Happy Holidays from Gerald Blank

Today I wish all my readers a blessed and Merry Christmas!

I wanted to share a couple of images that I will always remember as “Christmasy”. I woke up one morning in North Dakota to find that a heavy fog had encompassed the Missouri River valley for miles around.

The aftermath of a cold foggy night is normally a morning with heavy frost. So I grabbed my camera and headed towards Glass Bluff via McKenzie County Road 16. The frost was everywhere; sparkling crystals covering wire fences, powerlines, grass, and trees...as if the Creator wanted to show us country folks a glimpse of the beauty of the Universe.

Glass Bluff is a rugged hilly area overlooking the Missouri River near its confluence with the Yellowstone River. The cedars and the other trees covering the hillsides looked amazing, especially when viewed up close.

I have shared two of the images I captured, but the the image detail doesn’t do justice to the magic I witnessed that cold winter morning. I hope you enjoy viewing them!

Best wishes, Gerald Blank

Evening in Bozeman, Montana

I lived in Bozeman for a couple of years, and captured most of my images of Montana at that time. This photo is a view looking down at the town and across the Gallatin Valley from the Story Hills trail.

This particular evening was in late August in 2009, and the hike up the trail was pleasant and cool. While I was waiting for sunset, I moved my tripod and camera a bunch of times, trying to get the perfect vantage point. Then the sun set, and I went to work until the glow faded from the evening sky.

It took over a dozen individual images, stitched together in Photoshop, to create this panoramic view. You can view a larger version by clicking here.

—Gerald Blank

Winter in North Dakota

Sometimes I miss North Dakota because I no longer see views like this one, captured in the early morning after a night of heavy fog.

You can see this image at http://geraldblank.smugmug.com/Landscapes/North-Dakota-Scenery/20425952_L7nF9w#1627752929_XBv84qW as well as the other wintry shots I captured.

There is an interesting story about how I came across this scenery that morning. If you want to read it, visit http://gblankimagery.com/journey09.html.

—Gerald Blank