Capturing the Moment with Photographer Brian Grossenbacher

Favorite camera: Nikon D 700           
Favorite rod: Orvis Helios 990
Favorite on-the-water beverage: PBR in a bottle.

BK: Tell me a bit about yourself. 

BG: I began guiding in 1992 and continue on a limited basis to this day.  I started taking photos in 2005.  I’m embarrassed to say that my formal education in photography came from the instruction booklet with my first camera. 

BK: Ha! I’m sure you’re not the only one! Were you a fisherman, photographer or an author first? 

BG: I grew up fishing with my dad and grandfathers, and then began guiding and tying flies commercially while in graduate school.  I never set out to be creative in fly fishing…I just wanted to make a living doing it.  Guiding was my primary source of income for almost 15 years before I even owned a decent camera.  I did write a book in 1995—a beginner’s guide to tying flies.  The book sold well (60,000 copies) but I didn’t make much money—I did a terrible job of negotiating.  The second book, Fly Fishing Montana, got me into photography by necessity, not by choice.  When we received the photo budget for the Montana book we quickly realized that we didn’t have enough money to buy the images from professional photographers, but we did have just enough to buy a camera (Nikon D70) and two lenses (Nikon 18-70, and 70-300).  During the process of getting the images for the book, I discovered a true passion for photography.  By the time the book was published, I already had several images published including a few covers.

BK: That’s amazing how you fell into it. What tactics or methods do you implore during your photography? And how would you describe that style? 

BG: My style leans towards a photojournalistic approach.  I stay out of the way and let things happen.  When the situation does happen, it’s my job to capture that moment with the camera.  

BK: Describe what black and white photography means to you? 

BG: Black and white is the purest form of photography.  When a photo stands out in the absence of color you know that you have nailed the composition, lighting and subject matter.

BK: How do you feel about digital manipulation and to what extent do you use it? 

BG: I use very little digital manipulation.  I try to remain true to what film photographers could do in the dark room.  I disagree with manipulating the subject matter of a photograph—adding something that wasn’t there, combining two images to form one, etc. To me, the true challenge and reward of photography comes from capturing the moment within the camera.

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BK: I can appreciate that. How and when did you first gain recognition as a photographer? 

BG: Tom Bie featured me with six other photographers in the 2006 issue of The Drake for a piece called “7 Shooters”.  Originally, the story was entitled “6 Shooters”, but at the last minute Tom decided to add me as the seventh and in doing so, killed a perfectly good title.

BK: Yeah, you did wreck a pretty good title! Can you remember the first photo you took that made you go WOW? 

BG: Yes and I almost didn’t even take the photo at all.  I was guiding a guy on a small stream in Montana during a prolific baetis hatch.  I was trying to coach him into a pod of rising fish and he was struggling—seriously falling apart at the seams.  Fish were rising all around him yet suddenly he couldn’t cast more than ten feet.  I decided to give him some time to himself and I walked back to my truck and got my camera.  When I came back he had rediscovered his cast and the bugs were coming off thick as ever, and I took a shot with the flies in focus in the foreground, and the angler silhouetted and out of focus in the background.  He didn’t even know I was there.  It is still one of my favorite shots.

BK: Do you have a favorite shot of someone else’s? 

BG: I love Val Atkinson’s shot of the guys looking through the cracks in the bridge for fish (click here to view).  You can see the excitement in their body language…like little kids.  The shot is unique, genuine, and it tells a story. 

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BK: Where would you like to see your career in the fishing industry move from here? 

BG: I’d like to shoot more commercial jobs. I enjoy the challenge of capturing unique, iconic images that can build a brand with the added difficulty of pulling it off in a limited time period. I just accomplished a major goal by shooting the Simms catalog.  As soon as I started taking photos on my own, I wanted to shoot for Simms.  I think their catalog has the perfect blend of action, art and authenticity. It was quite an honor to be asked to shoot their catalog as they have used some outstanding photographers in the past.

BK: Love their catalogue. Describe a day in your professional life? 

BG: My professional life has two simple components—taking photos and processing them.  I shoot quite a bit in Montana, but in the winter I travel extensively.  I just came back from a week in the Bahamas shooting images for Bair’s Lodge, and two weeks before that I was in Brazil shooting Peacock bass.  In another two weeks, I’ll be in Argentina and after that Panama.  While on location I have cameras in my hands all day.  I rarely fish, and yet it still feels like I’m fishing vicariously.  After each trip, I’ll spend a minimum of a week in the office sorting, processing, key wording each image and then sending them out to interested parties.  Although mundane, it doesn’t seem like work to me.  I like the excitement of sending out the final product to editors, art directors, lodge owners, friends, etc. and awaiting their response. 

BK: It wouldn’t seem like work to me either! What types of assignments are you most attracted to?  

BG: Obviously fishing, but really anything in the outdoor world.  I just did a shoot for Oboz Footwear—a trail running and hiking boot company.  We hiked over 20 miles in two days; which isn’t a lot except that I was carrying a ton of gear.  We had a gaggle of models—all local trail runners and hikers with high energy and excellent endurance.  It was a challenge keeping up with them, but the shoot was a blast. 

I have been shooting quite a bit of bird hunting lately.  Similar to fishing, I get just as excited when I hear the whistle of wings overhead and the ducks and geese drop into the decoys, even though I have a camera in my hands rather than a gun.

BK: You’ve shot all over the world—leave us with this: where’s your perfect day on the water?  

BG: Drifting down the Yellowstone during hopper season with my wife and two daughters. 

Brian currently lives in Bozeman, Montana, with his wife, two kids and too many animals to count.

To see more of Brian Grossenbacher’s photography, please visit Grossenbacherphoto.com