Photographers and filmmakers can be the only connection some people have with nature. The way we see and document wildlife, on social media or otherwise, has at least some effect on how potential viewers will portray them. Bears are often seen as cute and cuddly, but can this make them seem less dangerous than they really are? There is no denying bears are playful, just like any animal can be. There’s nothing wrong with seeing them as they are, but you’ve got to have the common sense to realize and respect their power.
Many people visiting Yellowstone seem to have zero fear of bears. Do they have any idea what would happen if a grizzly bear, or even a black bear, decided to charge them? That would be quite the shot to get on your iPad, but ultimately it would not end well. There has already been one instance this season of a man following a grizzly bear into the woods with his iPad. By some miracle, he wasn’t mauled, but he was ticketed by a ranger.
I watched several photographers scurry down a hill to get a closer shot of a mother grizzly bear with three cubs in May. If you’re nearing the retirement age, I don’t think you and your twenty pounds of camera gear are going to make it back up that hill when mama bear decides to charge. In fact, I watched someone slip and fall just trying to make it back up the hill, after the bears were gone.
It’s nearly impossible to make a bear cub look like anything but the cutest thing in the world. A one month old cub probably couldn’t maul anybody, but its mother certainly can.
I think common sense should ensure people have the ability to see something as cute, yet still know it can be dangerous as well. That’s a healthy appreciation and respect of the animal. Common sense is lacking in today’s world, so what can you do? These animals aren’t domesticated. They are wild, dangerous, and struggling to survive. If you get in their way, they can quickly render you no longer a threat.
Making a bear appear scary and threatening isn’t hard. They’re huge animals, and when they’re next to something you can relate to, you can see just how big they really are. The bear below is the same mother of the three cubs above, but it’s not so “cute” anymore huh?
What do you think? How would you prefer to see bears portrayed? Leave a comment below or on Facebook!
At some point during my college years in Georgia, I decided that I wanted to live out west after graduating. I heard about the Yellowstone area from several people. I listened to stories about the great scenery, wildlife, and endless outdoor pursuits. Nobody around me knew this idea of mine, and they wouldn’t know until a few months before my actual move.
For as long as I can remember, I have been an active outdoorsman with a strong passion for fishing and photography. Growing up just outside of Atlanta, most of my outdoor activities involved just being outside. A couple times a year, we might have gone to the mountains of north Georgia or Daytona Beach in Florida.
Sunset in the Gallatin Mountain range of Yellowstone
With college came much more freedom, and the ability to travel by myself. I frequently visited places like the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, different beaches in Florida, or just around my backyard. This new ability to travel must have inspired the idea of expanding my explorations into the western states.
Once I was certain that was what I wanted to do, I started my research. I applied to several different jobs, only to find they wanted someone who was already there. I was prepared to move without a job lined up, living with a friend until I could find work. I finally came across a position that would allow me to live and work inside Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. They often hire students and graduates from around the country and around the world. Within a couple weeks, I was hired and ready to start working that May.
The Teton Mountain range from Oxbow Bend. Grand Teton National Park. (Click the image to order a print)
I don’t recall much fear, anxiety, or anything that would stop someone from following their dream. I just did it. People ask if I miss Georgia, and until you’ve actually been out west, you might not understand there’s not much to miss. The city life might be for some people, but I do not miss the traffic, I do not miss the crowds, and I certainly do not miss the muggy southern weather!
I graduated on a Saturday, and I was on the road by Sunday. By Tuesday, I was passing through the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. I spent two days there, exploring my now favorite park, before heading through the south entrance and into Grand Teton. I started working later that week, and I stayed at that job for a couple of months.
Working there exposed me to so much. I saw wildlife that some people only dream of (see bears below), met people from around the world, and learned what true wilderness was. I have learned to be fearful and respectful of nature, because if you slip up, it could cost you your life.
Grizzly bears in Grand Teton National Park.
I discovered that the living conditions and the lifestyle of seasonal work wasn’t what I wanted, so I moved on. I worked in Big Sky, Montana for another couple of months before settling on my current job in West Yellowstone, Montana. West Yellowstone is a small town at the west entrance to the world’s first national park. I’ve been here for well over a year now, working year round and full time. Seasonal work is relatively easy to find, but few find a permanent job they can enjoy here.
Today, I spend much of my free time exploring Yellowstone, and the seemingly endless wilderness that surrounds it. There is so much of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming that I have yet to explore. On my days off, I’m pursuing another dream of becoming a full time landscape and wildlife photographer. My passion for fly fishing goes hand in hand with photography. I enjoy nature at its best. I prefer to travel alone, and be in quiet places. It’s not often that I’m found in a crowd of photographers and tourists watching a bear or moose. I’ve had many wildlife encounters where it’s just me and the animal. That’s when the magic happens, and you can capture a meaningful story in a photograph.
Since I’ve been out west, I’ve also been able to visit areas of Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, including the Grand Canyon. There are many other places I’d love to visit, as time allows. Why would someone want to live anywhere else?
A bison walking down a snow covered road in Yellowstone National Park. (Click the image to order a print)
If you’d like to follow my journey, I am very active on social media. Most of my photography and day to day happenings get posted on Instagram @trentsizemore or Facebook at Trent Sizemore Photography. If you’re truly interested in my work, you can also subscribe to my updates by entering your email below.
Jenny Lake is a smaller, glacial lake, south of the much larger Jackson Lake. It can be accessed by the Teton Park Road that runs near the base of the Teton Range.
This hike included taking the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake, hiking south and west to Hidden Falls, the back north along the western shore of Jenny Lake.
Huge amounts of snow melt caused these little creeks to become raging and swollen.
Hiking on this side of Jenny Lake brings you right to the base of the Teton mountain range.
Wildflowers mixed in with leftover snow banks at the end of May.
Hidden Falls just barely visible behind thick trees.
Hiking up a steep rocky trail to great views all around.
The crystal clear water of the snow melt runs down this tiny creek in to the lake.
The marmots are shy but still friendly!
A little creek running straight out of a steep, rocky valley of the Tetons.
A much larger creek looks like prime fly fishing territory.
Directly adjacent to Jackson Lake Lodge is a short loop trail called Lunch Tree Hill. There are almost always people hiking here, and it would be considered a relatively safe trail, even to hike alone. One evening around 6, a group of people were watching this mother grizzly bear and her two cubs walk around the Willow Flats that is probably 100 feet below the patio at the lodge. When the three bears started walking away from the lodge, the group walked up the hill to stay in front of them for a better view. Eventually the three bears went out of sight below the steep hill. To everyone’s surprise, the bears appeared halfway up the hill, coming straight towards the group of onlookers. The large group split in to two groups, giving the bears enough space to calmly walk by. Being less than 30 yards from these huge grizzlies, this situation could have been much worse, but the momma bear is smart enough to know she is safe from male bears when she’s around the lodge and people.
After a 28 hour drive and traveling through Yellowstone, I arrived in Grand Teton National Park, where I’ll be living and working through at least October. These are photos through the month of May, and I will have several more posts to catch up to the current date!
Almost every moment of the day reveals a spectacular scene. From dawn to dusk, the light plays with the mountains in a colorful and powerful way.
While working here, I’m living in a dorm village with hundreds of other employees. We have little frequent visitors roaming all around, everything from this red fox, to whistle pigs (ground squirrels), and even a grizzly with two cubs that wondered down dorm street early one morning.
Jackson Lake Lodge sits up on a plateau, overlooking a large expanse around Jackson Lake, called the Willow Flats. Looking out over the grasslands and shrubbery, one can see plenty of animal activity out here, including bears, elk, moose, and bison.
As an employee inside the park, I’m privileged to have access to many free activities. On this ten mile scenic float trip down the Snake River, we saw elk, many different birds, and this bald eagle.
One of the most interesting things I’ve seen is a grouping of cabins and barns on “Mormon Row”. These buildings include the most photographed barn in the world, the John Moulton Barn.
Here’s another spectacular light show just before sunset.
I was able to do a little bit of fishing before all the snow began to melt, causing rivers and streams to flood. Here’s one of my biggest, and definitely not my last cutthroat trout from the Snake River tailwater.
Jackson Lake offers a place for visitors to take their boat out with a view like none other. I got to take out a kayak on the lake for a couple hours from the marina at Colter Bay.
The Chapel of the Transfiguration is another unique building inside the park. A sign near the chapel tells the story of Jesus climbing the mountain with the apostles, and becoming radiant with light, a pivotal moment when Heaven meets Earth.
When the first direct sunlight of the day reveals itself, a beautiful warm color is cast upon the mountain tops.
These photos are through May 27, so I still have plenty more to share from both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks!
I’ve now been living and working in Grand Teton National Park for a full month, so I thought I’d share some of my experiences so far. After this post, I’d like to post something every few days. Now that the weather is warming up, and the rivers are clearing up, I’ll be able to get out and do a lot more! Sometimes, however, words just aren’t enough, so make sure you’re following Trent Sizemore Photography on Facebook to see all my best photos.
The drive to get here from North Carolina took three full days, and was pretty uneventful. It was cool to see other parts of the country, but it just didn’t compare to arriving in Yellowstone National Park. The views are like nothing else and almost immediately upon getting over the first mountain pass, I got to see my first grizzly bear, bison, and thermal features all in the same spot.
Yellowstone Day 1 – May 13
River just outside of Yellowstone east entrance
I saw these between Cody, Wyoming and the entrance to Yellowstone. I’m thinking they may be female bighorn sheep, but they may just be mountain goats.
Mountain goats or Bighorn Sheep?
Back in May, everything was still covered in feet of snow. This was one of my first sights inside the park.
Inside Yellowstone National Park
Driving through Yellowstone was something else, because the snow was piled up higher than the car in most spots around the mountains.
Driving over the mountain pass
This huge grizzly was eating on something between the road and part of the lake. On the other side of the road was a bison munching grass on the hillside.
Grizzly in YellowstoneGrizzly in Yellowstone with frozen lake in the background
Before driving down to Grand Teton National Park, where I’m living now, I camped one night in Yellowstone. I didn’t even scrape the surface of seeing the entire park, but I was able to see quite a lot before and after the night of camping in Madison campground.
The smell of sulfur gases from this boiling mud pit below was nearly overwhelming.
The two photos below are the view of the lower falls of the Yellowstone River from Artist Point. This is an excellent spot to get a perspective of the size of the entire Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
The walls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone are covered in these bright yellowish rocks, called Rhyolite, a type of volcanic rock.
This is looking up close at a little stream that carries water from thermal feature down to the river. The colors come from bacteria that is able to grow in these extreme conditions. Different colors represent different temperatures, with blues being the hottest. This particular one was probably between 125-150 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also extremely acidic, and you definitely shouldn’t be touching it. Many tourists get serious injured because of their curiosity.
This “waterfall” of boiling water is coming out of Excelsior Geyser crater and in to the Firehole River. This once active geyser still expels 4,000-4,500 gallons of 199 degree water every minute.
This is the huge crater left by the last violent eruption of Excelsior Geyser.
Here, the still snow covered mountains reflect in the many colors of the edge of Grand Prismatic Spring.
An up close view of the outside of the hot spring called Grand Prismatic Spring.
Here’s another look at the outflow from Excelsior Geyser Crater with a dramatic sunset.
The steam, the smells, the colors, and the sounds all add together to create an out of this world experience in each of the many geyser basin areas.
This small, but very active feature is Shell Spring, which would boil up every few minutes, then all the water would sink back down in to the unknown before rising up once again.
A single geyser steaming up with a great sunset.
Last photo of the day, showing a large field of geysers all steaming up in to the cold air.
Yellowstone Day 2 -May 14
After waking up VERY early to the freezing cold, howling wolves, and elk grazing outside my tent, I went out to the see the park in a way most people will never see it, completely alone. For hours, I never saw more than one or two other visitors, even in the most popular areas.
These two bison were munching some grass with a steaming thermal feature behind them. They seek refuge from the cold in these warmer areas.
Only the Gibbon River separated me from this frost covered bison. These animals are very large, and much more dangerous than most people assume.
The early morning cold makes the steam from the hot springs much thicker and travel much farther, creating an awesome landscape. During the summer, the warm temperatures don’t allow for as much steam because the temperature is closer to that of the hot features.
Another photographer exploring the area by himself. It’s scary to walk through that steam, not being able to see what’s beyond, and the screaming geysers beside you throwing up boiling water.
A far off view of Excelsior Geyser Crater shows just how big it really is.
This deep blue pool seemed to go on forever.
Up close and personal with another bison. (No, I wasn’t too close)
After exploring Yellowstone, I drove south to Grand Teton National Park to get settled in my dorm and get orientated with the area and the lodge that I’m working at. I’ll have a separate blog post with some pictures from this park.
