Midway Geyser Basin

Notes

I'm resolving to take far more notes from now on as I shoot my images. I find myself trying to remember where I shot an image and I often can't recall. This is especially true of locations which are not well known. Today's image falls into this category. I know it's taken from the Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone but I can't recall the specific feature being shown. I think it's the Grand Prismatic Spring but I can't be sure. I need to carry a notebook with me so I can jot down notes which will help me remember. It truly sucks growing old.

Tentative Plans

I'm starting to plan the next trip. I think I'll be leaving Crimea around mid-February and be staying in the states into the summer. Probably return in late June as I want to get to Montana, Idaho and Washington this time and that means I have to wait until the snow is gone or at least the roads are passable. That means June sometime. I'll spend the winter months in the south somewhere and then head north if I have the inclination and the energy.

I also hope to start shooting more people. I see interesting folks as I travel around and I want to start shooting them when possible. I really want to start highlighting people who are struggling and who are on the street. There are so many of them and they have such interesting stories to tell.

There's also the videos I want to shoot. I create some very unique images and I want to show people how I do that. So there will be some videos covering not only location selection but also composition and processing. I think I've progressed far enough in my studies that I have something to give back to the community. And I have time to create them so why not?

Midway Geyser Basin

I got up early to get to this area before the buses full of tourists showed up. They tend to swarm an area and once that happens you can't get shots without people everywhere. This picture was taken at 7:30 am and, as you can see, I had the place pretty much to myself. I like how the walkway curves into the picture, leading you eyes further into the frame. The morning steam also helps to establish some mystery.

The colors come from bacteria living in the hot water. One would think they couldn't survive but they do. It's a whole study just to understand how they cope with the caustic environment.

This is a pretty standard shot. I blended 3 images together using Photomatix and then finished off in Lightroom. I really like the mystery of this shot and the amazing colors. Hope you enjoy them too.

Midway Geyser Basin/Yellowstone - 16mm,f/16,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0