JZ Photography

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JZ Photography I traded my day job for a place near Yellowstone National Park — now I spend my mornings chasing bison, elk, and bighorn sheep with a camera. What else?

Started shooting in 2020 during the pandemic and never looked back. I started doing photography after covid hit in 2020. It's a hobby that is both frustrating and fulfilling at the same time. I still have a lot to learn but I get to spend time in nature and I enjoy being creative. I don't have 'top of the line' gear but I buy the best stuff I can afford and try to produce the best image possible. I also don't know how, nor do I have any ambition to learn Photoshop. It's way too expensive and way too complicated. Oh yeah, I also don't know how to photograph people... yet.

When the thistles bloom, they go off like little magenta fireworks, and the bumblebees treat every one of them like an a...
10/24/2026

When the thistles bloom, they go off like little magenta fireworks, and the bumblebees treat every one of them like an all-you-can-eat buffet. This one was working the flower head from the top down, fuzzy back dusted in pollen, wings catching the light, completely unbothered by the large human hovering a few inches away with a lens.

I'd love to tell you I was stealthy and patient. Mostly I held my breath and hoped my knees gave out after the bee left, not before.

Some encounters you plan for. This wasn't one of them. A grizzly hanging out in the meadow, chewing on grass and flowers...
10/24/2026

Some encounters you plan for. This wasn't one of them. A grizzly hanging out in the meadow, chewing on grass and flowers. He stopped, and gave me the kind of long, unbothered look that makes you suddenly very aware of exactly where you parked.

I pulled the color way back on this one because the moment felt quiet and heavy: muted grass, a dark coat, and just a little warmth left on that face.

Sitting at Dino L**e (local repair shop in Gardiner, MT) for a new set of tires and noticed the kids toys over on the sh...
10/22/2026

Sitting at Dino L**e (local repair shop in Gardiner, MT) for a new set of tires and noticed the kids toys over on the shelf… since I used to work for CAT, this stock car got to be the subject in my latest photo.

This bull had claimed his spot on the hillside for the afternoon and wasn't taking visitors. Bedded down in tall grass g...
10/21/2026

This bull had claimed his spot on the hillside for the afternoon and wasn't taking visitors. Bedded down in tall grass gone gold for the season, a long band of cloud sliding across the blue mountainside behind him, he gave me one slow look over that heavy rack of antlers and went right back to doing absolutely nothing.

Meanwhile I was flat on my stomach in the grass, trying very hard not to sneeze. We each had our roles.

Somewhere between Yellowstone and the Tetons, the morning fog decided it wasn't done yet. The sun pushed through the lod...
10/18/2026

Somewhere between Yellowstone and the Tetons, the morning fog decided it wasn't done yet. The sun pushed through the lodgepoles in long, dusty beams, the grass along the shoulder lit up gold, and one lone car up ahead faded right into the haze.

I had a whole plan for the day. The fog had a better one.

10/10/2026

Sorry, this is an iPhone recording of my camera screen but I just had an awesome encounter with four big fat grizzly bears (mom and three cubs). It was a challenging environment for getting clear photos because of all the trees and branches in the way but they stayed here for probably 20 minutes until a boat load of people showed up and spooked them off. It was probably the best grizzly bear sighting I’ve had so far.

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PO Box 277
Gardiner, MT
59030

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