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