I just returned from a photography trip to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, and my favorite photos from there aren't what you might expect.

Last year American Photo asked me to lead a photo trek to Montana this summer to raise money for hurricane Katrina relief. They auctioned the trip off on eBay and donated the proceeds to help people whose lives were uprooted by that storm.

The trip was bought by a pair of sisters who'd been on a trip with me before, and we were shepherded around the state by Donnie Sexton, the photographer for the Montana State Tourism Board, an excellent photographer in her own right.

The six days were primarily spent in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. I'd been to both in the past, and they're wonderful places for anyone to visit, but especially so if you love taking pictures.

We hit all the usual spots in those two parks - the geyser basins, Old Faithful Inn and areas animals gather in Yellowstone, Going to the Sun road, Logan Pass, Goose Island and many waterfalls in Glacier. All of these spots gave us ample opportunities to make beautiful photos, and we did. My favorite pictures from the trip, though, came from some other spots.

I always tell people on trips that they're expected to come home with the classic beauty shots from the places they visit. But the unexpected is what adds depth to their trip, and being open to those opportunities is a key to their growth as a photographer.

On the first day driving from the airport in Bozeman to West Yellowstone, we followed the Gallatin River. We stopped by a good set of rapids and shot kayakers and rafters coming through. Leaving there we came to a bridge where folks were jumping into the river. Stopping for that, I tried shooting up at the swimmers jumping from the top of the bridge, and was rewarded with someone flipping into blue sky.

In Yellowstone we were shooting sunset shots along Firehole Lake Drive, one of my favorite spots for both sunrise and sunset shots. A family came through, and the kids linked hands to make shadows on a geyser from the headlights of the family van.

Between Yellowstone and Glacier, we spent a morning exploring Nevada City, a sort of ghost town/living history museum filled with old homes and businesses from Montana's past. Stopping at Star Bakery there for lunch, I photographed our waitress showing off the dessert choices (which were delicious!).

And on the final day, driving to the airport in Kalispell to fly home, we stopped at a railroad siding to shoot flowers with mountains in the background. Walking back to the car, I noticed a rusted shovel and worn broom used to keep the tracks clear.

None of these are the photos people expect to see from a trip to Yellowstone and Glacier. I made those pictures as well, and will post them in the future in our "Inspirations" area on BluePixel.net. But the photos I'll remember most are those I wasn't expecting to make, the ones that surprised me and made the trip more personal. Keep open and alert to opportunities like these, and you'll be surprised and rewarded by what you find.

Now it's time to start planning for my future trips. I'm taking groups to the southwest (Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Havasu Falls, Seligman, Las Vegas) in late October, Maui in December, then Arizona in February and Machu Picchu in April. If you'd like information on any of those, just drop me a note at rhoffmann@bluepixel.net.