Custer State Park. Stay in the cabins if available. Lots of Bison. Take a guided tour if available (take your camera - hand held). Do Mt. Rushmore at night with a tripod. Needles highway.

Time of day is important. You need sunlight to refract and provide colors. Cloudy days not so good. The photographers tours (tripod needed) will give you more time for shooting and keep the crowds out of the way. Lower Anelope has lots of ups and downs, ladders, definitely more strenuous. Upper Antelope is more level (and more crowded). A 28-70 f2.8 is all you need. You won't be changing lenses in the canyons because of the dust.

If you are going to Friday Harbor (San Juan Island), do a 3-4 hour whale watching boat trip with Captain Jim and Mayas Whale Watch. On a scale of 10, we rated it a 12. Take your camera with a 70-200. Orcas galore!! Chack it out on TripAdvisor.com.

Tamron 16-300 or 18-400 will work great the the 7DII. For lower light, the canon 70-200 will be OK as well. A 1.4 teleconverter for the Tamron can be a big help. Even on a cruise, wildlife pops up when you lease expect it. Take movies too!

Buy your bride a good starter camera if she is not a shooter. The Canon Rebel T-6 is a great starter camera and you can share lenses! And don't forget, this is your honeymoon....

When you drop your camera (and someday you will), the lens hood may save you the cost of a repair. Lens hoods are much cheaper then glass!!

Think like you're shooting birds (which they are). I had the pleasure of shooting the Blue Angels several years ago where we were 200 yards off the side of the runway. Get great shots of formations when they overhead. Speed is not much of a factor there. Also good shots when the planes are low on the horizon approaching the runway. If your camera has continuous shooting, use the fastest sequence you can use (10 cps if possible). Practice leading the planes as they come down the runway. They will be about 100 feet of the deck. Getting a burst of shots as they come down the pipe will get you at last two or more really great images. Speed at 800-1250 should handle all as they come down the runway, 2500 as they pass the center in from of you. You are going to have about a 20-25 minute show so you can get some practice at the beginning. I used a Tamron 18-270 lens with a Canon 7D and it was all I needed. You won't have time to change lenses with only one camera. The show will break into three parts: six plane formations, four plane maneuvers, and the two solo pilots acting in tandem together (crossing the field in opposite directions together). If you have video, use it for takeoffs and overhead maneuvers. You will get some great shots.

Another thing to consider is that the Angels will always do a practice run at your location the day before the main show. If you can get out to see it, less crowds and better views. This might be difficult to view (access) if the show is at a military field. Check the Angels web site at https://www.blueangels.navy.mil/ for info. Your airfield (call the airport management or a FBO) can give you the times the field will be scheduled for practice.

I have been using a BosStrap (sling strap) for several years. Tried several Black Rapids but they were uncomfortable (thin straps) and the strap interfered with the tripod mounting plate. The strap attaches to the camera strap lugs leaving your tripod mount available at a moments notice. The strap is also 1.5" wide and very comfortable when carrying. And as an aside note, I always hold the camera when walking. Straps, while comfortable and allow you to operate quickly, also allow the camera to bounce around alot. It's easy to knock the body or lens when walking. Check it out at www.bosstrap.com.

Took a small boat cruise from Sitka (7 days along the inland passage) four years ago. Beats the living daylight out of the big boats. Costs more, see more, closer to the action. Food is good but minimal extra curricular activities. Cost 7 days about $4500 pp. Your 70-200 lens and 150-600 gets lots of usehere. Eagles galore, Bears, etc. Big Boats say "Look - whales on the starboard side" Little boats say - look - whales on the starboard side - lets go check them out !" Fly from SEA to Sitka.

Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland. Open 6AM to dark. Birds, Wildlife, Alligators, and Nature. Worth the trip.

Make that our engines on our B-727. Proof before you send....

-85 degrees F in the Enviromental Test Facility Chamber at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in 1964. It was so cold that the perspiration instanly froze on our bodies as did the moisture in our nostrils and mouths where exposed. The longest that would let us stay in the chamber was about 45 seconds. The Air Force used that chanber to test aircraft parts and engines for cold weather operation. Oth er than that short trip, -27 defgrres F at the Minneappolis Airport. It was so cold the engines on out B-272 would not start...

The deer was retained for statutory rape....

However, if it were a statue of a moose, the charge would be a "moosdemeanor"

Typical for the industry. My son was a videographer in NYC for five years. If you don't get a contract up front, they will stick it to you. Cut your promised price, even refuse your credits. The biggest companies will do this becuase they can. If you have two years in it, you're stuck with the result. Take the money, spread the word, and next time, don't work without a contract and an advance.

Want a cruise for photography or a cruise for luxury? If you want pix, go the small boat route. The small boat gets closer to the glaciers, whales, wildlife. My small boat (Admiralty Dream) had 62 passengers, 21 crew members. We saw bubble feeding whales up close, glaciers almost so close you could touch them. Plenty of time for shore trips in Sitka, Janeau, and several islands on the inland passage. Bears? lots. Eagles? too many to count. The big boat says "We have some whales on the starboard side!". Everyone runs to the starboard side to view them. The small boat says "We have some whales on the starboard side! Let's go get 'em. Food? A great chef. Not as comprehensive as the big boat but more than adequate. Yes, the rooms are small. Yes, it does cost more. But, best seven day cruise I ever had... Do take the Denali side excursion. See the dog shows, Take a helicopter ride, Try to get a guide to take you into the park as an alternative to the bus ride. Take your long lens.

Driving from Bozeman to Kalispell through Missoula September 7-9. Any recommended photo opportunitues along the way ?