Upper Mammoth Hot Springs
Mist steamed from the hot spring water even though the ambient temperature was around 90 degrees, The water flowed over a series of small cascades over the edges of the basin down to the valley below. The cascades stood out from the mountains across the valley.
I converted this image to black and white to emphasize the water and the edge of the bluff. It represents the feeling that I had when gazing over the edge.
Mammoth Hot Springs – Upper Basin
Yellowstone’s Mammoth Hot Springs area is also an area of unbelievable stark beauty. How can life exist in such a harsh environment of boiling hot mineral springs. I wonder how long these trees made it.
The day was hot around 90 degrees, we were tired and on our way back to photograph wildlife. We only took a few moments to walk around and take a couple of shots. My creativity was at a low level, so I feel that I missed some wonderful opportunities to explore. Well, next time …
Grand Prismatic Spring – Mist
Hot water from the Prismatic Spring shelf flowed into a “holding” pond before it entered the stream below. Hot water entering a cooler pool of water generated a steady mist. When I took this image, I was thinking black and white to express the eerie feeling of the mist.
Grand Prismatic Spring Pastel
Mist periodically gently flowed across the springs. The bight sun shining through left a warm feeling of pastels. This time patience paid off as I waited for the mist to clear then re-enter.
Grand Prismatic Springs
Slow flowing water from the springs also left small rivulets. These colorful ones were a sharp contrast to the grey mineral flats in my prior post.
Grand Prismatic Spring -Mineral Flats
As the hot mineral water flows out of the spring, it creates a series of mineral flats. This perspective was a flat grey. I decided to convert it to black and white, add contrast, and apply a slight gradient across the image..
Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park
A boardwalk runs along the edge of the spring. The reflection of people walking along the walk caught my eye when the mist periodically lifted. I did not have the foresight to be patient and take an image with a light mist to create the mystic feeling I felt. Lesson learned; Be ready to capture a “feeling” and not just a “picture”.