Autumn Mist

The thunderous Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River always sends up a bit of spray and mist, but with the flows coming out of Yellowstone Lake at the season high temperatures in October and the air temperatures dropping in the late afternoon, the cloud of mist seems to almost engulf the canyon.

Just a few minutes before this image was taken, we were standing on the brink of the Lower Falls taking images down the canyon. The mist was certainly noticeable then, but nowhere near as much as when this image was made. This is Lauri's favorite image of a very memorable trip.

Autumn Mist

Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, near Canyon Village, Park, Wyoming, USA. October 18, 2015. Nikon D90, AF-S 35mm f/1.8 at F/5.6 for 1/125 second, Manual Exposure Mode, ISO 400, processed in Photoshop CC.

Thundering Canyon

Until you stand on the brink of this enormous waterfall and watch the water rushing over the edge and hear the roar created by all that falling water and see the column of mist rising from the rocks below, it is difficult to truly get a sense of the scale or really impressive nature of this scene!

The moving water right at your side as you look down into this impressive canyon gives a sense of vertigo. The noise drowns out everything else, including conversation. The earth beneath your feet vibrates with the force of the falling water. What a grand display of nature's might and of the endless process of erosion that carves this canyon ever deeper and longer!

I printed this image at 61-3/4" X 31-1/2", matted and framed it is 78" X 51", and it is truly impressive! The only problem is you really have to step back away from it and take it all in to fully appreciate it. To really get a sense for how it looks, you need to click on the image to view it full-screen.

Thundering Canyon

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, near Canyon Village, Park, Wyoming, USA. October 18, 2015. Nikon D90, AF-S 35mm f/1.8 at F/5.6 for 1/125 second, Manual Exposure Mode, ISO 400, processed in Photoshop CC.

Fly Fisherman's Dream

When I was just a young lad my father, brother and I spent days fishing the upper Yellowstone River above Upper Falls. Whenever we went fishing, it was nearly always fly fishing, and for the most part it was also catch and release. That is the only way I have ever fished any Yellowstone National Park river. I remember fishing alongside bait and hardware fishermen who were catching nothing while we were catching and releasing fish after fish.

I have stood on these rims above the lower Yellowstone River at every visit to the Park throughout my entire life and dreamt of being able to hike down and fish this stretch. It is no different today. I don't expect to ever actually do it, but it is still fun to dream. Perhaps the dream is better than the reality would be - who knows?

Fly Fisherman's Dream

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, near Canyon Village, Park, Wyoming, USA. October 18, 2015. Nikon D90, AF-S 35mm f/1.8 at F/5.6 for 1/125 second, Manual Exposure Mode, ISO 200, processed in Photoshop CC.

Beaver Pond

Heading north out of Teton Village, the road quickly turns from a paved two-lane road to a gravel road and eventually to little more than a two-track dirt road as it skirts the base of the ridge headed toward Moose. It is a great place in the late Autumn to see various kinds of wildlife and to make some images.  This day in October, we saw elk and mule deer and lots of birds and small animals. A short distance before reaching Moose, beavers have dammed this creek creating a very large pond which is a haven for waterfowl, muskrats and other animals. 

The day was heavily overcast with a light, but persistent drizzle, which adds to the somber mood of the late Autumn colors and leafless trees. While we were standing on the little ridge overlooking the pond, my son-in-law was enthralled by the scene and said he would like that on the wall of his office. This is a composite image created with Photoshop CC and is one of my favorite of this October trip and it now fills one wall of his office.

Beaver Pond

Grand Teton National Park, near Moose, Teton County, Wyoming, USA. October 18, 2015. Nikon D90, AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 at f/5.6 for 1/125 second, Manual Exposure Mode, ISO 200, processed in Photoshop CC.

Beverley Beach Sunset

Beverley Beach Sunset

Beverley Beach, near Newport, Lincoln County, Oregon, USA, July 24, 2015, Nikon D90, AF-S Nikkor18-55mmG f/3.5-5.6 at f/10 for 1/320 second, ISO 360, processed in Photoshop CC.

Common Foxglove

Common Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea

Otter Rock, Lincoln County, Oregon, USA, June 15, 2014, Nikon D90, AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED at 220mm, Manual Exposure Mode, f/5.6 for 1/500 second, ISO 360, processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC.

Panhandle Pricklypear - Opuntia polyacantha

Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, Garfield County, Utah, USA, June 14, 2015. Nikon D5000, AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 at 100mm, f/5.6 for 1/500 second, ISO 220.

Sego Lily - Calochortus nuttalli

Sego Lily, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Kane County, Utah, USA, June 14, 2015. Nikon D5000, AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 at 116mm, f/5.6 for 1/500 second, ISO 200.

Hopi Blanketflower (Red Dome Blanketflower)

Hopi Blanketflower - Gaillardia pinnatifida, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Kane County, Utah, USA, June 14, 2015. Nikon D5000, AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED at 190mm, Manual Exposure Mode, f/5.6 for 1/1000 second, ISO 500, processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC.

Narrowleaf Yucca - Yucca angustissima

Checkerboard Mesa, East Mesa, Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah, USA, June 12, 2015, Nikon D90, AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G, Manual Exposure Mode, f/2.8 for 1/60 second, ISO 800, processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC.

Thunder and Rainbow at Sunset 

We were over at Checkerboard Mesa taking photos of plants and just listening to the sounds of approaching nightfall. There was no one else around, strangely odd for this National Park at this time of year. The birds were chirping and singing and there had been a little rain, more was being threatened and it was quickly becoming dusk. We actually were there looking for Desert Bighorn Sheep, but. . . .

We started to head back towards Springdale to see if we could see any more sheep before the light totally failed. Just past Checkerboard Mesa, the sunset was so compelling that we just had to stop and create some images. There is so much happening in this image - the Thunder storm that was brewing to the North, the rainbow as the rays of the setting sun passed through the advancing rain, the sunset itself, the wonderful silhouettes. Has become one of my all-time favorite images!

"Thunder and Rainbow at Sunset"

Checkerboard Mesa, East Mesa, Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah, USA, June 12, 2015, Nikon D90, AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G, Manual Exposure Mode, f/7.1 for 1/200 second, ISO 400, processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC.