I visited Lower Geyser Basin earlier this month and while waiting for Fountain Geyser to erupt an interpretive ranger stopped to chat at the end of her day. She said this geyser grows at a rate of one inch per century and is currently 20 feet high on a 10 foot base. The numbers have been swirling in my head since then. Shortly after our conversation it had an eruption that I would have missed if not for the chat with her. This short experience has made me ask, " Is my life a race or something to be savored?" In my third act I plan to savor it.
I usually stand at an overlook and gaze to the horizon but the pale sky and was less interesting than what was happening below me. Once the composition had been chosen it was a matter of waiting for the best wave to break on the shoreline. The cold wind and my enthusiasm to see it "all" eroded my normal patience level so we moved on after a few minutes.
Nature usually moves on a bell shaped curve so even if I am a few days late or early there is usually a photo to be found. This maple was significantly later than its neighbors making it a great autumn subject.
Technical: overexposed one stop in camera, 1/2 stop added in Lightroom
The lake became more dramatic than the sunset as we were alone on the beach watching day turn into night. A handful of photographers had packed up and headed in for supper. We watched a few minutes longer and almost missed the last call for burgers in town. It was worth it.
Technical: iPhone6 using Procamera HDR app
This was one of our day hikes and circling the falls to the various lookouts gave lots of opportunities to explore its character and enjoy the autumn color. I usually shoot wide angle but a zoom was needed to pull the falls through the surrounding hill side leaves.
We planned a trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore this fall and arrived just after peak color. Coincidentally Outdoor Photographer magazine also had an article on fall color in Michigan. This is the place to be for fall color! Waterfalls and the Lake Superior shoreline against the back drop of autumn cannot be beat. This area has a different character than the North Shore and is a little later. Next fall consider Michigan.
It seems like all I took were cloud photos this time but the animal action was recorded on video. Wildlife was also scattered and not very common this time so there was time to watch the clouds. These clouds grabbed my attention this image and short time-lapse that can be seen at: Yellowstone National Park Facebook
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| Little America Sunrise |
I just returned from Yellowstone National Park and had a successful trip despite the weather. Several days had sun, rain, and snow all within the course of a few hours. The rain was the Midwest variety, a real soaking rain. Snow kept me on the south side of the Park one morning and it was tense crossing Dunraven Pass even when deemed safe for vehicle travel. However, morning clouds were spectacular as this panorama demonstrates.
Yesterday I saw a hint of sunlight at sunrise. Overcast and raining has been the rule with heavy rain lasting for hours at a time. When the rain stops the autumn color almost glows.
Technical: no change in color saturation, Daylight WB
I'm heading into the park this morning and can't wait. I always avoid summer with its crowds so it seems like forever since I was last there in May. My assignment is recording crowds and crowd control as well as wildlife so I'll be busy. This shot is from last fall's visit, recorded with an iPhone.
