To prepare for this trip, David and I spent a small fortune in Mountain Warehouse buying clothes and protective gear.  Aside from ski jackets and salopettes, thermals, silk gloves to go under our ski gloves, balaclavas, snow boots rated to minus 40, ski socks, shoe spikes, walking sticks, hand and foot warmers were an absolute must.  To combat camera and battery fade, we invested in a couple of triple layered camera covers where the inner layer was made from fleece material and had a small pocket for a single use heat pad.

Our trip to the US was made up of two parts – a week long photographic session at Animals of Montana followed by a week in Yellowstone.

We arrived at Animals of Montana at 8am to be warmly greeted by Troy and Tracy Hyde.  After Troy had taken us through the “do’s and don’ts” of working with  his animals in an enclosure-free environment, we headed out to photograph our first animal.

I could barely breathe as Charlie the Mountain Lion walked towards us.

As much as I love Viktoria and Valentina, the Mountain Lions of WHF, it is Charlie who has taught me to appreciate this wonderful species.

This is Bob the Bobcat.  I hadn’t expected to fall in love with the Bobcat but they really are something special.

Bob was so wonderfully photogenic that it was virtually impossible to take a bad photo of him.

Pyrenees, the Siberian Lynx, complete with his winter coat.

The snow served to really show off his pelt and tufty ears.

Thanks to Troy and Tracy, my dream to photograph a Siberian Lynx in its winter coat had now been fulfilled.

Mekong, the magnificent Snow Leopard.

I felt like I should feel nervous as this enormous Snow Leopard ran straight towards me, but I didn’t.  Just look at that amazing tail!

Photographing a Snow Leopard in the snow…. another dream fulfilled.

After lunch, we headed back out to meet Tokola, the Black Fox.

I’ve never seen a Black Fox before so meeting Tokola was a real treat.

Check out Angie’s back paws….

Angie is a Canadian Lynx with the sweetest temperament.

The snow was coming down heavier now but for me, this just served to make the experience even better.

Our last animal of the day was Sonic the American Badger.

This little critter was such a character! He just didn’t stop talking, nor would he walk where he was supposed to, much to Benny’s chagrin.  We didn’t mind though as it kept us amused!

I would like to end this blog post by thanking the lovely Frances Day for her recommendation of the silk gloves.  I had been concerned that my hands would get cold when I was forced to remove my ski gloves in order to operate my camera properly. However, the silk gloves proved to be a real relevation in keeping my hands warm whilst still allowing me to use my camera, so thank you Frances!

Recently I had the privilege of photographing wildlife at Animals of Montana which is a game farm run by Troy and Tracy Hyde.
Troy trains animals to “perform” in movies and for professional photographers. Up to this point, all my animals had been photographed in the wild, so I was a little apprehensive about how a shoot with captive animals would go.   I need not have worried, because Troy’s animals are well kept and amazingly responsive to his control.   Almost all published photos of wolves and mountain lions and other shy creatures of the wild have been photographed in places like Animals of Montana. What worried me most was that my photos would all look posed, but Troy’s animals are allowed to run free in wild settings or in huge temporary enclosures. At the same time, they are repeatedly brought back into camera range by Troy and his excellent staff.

The result of all this is, that, although you have animals in camera range, it is still up to you to react to animals behaving naturally and to be ready to capture the definitive moments. It is definitely a challenge, but also very rewarding, because many of the photos I got could not be duplicated in the wild even with years of effort.  If you are a professional wildlife photographer, or someone who simply enjoys photographing animals for the sheer wonder of them, I couldn’t recommend any place more highly than Animals of Montana. Check out their website when you have time at:   http://www.animalsofmontana.com/about-us/.

Feel free to visit Dennis’s website at:  www.dennisfast.com.

Normally a Montana winter begins in November and goes through March. Old Man Winter didn’t reach us until late January and we had our absolute best snowfall in February. January is normally the best time for photographing our animal actors in the snow. The most desired animals to photograph are Mountain Lion, Bobcat, Lynx, Tiger, Wolves and Grizzly. Envision a Mountain Lion running straight at camera through a virgin snow covered field. The photography opportunities with our animal actors during the winter months are endless!
We are in the early stages of planning a tour to an “Ice Castle“!    Simply amazing ice formations with a Cat posed amongst the glistening pillars, the light reflecting just perfectly. Stay tuned for a Winter Photography Tour with our Animal Actors to the Ice Castles!  Take a peek at their website www.icecastles.com and let us know what you think of this NEW Photo Opportunity!  animals@animalsofmontana.com.

John Wright led a group tour to Animals of Montana this Winter!   Here’s a glimpse of what John had to say about his experience along with a collection of shots that he captured during his visit. To join John on a tour to Animals of Montana please contact him at john@photographersonsafari.com.  

With your visit to Animals of Montana you will be made to feel most welcome.  Troy & Tracy just can’t do enough for you. The photographic opportunities are truly AWESOME, and Troy has that uncanny knack of knowing exactly when and where the sun is likely to pop up at each location. He does not take photographs himself, but has learned over the years exactly what it takes to provide that really special shot. He will not only put your subjects in a wonderful location, but will also put you, the photographer, in the best position to capture your image. You will leave this venue with a collection of photographs that would have taken a large part of your lifetime to get in the wild. It would be wrong, maybe, not to admit how you got these unbelievable images -but the locations are so special that nobody would know that you had not taken your pictures in the wild. This venue has been a professional photographer’s secret for many years. Now you have the opportunity to take those stunning “professional quality images” yourself, and you do not need fancy equipment either. All my photos have been taken with a wide angle lens or a 70-200 mm zoom -nothing bigger.  My advice to anybody thinking of a visit to Animals of Montana is to stop thinking about it and just book it. I have already booked another week for next year.  http://www.photographersonsafari.com/. 

 

Moab, Red Rock Tour

This past autumn I had the opportunity to visit with Troy and Tracy Hyde, owners of Animals of Montana at their location in the mountains North of Bozeman, Montana. They offer an opportunity to photograph a variety of wildlife with handlers in natural settings. They have beautiful animals and a photographic experience …difficult to imagine until you review your images.  Nestled high in the mountain country, they offer cats that could only be photographed in these settings on Safari; and Bears, Mountain Lions, Wolves and smaller mammals, all at a convenient location for those travelling West to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons or Glacier. Although I have been quite lucky with photographing wildlife on my trips through the National Parks, often I come home with very little to show for my efforts. Grizzlies and Mountain Lions are difficult to find, and rarely even seen, much less photographed in the wild. Their convenient location and their tours offer an exciting experience and an opportunity to add wildlife images to your portfolio you otherwise may never have. Visit their website at http://www.animalsofmontana.com/ for additional information, videos and photographs.
By: Richard Strange

Photographing Mountain Lion in Moab, Utah!

Animals of Montana (AoM) provides a highly valued service not only to Nature Photographers and the film/advertising industry, but also to the animals. Most of the animals in the loving care of Troy and Tracy Hyde would not be alive were they in the wild. This is a fact. Over the half dozen years photographing with Troy I have increased my portfolio of large and small animals exponentially in a very short period of time and at an affordable price. The most productive shooting is experienced when capturing the animals in a habitat specific to the species. However, the most fun is sharing this experience with friends and family, not only in photographs, but also in person. I recently shared a winter shoot with a friend who had not photographed large mammals.  He shared with me that the experience was so overwhelming as to feel as if he were in an extreme state of profound astonishment, often watching the animals rather than photographing. Having worked with multiple companies who offer similar services, none provide the high level of success when shooting, and it is apparent that these animals are enjoying their role. I am unable to say this about other companies. I am grateful for the services offered by AoM. -S. Collins, Nature Photographer-

It is not only the positive feedback, but also the negative that makes our business thrive and grow!   We cherish the relationships we develop with each and every person that walks through our door! 

Take the opportunity to photograph cooperative and well trained predators, big and small, in their very best physical conditions, together with experienced and imaginative animal trainers and tour guides- all set in the Montana mountain autumn environment. This fall wildlife tour will feature four animals per day in unique, natural settings for three days along with a weather day or optional fourth shooting day (fees extra). Animals such as cougar, wolf, lynx, grizzly and bobcat together with lion, fisher and raccoon will pose and behave for your camera.

Join Don Johnston- an experienced wildlife and nature pro photographer in a small group setting to learn, share and experience action animal photography at its best. This tour is suitable for all levels of wildlife photography experience, amateur and professional alike.

Don is an Animals of Montana veteran with over twenty five years experience as an outdoor photographer and thirty years experience as a teacher and naturalist. He has been widely published in calendars, magazines and other media. To see more examples of his A of M photography, visit his website and browse the Mammals Galleries or Search for ‘Bozeman Cougar’, ‘autumn wolves, etc. Alternatively, you may visit Don’s Blog which contains a selection of Animals of Montana images. 

Cost for this fantastic photo experience is only 1195.00 per person. Lodging, transportation and meals are extra. There is a limit of 8 participants. The sessions are designed for still photography only, video fees are extra.

F.Y.I. Bozeman is about two hours from Gardiner Montana, which gives a visitor access to Yellowstone National Park. Most park roads should still be open. To register and reserve a place, please contact Don at info@donjohnstonphotos.com or Tracy at animals@animalsofmontana.com

Over two decades ago when Animals of Montana opened their doors everyone was shooting film. It was an expensive endeavor and the downfall – you never knew if you had the shot until the film was processed. If your exposure, timing and composition was the slightest bit off, you were just simply out of luck. With the introduction of digital, photographers and filmmakers can review their shots seconds after taking them and make any necessary adjustments. When photographing our animal actors, the biggest issue isn’t missing the perfect shot, it’s running out of camera cards or space! For instance, a one hour long session with our Grizzly Bear can use up to 10-35 GB of space!  It’s important to always have extra cards on hand when filming our wildlife models!

A Couple of Handy Tips:

Purchase the fastest class cards you can and bring plenty of them. Slower cards take longer to buffer and you don’t want to miss a great shot because your camera can’t write to the card fast enough to empty the buffer in time.

In the midst of your animal session, make it a habit to never look up when you are changing cards. You never want to see the great shots you are missing.

 **Stay informed by following us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter!

**Join us on one of our upcoming Wildlife Photography Tours!  Only one space available on our Rocky Mountain High Snow Leopard Helicopter Tour, and just a couple spaces open on our Moab, Red Rock Country Tour!

***Contact Tracy - Tracy@animalsofmontana.com for more information!***

Our day begins at 6 am, gearing up for the second day of photographing with the Photographers on Safari Group.  The sky is clear and looks like it’s going to be a gorgeous day for photographing!  Sunrise is 7:54 am, but for our filming locations it will be a bit later, as the sun has to rise above the hills that surround us.  Our photography crew of 8 arrives at 8 am sharp for fresh muffins, coffee and tea, gearing up for a great day of photography with our animal actors.

 The first animal of the day is our Specialized Wolf, “Tundra” who is trained to a mark and will stare right down the barrel of your camera. 

Tundra is photographed for approximately one hour and then we move onto photographing a pack of wolves, running right at camera! 

Next we move onto an hour long session with our infamous Siberian Tiger, Texaco.  

As with all shoots, before the session begins Troy, our head animal trainer goes over the “do’s and dont’s” of working with the Tiger.  Our Tiger is trained to run right at camera, pose nicely for portraits, so well behaved that photographers can lay down just feet from him to photograph at his eye level! 

The snow was very crunchy and hard so he preferred not to run so much, but a fast trot suited him much better, much easier on his paws. 

After this session finishes up, it’s time for lunch!   During the short break, we ask the photographers how the morning photography sessions went…by a landslide, the reply was two words…“simply brilliant”.

After an hour long lunch, it’s now time to start the afternoon photography sessions with our wildlife models.  On board first is “Griz” our 7 year old Grizzly Bear.  “Griz” performs nicely as Troy asks him to snarl, sit, leg and several other behaviors, just feet in front of the photographers.  The photographers are able to move around to get different angles and shots they desire.  After about 15 minutes of working with him we move onto photographing TWO Grizzlies.  “Yosemite”, Griz’s brother is added to the session for great interaction shots – play fighting, wrestling, chasing and standing on their hind legs!  It’s an experience that takes your breath away. 

Finally to wrap up our day, it’s time to photograph the Red Fox.  He’s loaded up and we head off to a different location to film “Red”.   With photographers in position, Red is released against a rocky ledge with snow all around.  He immediately settles in, and then begins to dig in the snow, periodically looking up to the noise of the camera’s clicking!  After he’s bored with the digging he settles into the hole he constructed and gives great intense looks with his luscious tail wrapped just perfectly in front of him.

The day is concluded with the group gathering together for a good laugh and discussion of what animals will be photographed tomorrow and then it’s off to start the downloading and editing of the thousands of images gathered from the day!  Looking forward to it all starting over again tomorrow, with a new agenda of photographing at Animals of Montana!