13 Dec
2010

Posted in: Yellowstone
By Ian Plant    2 Comments

Fountain Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

While I usually take photos during the so-called “magic hours” of sunrise, sunset, and twilight, a place like Yellowstone National Park seems to scream for middle-of-the-day shooting. For most nature subjects, middle-of-the-day light is too harsh and unflattering, but the colors of some of Yellowstone’s thermal features really come alive under bright sun and blue skies. Even when photographing features with less colors, such as Fountain Geyser in this image, middle-of-the-day light can still be very photogenic.

"Fountain Geyser" - Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

I decided to incorporate the sun as an element in this photo, so I used a small aperture (f/16) to create an attractive “star burst” effect. Then, it was only a matter of waiting for the rising steam from the erupting geyser to take on a pleasing shape, one that would establish a visual relationship between the geyser and the sun. I made sure to trigger the shutter at a moment when the shape was strongest, but not quite touching or otherwise covering the sun. To learn more tips about photographing thermal featues in places like Yellowstone, download my eBook Five Landscape Challenges. It’s only $8!  

Technical details: Canon 5D Mark II camera, 17-40mm lens (@27mm), polarizer filter, ISO 100, f/16, 1/250 second.

More From Ian Plant Dreamscapes

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About Ian Plant  (275 Posts)

Ian Plant's photographs and instructional articles have appeared in a number of books, calendars, and magazines, including Outdoor Photographer and Popular Photography. Ian writes a regular blog column for Outdoor Photographer online, and he is the author of numerous instructional eBooks and digital processing tutorials. Ian leads several photo tours each year.