Flowers in Glacier National Park
Two Medicines Lake, Glacier National Park, MT
Clouds, Color, and Clarity:
Everywhere I go, I’m looking for a spot that will encapsulate in one image or view all the elements of a region. When hiking or walking in a place like Glacier, it’s easy to feel a constant sense of ah. Often, beautiful places, such as this have incredible shock value. However, when it comes time to put all the elements into a single image, it can be quite challenging.
On the day of this image, we woke up to another beautiful clear sky and started our drive. As we got closer to the park, these clouds began to form. By the time we got to the Two Medicine Lake area I had just about lost my mind it was so beautiful. I talk a lot about scouting and being prepared. Returning to locations repeatedly until the conditions are just right. And then there are days like this, where you just get lucky!
This picture has everything. It was my glacier experience in one spot. The mountains and lake, combined with green everywhere, interspersed with an abundance of wildflowers. On this day, the wind that brought the clouds in also created a real challenge in photographing wildflowers on the side of a hill. That same wind was blowing them around like crazy. After many attempts, it became obvious that it truly represented this day. I would incorporate both perfectly still flowers mixed with subtle motion.
As we left this view, there was no doubt in my mind about what I had. An image that incorporated the dramatic grandeur of the mountains and the lakes balanced with the delicate beauty of flowers. The rest of the day had us counting large numbers of different flowers while hiking past lakes and into mountains. (Also, poor Emily having to listen to me, rave about the clouds.) It was extra special knowing all the pieces I just mentioned had revealed themselves to me in one spot for the creation of a special image.