Brian Bastinelli Photography

Stormy Sunset...

2008-10-10T05:16:00.005-02:00

Hi everyone-

It's Skywatch Friday. I have been unable to participate recently because of my trip but finally I have internet access and it's Friday.

I spent yesterday driving to Denver from Jackson Hole. I decided to sleep in a bit because sleep deprivation has been catching up to me. So I left Jackson a little after 10 am. It was snowing lightly in town but as soon as I got up to Grand Teton National Park it was snowing like mad.

The further i drove the worse it got. At one point the temperature was 25 degrees and it was snowing so hard you could barely see the vehicle in front of you.

What is funny about the hole thing is that a little over an hour after getting past the storm it was partly sunny and 70 degrees.
I love the weather out here, I love the way it changes from minute to minute and place to place.

Once I got down to Denver it was mostly sunny but much cooler, in the mid 30s.

Today's image was shot in Wyoming in the area of Wapiti. As we drove along the storm clouds were hanging around the mountains. As the sun went down we knew we had to stop soon and catch the cool clouds and sky.

Speaking of the sky, I'll be flying to Austin today for the weekend, I'll post some images from that leg if the trip as time allows.

Have A Great Day!

There's No Place Like Wonderland...

2008-10-09T03:54:00.003-02:00

Hi everyone-

Today I am traveling to Denver in preparation for my flight to Austin on Friday. I spent yesterday traveling through Yellowstone and Grad Teton National Parks. I ended up in Jackson, WY last night.

I was able to shoot a variety of animals and scenes yesterday so the day was pretty successful. I shot some moose, deer, bison, elk, antelope and muskrat as well as some fantastic aspen color. It was a long but fun day.

Today's image was shot at the LeHardy Rapids in Yellowstone National Park. This is a cool area of the Yellowstone River just north of Fishing Bridge. In the summer you can watch the trout running the rapids attempting to get back to their spawning grounds.

This area was spared from this summer's LeHardy Fire which burned to a few hundred feet of this the area where this image was shot.

I traveled by this spot today and all of the leaves had fallen and the Aspen was bare. Fall is ending in Yellowstone and winter is fast approaching. This weekend a large accumulation of snow is in the forecast for the park. By Sunday winter will have arrived.

What I find fascinating is that just a week ago it was warm and sunny with highs in the upper 70's.

There is no place like Wonderland...

The Final Evening...

2008-10-08T02:43:00.000-02:00

Hi everyone-

I am writing this post from the Super 8 parking lot in Gardiner, MT. I'll be heading up to the campground at Mammoth in a few minutes and there is no internet there.

So I have spent the last hour and a half working on some images while listening to the Presidential debate on XM. I really should have listened to something else as I didn't hear anything new or interesting from either candidate. Having listened to the first debate I really didn't have to listen to this one as it really was just a rerun. Hopefully the third one will have a bit more substance.

Anyway on to a bit more entertaining subject...

Tonight might be my last evening in Yellowstone for the year. I will spend the last day in park (tomorrow/today- Wednesday) and then head to Jackson for the night. Thursday I'll make the trek to Denver.

It was pretty slow in the park today. I saw a few animals, some great mule deer bucks near Tower, some large Bull Elk and a Blue Heron as well as a good amount of Bison.

However it was pretty much uneventful. One thing I noticed is that the park is really really empty of visitors. Most of the services are closed down and traffic is really light.

So with this in mind I have to figure out where I will get the best bang for my buck when I get back to the area from Texas Sunday night. I'll be flying back into Denver if anyone has any suggestions of where I might spend a few days photographing before heading back to PA.

Tonight's image was shot south of Canyon in Yellowstone National Park. This bull was keeping his harem in line along a ridge to the north of the road. He kept disapering over the ridge but persistance paid off and eventually he returned for a few moments allowing me to get a couple of cool shots.

Have a great day!

Dallas...

2008-10-07T06:37:00.002-02:00

Hi everyone-

Today's image is of Dallas. It was taken on the front porch of my cabin at the Cowboy village. As we were preparing to leave I happened to notice Dallas near his truck.

He has the classic cowboy look and vibe. I approached hm readily and asked if I might make a photograph of him and he immediately agreed.

I was really happy with the way this turned out. That being said I really think this image is screaming for a face lift. So I am going to age this image and see what I can come up with. I really think that this image lends it self t that kinda of treatment.

Hopefully I can get that done sooner that later I'll post it as soon as I get it done.

Today is a travel day. I leave Choteau and end up somewhere between Yellowstone and Jackson. Hopefully I'll have some Internet.

Have a great day!

Back On Track...

2008-10-06T03:52:00.003-02:00

Hi everyone-

Hope you all had a great weekend. It was a time to slow down a little bit for me. We have been in Choteau, MT for a few days now and that has meant later wake up times and a bit more relaxation.

We've still have had a full schedule and long days but at a bit of a slower pace if that makes any sense. So I have been able to get a few images ready to go for this week. For the days that I travel and might not have Internet connections I will pre post an image that I got ready this weekend.

Yesterday we were in Glacier National Park. This is one of my favorite parks because you never know what you'll find, what the weather will be or where the park will take you.

This time it was cold, very windy and sleet and snow. Temperatures were in the 30's and the winds were blowing from 30 to 50 mph. But It was a great day. I will post more about our day in Glacier when I get to the images from the trip.

Today's images were recently shot in Yellowstone National Park. The eagle was along the Yellowstone River south of Hayden Valley. The second image is of the Firehole River near the Madison Junction.

Have a great day!

Prismatic Grandure...

2008-10-01T03:30:00.004-02:00

Hi everyone-

Just a quick note to say hi today. I am writing this post far to late and the crazy schedule that we have been keeping is catching up to me.

Today's images were shot in Yellowstone National Park at the Grand Prismatic Spring. I think that this is the coolest thermal feature in the park. There is a a short hike tot he west side of the spring along an old freight road. Then you can hike up the side of a small hill where you get a very cool view of the spring.

The colors are nothing short of amazing.

Have a great day!

Who Would Have Thought...

2008-09-30T03:10:00.004-02:00

Hi everyone-

Today is the 2nd full day in Grand Teton National Park. It has been pretty much the same as Yellowstone. We are working pretty hard to find the wildlife. One of the biggest problems is that it is really warm here. Yesterday, it was nearly 80 degrees. Who would have thought that it would be this warm here.

I'm not an expert but it really seems like the warm temps are having an effect on the wildlife activity. Also the buffalo and elk herds took a big hit last year due to severe winter weather conditions.

Today we'll be hitting the Jenny Lake area of GTNP to check out the action on an Elk carcass. The elk died early yesterday apparently from injuries sustained while fighting in a rut related battle with another bull Elk. When we were there yesterday there was a black bear sitting near the carcass but never made any attempt at moving. So we'll see what happens...

Today's images were all shot in Yellowstone National Park. The first image is of a gray wolf near an elk kill near Twin Lakes.
I will post more about them in future posts.

The second post was shot from an overlook of the Firehole River.

The third post was shot of the Lower Falls from Uncle Tom's trail. For those of you who are not familiar with this trail I'll just say there are a lot of steps. I shot a bunch of images from this point so I'll talk more about that.

Have a great day!

Back to Civilization, Briefly...

2008-09-29T03:49:00.005-02:00

Hi everyone-

Greetings from Jackson, Wyoming. After a week in a tent in Yellowstone I have finally upgraded to a cabin with heat and a bathroom and wireless Internet. So over the next few days I am going to try and catch you up on my last week.

Today's images were all shot in Yellowstone National Park. This year has been quite different from others. It is warm, really warm for this time of year. The temperatures have been in the middle 70's and it has been clear and sunny. The amount of people visiting the park seems to be way up. And the animals are scarce.

I think most of this is due to warm weather. Hopefully when we go back to Yellowstone in a few days it will be a little better.

Today's images were all shot in the north eastern park of the park, specifically the north side of Mt. Washburn and the Lamar Valley.

The first image is of the first morning sun rays hitting Mt. Washburn well at least a portion of the mountain. I love these alpine meadows. The have a great texture to them. They are also a great place to spot wildlife, even though it is quite a distance away.

The second image of a coyote pup was shot near the Slough Creek Rd. just prior to Lamar Valley. This pup was one of three that were traveling with their momma. As I moved into position this inquisitive little guy stopped to check me out.

Along the Tower-Canyon road is the Calcite Springs overlook. This area is the setting for today's third image. This is a popular stomping grounds for female Big Horn Sheep and their young. Most days they can be easily spotted and are very tolerant of photographers.

Well today we'll start shooting in Grand Teton National Park. I will hopefuly be able to post daily now for a few weeks. I'd love to hear your feedback as always! Have a great day!

Savannah Wrap Up...

2008-09-22T02:33:00.003-02:00

Hi everyone-

Sunday was my last day in Savannah. I had a great time, met some really cool new people. I also finally got to meet some people I had been corresponding with from Radiant Vista.

The workshop was a great success and I took away a lot from it. Not only a lot of lighting related information but some great new friendships.

Today's images were shot at Murphy's Law, a great Irish Pub in the Market District of Savannah. The first image is Cowboy Bob. He's a street musician who has some really great county songs that are really cleaver and funny. This is hands down my favorite image of the week.

The second image is of some one you have seen before on this blog. It's Issac Hayward, or as some people say The Candy Man. A legend in Savannah Hayward is one of the coolest people you will ever meet. I am really glad that I got to spend a little time with him this week. My life is always better for having done so.

I got into Denver late last night and today my friend Brad and I will be heading to Yellowstone. There we'll meet Moe Witschard and Ben Hake fro a few days of shooting there.

I will post as often as I can but considering I'll be staying in a tent I am not sure how often that will be.

Have a great day!

Finally A Few Minutes And The Internet...

2008-09-20T02:47:00.004-02:00

Hi everyone-

I am reeaally Sorry about the long delay in posting. I have had really limited access to the net over the last week. On days that I have had access we have been so busy with the workshop and shooting that there was no time to post.

I got to Colorado last Monday. I spent Monday night and Tuesday at Rocky Mountain National Park. I got some good shots there but haven't been able to get them processed yet. Hopefully I can get to them over the next few days.

On Wednesday I flew to Savannah for the Radiant Vista Location People work shop. We have been busy with classroom and shooting since. It's been a great but challenging few days.

The images above are a few from some of the shoots we did on Thursday.

Hope you enjoy them, I'd love to hear your feedback!!!

Have a great day!

The Fall Trek Has Begun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-14T00:29:00.004-02:00

Hi everyone-

Well by the time you are reading this I will be well on my way...

Today begins my fall trek across America. And this time it really is across the country.

I'll be hitting Savannah, GA, Denver, Co, Rocky Mountain National Park, Jackson WY, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Choteau, MT, Glacier National Park, Central Colorado, and Austin, TX as well as many points in between until all is said and done.

Be sure to check back for updates. I'll do my best to update the blog as Internet access allows. There may be a few days here and there with no posts but be sure to check back for big posts when I finally get access.

Oh, today's image was shot at the Snake River Overlook in Grand Teton National Park. This is the spot where Ansel Adams took his famous Tetons image. The tree's have grown a lot since then changing the look of the area and preventing you from seeing the curve in the river as you could back then.

Take Care!

Never Forget...

2008-09-11T10:55:00.005-02:00

Just A Few More Days...

2008-09-10T13:42:00.006-02:00

Today's image was shot a few years ago in the John Rockafeller Memorial Parkway Area between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

I love the golden color of the Aspens in the fall. I can smell the clean air, feel the cool breeze blowing buy and the warmth of the fall sun keeping me just warm enough.

There is nothing like a fall day in the Rocky Mountains...

I CAN NOT WAIT to get out there!!!!!!!!!

Have a great day!

Shadow Mountain Road...

2008-09-09T00:07:00.002-02:00

Hi everyone-

Hope your week started off good. It's been great here so far. I am gearing up for my time in Grand Teton and Yellowstone. I can not wait to get there.

Today's image was shot in 2005 along the Shadow Mountain Road. There are a lot of Aspen in this area. It's a nice quite drive that leads you up and over the western side of Shadow mountain.

I have included a small image of the raw file for those who like to check those out. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's the original file just as it was shot in the camera, prior to any editing.

Have a great day!

Fireweed, Shadow Mountain...

2008-09-08T00:31:00.003-02:00

Hi everyone-

Hope you all had a great weekend.

We had a fun time going to the York Fair on Friday evening. It rained Saturday as Tropical Storm Hanna passed by so we spent the afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese's and had a lot of fun there too.

Today's image was shot several years ago along the dirt road that takes you up the side of Shadow Mountain on the east side of Jackson Hole.

I didn't really feel like doing a traditional photograph for today so I thought I'd add another image to my Aspen Dreams series. Hope you enjoy it. As always I really appreciate your comments.

**ON ANOTHER NOTE**

So I have recently been on a kick to discover some new music talent, not because I am a music producer or anything like that because I'm not, but rather to just find some great new music that I can listen to.

Most of the stuff I have come across lately has been thanks to Myspace and just spending time checking out some of the thousands of groups listed there. I'll talk about some for them in future posts.

Today I want to mention two groups that I have come across this week in other ways. Hopefully you will check them out at their websites or on itunes because they are really worth a listen. They might not be for everyone and that's cool but they are really talented.

The first group is Pete and J. They are out of Brooklyn, NY. I came across them on Labor day performing at the Kipona Festival in Harrisburg. They have a folky kinda feel, some say like Simon and Garfunkel yet there is something different, a more modern take, a much cooler feel. I really am likin' them right now.

Check out there website, www.peteandj.com Songs that I really like: No More One More Chance, Pennsylvania Sun, Sentimental Love Song, and Lies and Ancient Words. These are all off their new release, Dressed For Conversation.

The second group that I want to mention, Scrapomatic, I came across while reading my friend Craig Tanner's blog. He happened to catch this group in Atlanta recently and was "blown away". I thought I would check them out on that review and became and instant fan.

Scrapomatic is a mix of Blues, Americana and Jazz both urban and country. It's an eclectic sound but one that is definitely worth a try. As soon as I heard one song I went to itunes checked out their album and bought both their latest and last releases.

I really like their songs: Louisiana Anna, Grave Yard Blues, God Damn Job and I Want The Truth.

Here's a Youtube video of Louisiana Anna:

Civil War Details...

2008-09-05T00:10:00.005-02:00

Hi everyone-

First off thanks so much to everyone who visits and comments on Sky Watch Fridays.

I love looking at every ones cool images and I am really glad you stopped by to check mine out. If you looking for the Skywatch post it's the one below this post.

Today I am posting two images that I shot at the Eckley Miner's Village. These were shot in a confederate camp. While I was standing around talking with several of the re-enactors I started to notice the intricate details that had been put into making these guys appear just as they would have over a hundred years ago.

The first is a worn pair of boots that I am sure have seen miles and miles of marching. The second is a small satchel that is inscribed with battle locations as well as the unit the owner was with.

Hope you enjoy the images, have a great day!

Skywatch Thur...er Friday!

2008-09-04T16:09:00.006-02:00

Hi everyone-

Welcome to Skywatch Friday!!!

This image was shot in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Well actually it was of the park taken from the adjacent National Forrest.

I was on Shadow Mountain looking west toward the Tetons. If you ever get to GTNP the ride up on Shadow Mountain as well as several other mountain roads on the east side of the valley are fantastic locations to photograph.

In the fall the aspens are out of this world and in the summer the wildflowers are spectacualar. Especially if you take the road that goes out of Jackson on the east side of the Elk Refuge. This takes you back in to the mountains where there are several meadows that are just full of wild flowers in July.

Thanks for checking out my post, have a great week! Stop back more often...lol

I Just Can't Decide...

2008-09-04T01:06:00.014-02:00

Hi everyone-

Today I just can not come to a good decision on which of these images I like the best. I have studied them over and over and there is just something I like about each of them that prevents me from picking one that I like the best.

I was hoping you guys could help me out. I did not number them but if you start on the top row left as 1 then go from there through 5. I would really appreciate your comments and opinion on this as always.

The image was shot at the Eckley Miner's Village and the gentleman was at a tent where the ladies were sewing. I am not exactly sure what part he was portraying other than maybe a townsman or something like that.

Have a good day, see you in a little while for the Skywatch post...

**ON ANOTHER NOTE**
I recently missed the 1st Anniversary of my blog. I started this blog last year on August 26th.

I really had no idea what I was getting into or how much fun I was going to have or how many great people I would meet over the next year because of it.

I started out posting one image each day but because of travel and internet access sometimes I missed a few days. So I would post multiple images on one day. Later in the year I realized that viewership was way down onthe weekends so I scaled back to just posting on weekdays. In all I have made 306 posts to date.

Here are a few other interesting statistics:

There have been 2,411 absolute unique visitors, over 10,000 visits and over 20,000 page views. The daily avaerage for visits is about 27 with the highest amount on one day being 63 visits.

Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my blog. I love posting and reading your comments. They really help me to grow as an artist.

I am looking forward to another great year of blogging. Please pass on this blog to your all your friends and family. I'd love to double my readership this year!!!

Thanks you so much!

'Fire!!!!'

2008-09-03T10:52:00.005-02:00

Hi everybody-

Today's image was shot a few weeks ago at the Eckley Miner's Village Civil War re-enactment. Here a Union Brigade fires at Confederate troops.

I am not sure that there were photographers on the battle fields during this type of skirmish but I thought it would be cool to try and give the image a feel for the era.

**ON ANOTHER NOTE**

My images are still up for voting in the Billboard/PDN Summer Music Moment Competition. I still need a lot of votes. Now I don't think there is a chance in hell that I could win the peoples choice award so at this point I am just trying to move my images up for some better exposure.

If you go to the link that i will post below look for my image of Zach Shedd playing the guitar. That is the one that seems to be doing the best out of my images. It only has 17 votes and is currently on page 6. Please vote for that image.
Here is what it looks like:

The link to the voting pages is:Vote Here!

Thanks again for checkin out my blog and for taking the time to vote!

'We Gotta Job'

2008-09-02T13:39:00.006-02:00

Hi everyone-

Running a little late again today, but I wanted to post some shots that I got yesterday in the City of Harrisburg.

I was attending the Kipona Festival along the river front when I noticed dark black smoke drifting over the downtown. It looked like it was pretty close by and might actually be something burning downtown.

After going to investigate a little further I realized that somethign was burning down in the Cameron Street corridor. A little further than I had thought it would be.

So after jogging to station 6 to get my truck I made it over to the fire with only a few moments to get some shots before I had to report for work.

These are a few that I liked. There are a ton more on my fire website, http://www.fire-ground.com/
I am posting the images there and will provide a direct link to the gallery as soon as they are done.

Have a great day!

Returning Glory...

2008-09-01T13:31:00.002-02:00

Hi everyone-

A little late today but I decided to sleep in a bit and then get some things done around the house.

Today's post is from the Civil War re-enactment held recently at the Eckley Miner's Village near Hazelton, PA.

This is a Union Army Brigade returning victoriously returning from battle.

If you ever get a chance to attend an event like this you should really try to do so. They are very interesting and something that everyone should see.

Have a great Labor Day and keep the people being effected by Gustav in your thoughts and prayers.

Have a great day!

It Was A Rainy Night In Savannah...

2008-08-29T03:59:00.002-02:00

Hi everyone-

Thank you all so much for checking out the site and commenting yesterday. Hopefully you will all stop back more often and check out the other work I do.

I spent a major portion of yesterday getting images ready to submit to the Billboard and PDN Summer Music Moment Music Photography Competition. Its a huge contest sponsored by giants in their respective industries.

The stakes are high as the prizes and resulting exposure if you win are a huge deal.

I submitted 18 images that I shot this year of three different bands, Bottles and Cans, The Train Wrecks and Zach Shedd playing with Tim Montana.

There is a section at the website where you can vote for a peoples choice award. Hopefully I can count on you all to vote for me. As soon as I get the link information I will post it up here. The winners will be announced in September.

Today's image is of Stuart from The Train Wrecks playing the Dobro at Jinx in Savannah, Ga.

Have a great day!

Arizona Monsoon...

2008-08-28T12:42:00.004-02:00

Hi everyone-

So I have decided to add an additional post each week for the Skywatch Friday post. Since I have to post it on Thursday I will do two posts for Thursday. The normal morning post and then the mid day Skywatch Friday post. Then on Friday proper there will be another regular morning post. Hope that makes sense.

This image was shot after hiking out of the Grand Canyon in flash flood conditions several years ago. We had decided to hike out from Havalupai and Havasu Falls and shortly after we set out the rains came. And they didn't stop.

W hiked in ankle or knee deep water for some time as waterfalls formed on the canyon walls before our eyes. We were a bit concerned when about half way a local came by on a horse urging us to get to higher ground. Since we were in a canyon we had little choice but to continue our trek out.

Obviously we made it but it was a bit harrowing. This image was shot top side of the storms moving across the desert.

General Custer and His Baby Blue...

2008-08-28T10:22:00.002-02:00

Hi everybody-

A little late posting today, sorry about that. Worked a little overtime last night, so I just got home.

Today's image is of General George Armstrong Custer and his dog, Baby Blue.

Well actually it is a photograph of Dale Harrison, my high school history teacher and his dog Baby Blue. You didn't think I had a time machine did you?

This image was shot recently at the Eckly Miner's Village Civil War re-enactment near Freeland, PA.

Dale plays the role of General George A. Custer as well as selling various products related to re-enacting at these events.

I have to credit 'Mr. Harrison' for really helping to develop my love of history, especially that of the American West.

He was the most interesting and sought out teacher in our school at the time. He was casual, loud, funny and what you might call a maveric amoung the other stuffy high school teachers of the day.

I thougholy enjoyed his classes and am very glad that I got to spend a few hours with him recently at Eckly.

I wanted to shoot a portrait of him as Custer and he suggested that we shoot it with his dog as Custer was often photographed with his dogs. I then aged the image to appear as if it might have been shot back in the day...

Hope you enjoy.

Tranquility...

2008-08-27T00:15:00.002-02:00

Hi everyone-

Today's image was shot in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. This area is about 25 miles west of Choteau, MT.

The Teton River is formed by several forks which come out of the mountains in one of two canyons. Both are equally beautiful and contain a variety of campsites and trail head from which to start a trip into the 'Bob' from.

This beaver bond is located adjacent to the road in the North Fork Canyon. It is quite extensive with a large network of ponds and dams. I have never seen the beaver here however I have often seen their recently completed work.

One of these days I'll catch them.

Have a great day!