“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”    ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Well, look what's happened.  It's summer again in Montana, and time for all manner of fun, excitement and enjoyment under the Big Sky. Can't you just feel it? We've been here a long time, but still have not explored all of nature's nooks and crannies, attended every possible fest or festivity, savored the same sunrise or sunset. And, every time you think you just might have done enough, seen enough, experienced enough, something new and surprising will grab your attention, and off you go...on another "distinctly" Montana adventure.

We don't want to suggest that the possibilities are endless (though they just might be); but what does seem endless is the obvious joy we find in happy faces, spirited hoots-and-hollers, trail-weary grins, and the very human radiance of appreciation or accomplishment. The best part of a Montana summer is often the unexpected act or encounter that you carry with you for years to come--topping-out on a mountain, roaring down a river, spotting an eagle or grizzly bear, a campfire serenade, a magnificent vista--something that breaks free inside you and frees you from your everyday self.

So, yes, this place called Montana is big enough and wonderful enough to meet all your needs, whatever the season of your life.It just so happens that summer offers the best opportunity to "steer yourself in any direction you choose."  

And just what are you waiting for...Adventure? Inspiration? Spirit?  We have it all, so off you go!
 

 Bill Muhlenfeld is owner and publisher of Distinctly Montana magazine and other publications. He lives in Bozeman with his wife and co-owner, Anthea George, and always finds time to enjoy the great outdoors, when he is not writing about it...

A sleeping animal naturally invokes feelings of tenderness. We rarely see unknown or wild animals sleeping. Our house pets and pasture friends know us to be allies that would do them no harm, thus allowing us to this intimacy. But our mere presence stirs wild animals to alertness and prevents them from the total relaxation required to let their minds turn off and enter the other whelm that sleep induces.
 

Our web camera and infrared light give us a special glimpse into the world of the two beautiful ospreys that occupy the Dunrovin nest. It is a privilege to catch them at their most vulnerable, to stealthy watch as their chests and feathers silently rise and fall with each unhurried, rhythmic breath.
 

My own midnight stirring recently took me from by bed to casually check on Harriet with the camera. They she was with rain drops neatly formed on her feathers, totally at peace, keeping her two eggs snug and warm under her body as she slept. I could not help but wonder what images drifted through her mind and what strange osprey stories formed in her dream world. In many ways, her last few nights of incubating her eggs are much like the final days of a woman’s pregnancy. The calm before the storm of caring for young ensues. Does she know this? Does she await the events that are soon to take place? How can we think that she would not understand and anticipate the hatching of her eggs, the caring of her chicks, and the struggles that will soon engulf both her and Hal as they strive to feed and teach their young.
 

If I have learned anything from watching these ospreys so closely for the last five years, it is that the life of an osprey is no less complex, no less paradoxical, and no less a jumble of nature and nurture threads that would be impossible to unravel than is our own human existence. They are a marvel to be studied, and ultimately to be revered. They pull us into the fabric of our own primal selves and remind us from whence we came and who we are. Our sleep is not less rhythmic than theirs. We are no less vulnerable. We are no less vigilant in the presence of the unknown. We are made from the same organic molecules, seek the same necessities of life, and rejoice in the same accomplishments of raising our families. We are as one with the ospreys.

 SuzAnne Miller is the owner of Dunrovin Ranch. A fourth-generation Montanan, SuzAnne grew  up roaming the mountains and fishing the streams of western Montana. Her love of nature,  animals, science, and education prompted her to create the world’s first cyber ranch where live  web cameras bring Dunrovin’s wildlife and ranch life to internet users across the globe. 

You can find her blog at: http://dunrovinranchmontana.com/blog/

The apple tree in my yard is probably more than 100 years old. When we moved into our home in 1976 she still produced a health crop of fruit. My daughter had a rope swing that hung from a branch that’s now dead and cut away.  A year or so ago, a friend encouraged me to stop cutting off the dead branches and so now Grandmother Apple is both living and green and gnarled, old, dead and dying wood. 

She’s beautiful, one of the most powerful presences in our yard. 

Many of us respond to trees, both as individuals — my apple — and groups, say a grove of aspen.  And that’s the basis of photographing trees. Portraiture vs. group shots, and where to best focus in order to evoke the personality of the tree or group of trees you are photographing. 

I didn’t know until just a very few years ago about the giant Larch around Seely Lake or the Ross Creek Cedars. I have tried several times now to capture the essence of those spectacular trees. More simple to photograph are the twisted juniper and limber pine around Mammoth Hot Springs shaped by wind and snow and eons into vivid individual personalities. 

Bottom line? Trees are a favorite photographic subject for me and I’m generally not satisfied with the results of my efforts. So I asked the staff at F-11 Photographic Supplies for some tips; 

• Rain or wet snow brings out rich vibrant colors in the leaves.  Shooting after rain or when it’s cloudy gives the absolute best saturation.
   
• Shoot in the evening or in shade to get warm, pleasing color, or use sun beams coming from behind the leaves to back light them. In bright sun, use a polarizer.
   
• Shoot close up to capture the rain, dew, patterns or little leaves. Not so much macro as capturing the subject.
   
• Shooting very close with shallow depth of field allows leaves and branches wrapped in front and behind your chosen tree-part to create a soft, blurry background,  Try to single out just a few leaves or blossoms that create an interesting composition and grab the eye; frame tight so the image isn't too busy. 
   
• Single out a cluster of blossoms or leaves against blue sky backdrop.  Choose a cluster that is shaded or in soft light.
   
• Capture the detail of gnarled tree trunks or dead stumps and branches. They can be vivid subjects for black and white photographs.
   
• Focus on compelling detail. Old trees often host colorful communities of moss or lichen that can create dynamic abstract shots.  

My favorite tree shots are probably those where snow has outlined a trunk, or where two trees are wrapped in an embrace. I am fascinated by trees that grow in unlikely places, like pines that have rooted in cliff faces or boulders. Or those that have been profoundly shaped by extreme weather: I found one once that actually had bent completely back to the ground, forming a perfect arch. 

Experiment. Play. Take your favorite shots, duplicate them, and try various approaches to editing. Those will help teach you what you want to do the next time you and your camera take a stroll.  If you stroll with a smartphone, explore apps like “Northwest & Rocky Mountain Trees and Shrubs” and get to know more about your tree neighbors.

For the ultimate in tree photography, take your favorite tree shots and . . . print to wood. Wood’s grain/inherent texture might bring just the perfect character to your tree photos.

Jenna Caplette migrated from California to Montana in the early 1970s, first living on the Crow Indian reservation, then moving to Bozeman where she owned a downtown retail anchor for eighteen years. These days she owns Bozeman BodyTalk & Energetic Healthcare, hosts a monthly movie night, teaches and writes about many topics.