Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The geysers, buffalo, wolves and weather seem to get most of the glory. I'm kind of partial to the Yellowstone River area, with its waterfalls and colorful canyon.

Unfortunately, so are tour operators, which means places like Artist Point are often teeming with people. On this day however, the clouds and threat of late Spring storms kept the masses at bay, so I was able to take a little more time looking around and setting up my shots.

Interestingly enough, the rationale behind the name Artist Point turned out to be false. F. Jay Haynes, the official photographer and concessionaire at Yellowstone National Park named the point in 1883, believing that it was the spot from which Thomas Moran made sketches to paint his grand painting (now hanging in the Smithsonian American Art Museum) in 1872. However, on a return trip to Yellowstone, Moran pointed out that he'd actually done his work from the North Rim of the Canyon. The name stuck, nonetheless.

The Other - Dark

Beautiful isn't it?

I read an article which indicated this is the second most photographed spot in Yellowstone.

It is, of course, the Lower Falls, envisaged from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. There are more famous and larger falls in the United States (see Niagara Falls), and a far more famous Grand Canyon. There are more colorful locations within Yellowstone (see Grand Prismatic Spring), and more popular (see Old Faithful Geyser). And yet, there is magnificence; if you had only seen this spot in your travels to Yellowstone, you would come away in awe.

In 1870, an expedition led by Henry Washburn, Surveyor-General of Montana, toured the area that would 2-years later become Yellowstone National Park. Nathaniel Pitt Langford, a member of the expedition, wrote of his experience a few hundred yards from this view, "The place where I obtained the best and most terrible view of the canyon was a narrow projecting point situated two to three miles below the lower fall. Standing there or rather lying there for greater safety, I thought how utterly impossible it would be to describe to another the sensations inspired by such a presence. As I took in the scene, I realized my own littleness, my helplessness, my dread exposure to destruction, my inability to cope with or even comprehend the might architecture of nature."

Visit Yellowstone. See for yourself.

A Moment's Peace

Past sunset, well into blue hour, Lewis Lake sits in quiet repose.

It's a warm Spring evening in Yellowstone National Park. Before the sun set the air around any body of water was thick with mosquitoes, leaving black streaks across the skies in my photographs. But, the drop in temperature, even by a few degrees, puts them closer to the ground for the night - the temperatures still drop below freezing deep into June.

After a long day that began before sunrise at Moulton Barn and included a drive around the main loop of Yellowstone, I had to stop to capture this last glimpse of light before heading to the East park entrance and lodging for the remainder of my stay in Wyoming.

Spring Heat

Sunset at the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park.

The fiery colors of the setting sun, match the near boiling temperatures of the spring water releasing steam that dances across the surface of the mat with the breeze.

About 90 minutes before this, I was chatting with another amateur photographer who asked where I thought the best sunset might be, and I pointed him south toward the Tetons to catch the colors illuminated on the peaks (where I'd been the previous evening). I wish I had his contact info to apologize. This turned out to be far more spectacular than I imagined possible.

Stained Glass Window to the Center of the Earth

The inimitable Grand Prismatic Spring at sunset in Yellowstone National Park.

I was fortunate enough to shoot this amazing scene from a number of angles as the sun set on a perfect June day. By this hour there are few tourists because, quite frankly, to the naked eye the colors are very muted. But with long exposures, the camera captures the brilliance with even greater contrast than is available during the height of the day.

With it's mirror-like quality and the vibrant colors of the microbial mat, I could not help but envision this as a stained glass window, worthy of any religious site.

Recognition:
Semi-finalist - North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) Showcase 2022

Selected - 2021 Nature Homage exhibition at d'Art Center in Norfolk, Virginia.

Merit Image - 2020 Professional Photographers of America (PPA) International Photographic Competition (IPC) - Open Photographic (Illustrative) Category

Selected - 2020 Yellowstone Art Auction 52.
Print #1 sold by the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, MT.

Best In Class Award - NOV 2019 Professional Photographers of San Diego County (PPSDC) - Nature/Landscape Category

FORMAT:
1x3

Prints Remaining:
8 of 10

Why Isn't it as Colorful in Person?

This is, of course, the Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park.

As I was joined by a small group of people attempting to capture some magic at sunset, here, a young mom, who clearly had endured a long day with her very young kids in tow asked me, "Why isn't it as colorful in person?"

I explained that the colors here typically pop during the height of the day, because of the way the mineral deposits catch the light, and that photographers in the evening rely on much longer shutter speeds to allow for the color to saturate their images. This example is a 9-image panorama with each image a minimum of 15 seconds in duration. The human eye simply won't pick up this much color at dusk.

The microbial mat is what brings out the most color in this, the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world. During the summer the mats are redder, in the winter they can be dark green. The steam and water in the center are blue because of its sterility caused by the extreme temperatures.

This is why I try to capture these images and share them with my friends, family, and as broad a distribution as possible...the camera catches what is there, but not easily seen. I find it a joy to see them and hope others do, too.