Recently I was fortunate enough to win a contest with photorec.tv and McKay Photography Academy. What did I win? A trip to Montana and Wyoming!

After arriving in Bozeman, first on the agenda was to drive up in to the Wilds of Montana to visit Animals of Montana. We photographed a Tiger, a Bear, some Fox, Wolf and Coyote pups, a Lynx, and my personal favorite, a Black Panther named Bagheera (every bit as cracky as his “Jungle Book” namesake).

Then, we drove through Yellowstone National park, stopping at iconic sights such as Old Faithful and the Mud Pools until we arrived at the jaw-dropping Grand Tetons. I have always wanted to see these mountains and I got goosebumps at first glimpse!

Thankfully, two days of awakening before sunrise yielded some great photographic results. We then returned to Bozeman for a much-needed night’s sleep before flying home.

I will cherish my photographs, memories, and new friends! Thank you so much especially to David and Ally McKay from McKay Photography Academy and to the terrific Toby Gleston of Photorec.tv (one of my RM’s).