HAPPY NEW YEAR RAZZLE DAZZLE

 Well, another year has flown by, they really do go quicker the older you get. It's been a happy year and it's been a sad year. I lost my beloved Lakota Sunrise in February. Shortly there after I found a new joy in little Miss Molly Montana. I have much to be grateful for; I live where I want, in the wilds of Montana. I do what I want, chase the wonders of nature with my camera. All in all it doesn't get much better than this. If 2014 can be just as good as 2013 I will be a happy camper.

"Razzle Dazzle", the above image, was taken at Yellowstone National Park. It's one of the many geyser pools you can find there. What makes this image so special is the light. It looks like something from a fairy tale. Shooting rays maybe illuminating the way to a pot of gold or some other treasure? Just being present for this moment is treasure enough for me.

As 2013 fades into history I wish one and all a Happy New Year full of Razzle Dazzle!

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©Kinsey Barnard

WINTER GATHERING - A CHRISTMAS CARD

"WINTER GATHERING" is to me a Christmas card. Here at the ranch I feel as though I live in a Hallmark card, particularly in winter. This image is a perfect example.

It was just after a fresh fallen snow and I was slogging through my forest just looking to see what I could find. A forest is a living breathing thing and it is never the same from one day to the next. Even though you often can't see it, the forest is always in motion, always changing. My thrill is looking for the more subtle, often overlooked changes.

As I was pushing through the snow I looked up and the image you see is what I saw. Nothing subtle about this. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. A band of mule deer does and their babies, one in repose, the others standing watch. You can see they are aware of my presence but seem to sense I was no danger to them. They looked right at me and we connected in peace an harmony.

At moments such as this I am lucky to even get an image. The pure beauty and simplicity envelopes me in such exquisite emotion I am nearly powerless to do anything but absorb it. In this case I was able to get a hold of myself and take the photograph. I'm sure glad I did.

So, this is my Christmas card to my clients and friends, my extended family and anyone who may stumble upon on this site. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.

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Kinsey Barnard

KEEP ME CLOSE

It's the holidays and if ever there was a time to become maudlin this is it.

The above image is of a Big Horn ewe and her baby enjoying the warm sun, high up in the craggy peaks of Japser National Park. If you've not been, Jasper is a wonder. It is my favorite of the parks in Alberta. The opportunities to see wildlife are just the best.

For me, this photograph is the embodiment of the love between mother and child. I lost my mother in 2002. That was when I lost her physical presence. I had really lost her several years earlier to Alzheimer's. My mother was my best friend. We shared a wit and humor that I've not known with anyone else. She used to love to listen to stories of my adventures. I wish I had asked more questions about hers. I now have so many questions that will never be answered.

I was her youngest child. I think there is a special bond between a mother an her youngest. There certainly was between us. Until the day she died she was able to recognize me as her "baby". Despite the Alzheimer's she would sometimes reach up, hold my face in her hands and with all the love in the world say "You are my baby". If that's not proof love can transcend just about anything I don't know what is.

When I look at this photograph I don't see a Big Horn with her baby. I see my mother and I and I whisper softly"Mama,  Keep Me Close".

I will be using this blog to introduce "new" images , along with stories and musings to go with them. I will also revisit some of my favorites. If you're interested you can subscribe by e-mail. There is a box top right for the purpose.  Not to worry, I never see the addresses nor know who has subscribed. I value your privacy as much as my own. Enjoy!

©Kinsey Barnard

TWO MEDICINE

On the way to Two Medicine, in Glacier National Park, visitors have the opportunity to stop and visit Running Eagle Falls on Two Medicine River. It’s a very beautiful waterfall.

The waterfall was named for a great Blackfoot warrior woman and her name was Running Eagle (Pitamikan) of the Peigan tribe. It is said that she went to this sacred waterfall for her vision quest.  It is also said that when she was killed, leading a raid against the Flatheads near Sun River, she was brought home and laid to rest in a tree overlooking the falls.

Millions of photographs have no doubt been taken of the waterfall but I saw something else of equal beauty. I took this photograph of Two Medicine River just below the falls. I was captivated by the place and marveled at the colorful river rocks beneath the crystal clear running water. Such beauty is surely good medicine for the soul. Listen closely and you can hear the water flowing and just maybe you will hear the warrior spirit within.

I will be using this blog to introduce "new" images , along with stories and musings to go with them. I will also revisit some of my favorites. If you're interested you can subscribe by e-mail. There is a box top right for the purpose.  Not to worry, I never see the addresses nor know who has subscribed. I value your privacy as much as my own. Enjoy!


©Kinsey Barnard

FIFTY-FIFTY

As I prepare this post it is -3 degrees outside. The forecast high is for zero. Molly is none to eager to go out and neither am I. She doesn't do boredom well. I shall be up and down more than once to rescue a shoe, boot or piece of kindling before I am finished here.

Under the circumstances I suppose it would be more appropriate to choose a photograph from my "The Beauty of Ice" collection but this image, for some reason, struck my fancy instead. I call it "FIFTY FIFTY" because half of it looks like a photograph whilst the other looks like a painting. To my eye it creates a wonderful contrast.

One of the things that so infatuates me about what I do is that often the images I am able to present I really never saw coming.  I wish I could say I was so clever but it would be untrue. Often, I only truly become aware once the images are downloaded. The camera is the clever one. It can bring life to a screeching halt and show the eye things it would never be able to register on it's own. It's quite exciting.

On an emotional level, this image moves me Fifty-Fifty. It makes me happy and sad. Crystal clear water like this is the way Mother Nature intended it to be. Here at the ranch I have a beautiful creek. Any time I want I can lie down on my belly and drink right from it. That simple act is so very precious to me. It's an honor and a privileged very few on our planet will ever experience. How sad is that?

Pinkham Creek, Kootenai National Forest, NW Montana

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©Kinsey Barnard

GRAND CANYON

When winter arrives in Montana things come to a screeching halt. Spring through fall we scurry around like squirrels gathering our nuts. Yesterday winter storm Cleon passed by and dropped a half foot of snow. Now the temperatures are dropping like a rock. We will be in negative territory very soon. Outdoor activities are not high on my to do list unless it's plowing, shoveling and bringing in the fire wood. I have no choice when it comes to chores.

I don't know what other people do during the long dark Montana winters but I go mining. I dig for images that I might have missed the first time round. It occupies a great deal of time and is quite exciting when I make a discovery. It's also pleasant remembering the shoot. This year my prospecting is going to be kind of sad too. I lost my beloved Lakota Sunrise this year and until his passing he was with me every step of the way. I remember so clearly the two of us standing on the overlook at this canyon. I miss you boy.

As Cleon was doing her thing yesterday, I was warm and toasty toiling away in my image mine. Is Cleon a feminine name? I don't believe I've ever heard the name before.

I think my day's drilling paid off. I discovered the "GRAND CANYON".  This isn't "the" Grand Canyon it is Yellowstone's Grand Canyon. If you haven't seen it, I think this image dramatically captures it's stunning beauty. It may not be "the" Grand Canyon but it's one hell of a beautiful canyon.

I will be using this blog to introduce "new" images, along with stories and musings to go with them. If you're interested you can subscribe by e-mail. There is a box top right for the purpose.  Don't worry. I never see the addresses or even know who has subscribed.

©Kinsey Barnard

DANCING HOAR

This image was taken at Dancing Deer Ranch in NW Montana Thanksgiving day 2013. The name "Dancing Hoar" is me fooling around with word play. Something I enjoy very much.

It was 20 degrees outside and what you see in the photograph are aspen trunks surrounded by scrub brush covered in lacy ice crystals. This is what is known as hoar frost. It is pronounced "whore". I often have no idea where the ideas for titles come from. They just pop into my head, for better or worse. For those who may not know, hoar frost develops when the temperatures are below freezing and the moisture content of the air is very high. The effect is very magical.

The image is naturally black and white with just a tinge of brownish orange which is provided by the fallen aspen leaves on the forest floor, a lovely effect.

The joy such natural beauty brings to me and the privilege of living virtually within it is what I was giving thanks for this day. Later I gave thanks for the T-Bone steak I BBQ'd and the Bombay Sapphire I sipped.

I also gave thanks for my new photographer's assistant Miss Molly Montana.

Photographer's assistant Molly Montana

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©Kinsey Barnard