News
New photos published to the website!
Finally getting a few new images uploaded to the site this winter. Most are from the recent book that have been unpublished until now....more to come!
To see the most recent, click on this link below:
New work uploaded Jan 30th, 2024
On the cover: "Original Roots"
"Calving Season - Sun Prairie"
Recommended Reading- Montana Outdoors Magazine - Nov.-Dec. 2023
Montana Outdoors Magazine - Nov.-Dec. 2023
“Montana Panoramic: Transparent in the Backlight”
Craig W. Hergert. Essays by Shann Ray.
Few images capture the grandeur of Mon-
tana—big sky, big land, big mountains, big
everything—as well as Bozeman photographer
Craig Hergert’s panoramic photographs. In
his newest coffee-table book, Hergert takes
viewers on a journey to 26 areas from Glacier
National Park to Ekalaka. We almost don’t
want to recommend this stunning photogra-
phy collection, because anyone who sees it
will want to immediately move to Montana.
Northern Lights above Mammoth Hot Springs - September 26th, 2023
Canary Springs under the Northern Lights - Aurora Borealis - Yellowstone National Park
I had been keeping an eye out on the Aurora Borealis activity in the area for the last couple weeks, trying to find a night I could skirt my time commitments at home and head out to see what I could find. Finally, I had an opportunity to sneak out for an all nighter and loaded up the truck to hit the road. Had a few locations picked out in my mind in the northern Bridger Range, along the Gallatin River or north of Livingston. Instead, I opted last minute to head south to Yellowstone National Park, a place I now mostly avoid unless I am able to get off the road and hike in the back country.
There was a little light on the horizon from 10pm to 2 am, but nothing to write home about. I scoped out a couple spots, and crawled in the truck to take a little nap. I bolted up after the quick snooze, afraid I had slept too long, looked at my clock and it read 3:33am. Figured it was the perfect sign to head out again.
The fall rutting elk screamed in the distance as I cued up the headlamp and fastened the bear spray to the belt. Made my way down to Canary spring to set up, and was humbled to start watching the show. The Milky Way, the falling stars, the slight dancing of the pinks, greens and purples, the gurgling of the bubbling hot water, the stomping hooves and bugling in the distance. I had found the right place and the right time for what was needed for the photos, and for my soul.
"Canary Spring under the Northern Lights" new open edition panorama print available here. Standard format print available here:
Honored to receive the winning award of the American Book Fest - 2023 International Book Awards!
Honored to receive the Winning award of the American Book Fest - 2023 International Book Awards!
The last of a dream…
Northern lights above Bozeman! - April 23, 2023
I love seeing all the images and video that everyone took and posted to social media all over the west last night, such an incredible display by Mother Nature!
I started my shoot off heading north out of town to get away from the lights and clouds hovering over the valley. Meandering through some of my favorite gravel back roads, I decided that a bridge access of the East Gallatin River near Dry Creek would be a perfect place to hang out for the show. I sat in awe as the greens magically appeared and dissipated in and out below the stars as the calm trickle of the waters from the East gently immersed my mind into an experience bordering on spiritual.
The cameras sensors and long exposures show the colors much more vividly than the naked eye. But once your are in a place of relative darkness and allow your eyes and mind to become attuned, it is still possible to see the movement, even this far south.
Looks like there is possibility of more shows throughout the week, so get out there and take a look! What is the worst that could happen, staring at the stars outside for an hour or two? I think we can all use a little dose of that every now again to "put us in our place" of feeling tiny in this giant universe among infinity.
I should have taken many more stills and time lapse shots, but honestly after about an hour of shooting, I just put away the cameras and just lay out on the ground watching like a child. Strangely, this was the first time I've actually been able to see and touch the soil that has been under 3-4 feet of snow all winter....the smells, the sounds of birds and moving water....the light show...It was just what I needed!
Spring skiing and acrylic prints
Just returned from a warm spring break vacation with my wife and kids, and am back in the studio working on website updates and processing a few images from this winter. Did not shoot too much new work this past year, instead focusing on processing and editing previous years work to publish in the coming year. Currently working on producing new acrylic and metal prints for a few clients, and am loving the sharpness and clarity that comes from this type of print production!
Just before heading south, my oldest son Carl and I went for a hike up the Ridge at Bridger Bowl, explored a bit on Schlasman's with a beautiful run on Pat's, then took him over to Hidden Gully down to the Apron. It was his first time up with me on the top since he started skiing there at 3 years old, and I couldn't have been happier having him as my ski partner...it had been a long time coming.
Honored to be part of the Montana Book Festival this year in Missoula:
Honored to be part of the Montana Book Festival this year in Missoula for our new book "MONTANA PANORAMIC: TRANSPARENT IN THE BACKLIGHT"
Shann and I will be presenting on Friday, September 16th:
Panel:
The Picture, or the Thousand Words?
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Cooper Room A, Missoula Public Library
Reading, presentation, Q & A
Shann Ray and Craig Hergert Reading
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Blackfoot Room, Missoula Public Library
Thank you Outside Bozeman for the book review!
A little more press in the "Montana Quarterly" this summer...
12 foot wide canvas wrap timelapse
Here is a short Time Lapse movie of building a very large gallery wrap canvas today...12 feet wide x 3 feet high destined for McKenzie River Pizza in Indianapolis Indiana.
Madison River Montana: Hatch therapy, June 2022
A spectacular light show and hatch after a torrential summer storm on the Madison River near Bear Trap Canyon: