For all the hype that was Yellowstone, my first visit to this park, that was popularized by the various representations of Old Faithful in cartoons and movies, failed to live up to expectations. While the entire geyser basin with its innumerable hotsprings, geysers and colored thermal pools were otherworldly, it felt repetitive. Except for the Grand Prismatic Spring with its cornucopia of colors, Yellowstone didn't capture my heart the way Grand Teton did on my first visit there.
I really didn't grasp all the intricate machinations of Yellowstone until subsequent visits where I got to ascend mountain peaks that gave an overview of the vast landscape that stretched in all directions, and where I got to observe the intricate relationships between the flora and fauna, and between wolves, grizzlies and vast herds of bison. I realized at that point that Yellowstone offered far more than what met the eye: the complexity of the ecosystem and the unique land was far more than what I could comprehend. I don't think photos can ever do justice to this, but that didn't stop me from trying during those visits. This image was of a summer sunrise in Hayden Valley, with the morning rays catching the rising fog from the warmer waters of the Yellowstone River.
Yellowstone National Park
WY USA
Dreamstate
It was a sunrise that wasn't.
A few years ago, I found myself camping in the heart of Yellowstone National Park, giving me the opportunity to get some unique photographs of this National Park. And I really looked forward to shooting a sunrise with beams of light catching the rising vapors of a nearby river, attempting to recreate a composition I had previously done.
This time around, that sunrise wasn't to be - a thick layer of fog had all but enveloped the meadow, dropping visibility and light. And it wasn't until an hour after did it thin enough to let the light through. As I was wandering around struggling to get compositions, I came across this poignant scene of a lonely tree standing steadfast in a vast meadow still moist from the morning mist.
Which version do you prefer - the Color or Black and White?
Yellowstone National Park
WY USA
Broken Earth
Going through my archives, I came across a series of images from Yellowstone showcasing the kaleidoscopic colors of a volcanically active area. But mere images cannot convey the steam-engine like hiss venting from fumaroles, the bubbling sounds of geysers, and the splashing sounds of scalding waters, nor can they bring out the pungent sulphurous scent of a broken earth. The raw power of Yellowstone brought all my senses to a halt. But it refreshed me like no other National Park did.
Yellowstone National Park
WY USA
Happy Centennial Birthday
Happy 100th Birthday National Park Service. Thank you so much for providing such amazing opportunities to connect with nature and for preserving the wild beauty of this vast country in your many forms and facets.
I still remember my very first National Park visit - a camping trip undertaken in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. I remember gathering firewood, lighting a warm campfire and discussing stories, and spending a night with the stars as my roof. It was also my very first foray into the activity of hiking, and served as an inspiration to take up photography in order to capture the epic beauty of the National Parks
As a commemoration, here is a wild primeval scene from the nation's first National Park, Yellowstone. Gushing geysers, steaming nozzles and aquamarine thermal pools all play host to a dynamic and active sunset scene at Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone.
I have visited many, but I have many more to go, and I am looking forward to visiting each and every one of the 59 parks.
Yellowstone National Park
WY USA