From an ephemeral lake in Death Valley, to eclipses, northern lights, glorious Brocken spectre rings and optical illusions above the clouds, Whitefish photographer Chuck Haney’s 2024 was a year like no other. It was a year in which natural phenomena created breathtaking spectacles that Haney himself, with 30-plus years of professional photography under his belt, found unbelievable at times.

Haney’s best images of the year and the tales behind them, complete with music and drinks, will be showcased at his annual benefit show this Saturday, Jan. 25 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the O'Shaughnessy Center in downtown Whitefish. 

A cash donation to the North Valley Food Bank and Whitefish Theatre Company is the price of admission.  

For Haney, the year of extremes began in February when he visited the depths of the Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park to teach a class.  

The Badwater Basin, normally a parched expanse of parched salt flats, is the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. On average it receives 2 inches of annual rainfall. 

“But when we got there, it became a lake,” Haney said. “They got unusual amounts of moisture,” Haney said, “And then just a couple of weeks later it was gone. Our timing was great. It was a real treat.” 

The temporary Lake Manly of the Badwater Basin disappeared during the Holocene 35,000 to 10,000 years ago and today only ephemeral lakes occur. In 2023 and 2024, the Death Valley floor received 4.9 inches over a period of six months. 

“That was the first of the natural phenomena,” Haney said. “The other biggie of the spring was the total eclipse of the sun.” 

Haney grew up in Ohio and drove home to see the spring eclipse with his mom.  

“It was funny; she didn’t think it was going to be that great,” Haney said. “We drove down to an open golf course and it took some time to creep along. It slowly got darker and weirder; it was very strange.  

“She was overwhelmed. Just to have that experience made the 4,000 miles worth it.” 

Then there were the auroras. 

“I’ve been to Iceland; seen the northern lights several times, but May was the most spectacular I’ve seen,” Haney said.  

Haney said he watched the May 11 aurora from Whitefish Lake State Park.  

“It’s usually just to the north, but this time it was in every direction, from one to three in the morning,” Haney said.  

Then in June, Haney was in Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota leading a class when a bison herd crossed the Missouri River.  

“We got along the river and were waiting for the sun to come up,” Haney said. “Next thing we knew, about three hundred of them crossed in front us; the steam rising in the water among them.”  

Haney also saw a bison give birth in the National Bison Range. 

Twice in 2024, Haney saw a Brocken spectre, an optical illusion that can appear as a halo when the sun shines behind a figure.  

“It’s a very unusual thing.” Haney said.  

When he first saw the spectre from a plane, he said it was as if “you’re above the clouds at the perfect angle and you get this halo of rainbow.” 

When he was in Croagh Patrick near Westport, Ireland, he again witnessed the Brocken spectre spread a halo of light across the holy mountain.  

“It’s a holy mountain,” Haney said. “Saint Patrick fasted there for 40 days. There’s a pilgrimage every year. I had to wonder if Saint Patrick saw something like that.” 

Other photography highlights of the year included the culture of Ireland and Portugal as captured on a six-week trip to Europe. Locally he said the inversions — the fata morganas — were memorable. 

If anything, the predicament for the annual show is simply making selections between the number of phenomena for the year.  

“With 250 images and 10-15 seconds for each one, it’s hard to get into the stories,” Haney said. “Every year I say I’m going to do less images and talk more.” 

For this show, the third segment will contain a set of more artistic images that emphasize shape, form and unique lighting elements of natural features. 

“Abstract captures unto themselves,” Haney said. “Every year is different.”