeeded. I’ll add this photograph for fun. It was taken on the same trip, and it should have its own story, but for now let’s just say that it felt strange packing two deer legs into Grizzly Bear Country. It was the dead of Winter…so thank goodness the bears were sleeping!

tony bynum standing near a grizzly bear sign in glacier national park with two deer legs in his backpack

I’d like to thank the folks at Montana Magazine for continuing to use me for assignments and for digging into my stock and supporting a freelance outdoor adventure, nature and wildlife photographer! Tony

Prairie Mary

Tony — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:18:41 +0000

An amazing blogger, “Prairie Mary“, recently met and found much common ground in their conversation. Prairie Mary writes an amazing 1000 words per day about a huge array of topics. In this particular post she covers Tony Bynum Photography, Glacier Impressions Gallery, Tony’s interest in the oil development on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, his community involvement, his lifestyle, and his personality.

This blog post stands alone. Prairie Mary is a must read.