This artist collective that we participate in, the Game as we call it, is always full of surprises and challenges.

Often we are following images that push us out of our comfort zone and even out of our preferred artistic voice. This forces us to think and execute a conversation that might not be our first choice in practice. Personally, I am not a fan of photographing nature unless I can nudge it into something I can comfortably call my own. It is my view that a photographer must bring something personal and unique to these nature scenes, otherwise all we are left with is mother nature’s handiwork and no credible voice from the photographer. Not that there is anything horribly wrong with that, its just not me.

This image begins to rise to what I call the “fingerprint of the photographer”, that unique voice or style that can be attributable to a photographer. This fingerprint is something I have been seeking, refining and nurturing for 40 years in photography. For me, it generally revolves around ideas and manipulation. In this image, I am not manipulating the image so much as I am manipulating time and time of day.

The image was shot on a chilly January midnight at Flathead Lake, Montana. Naturally a long time-exposure was required, about 30 seconds, during this evening full moon. The stillness of the night made for a mirror finish to the lake, but high clouds were moving slowing through the frame, adding a slight sense of motion to the capture.

Nocturnal’s are my preferred approach to photographing nature – if I would only get out of bed and do it more.