M&N - 1st HM

Gallery: EPA 2013Posted July 18, 20131,256 views20 comments

Grand Prismatic Spring

I finally achieved a long-time goal, undertaking an aerial shoot of Yellowstone last week. Though I've explored the park dozens of times, this offered a fresh perspective on some of my favorite haunts and gave me access to some areas I'll probably never explore on foot.

This location was the driving force for the undertaking. I wanted to get the classic shot of the massive and colorful Grand Prismatic Spring from overhead. One can climb nearby hills to get slightly elevated angles and a better view of the spring's vibrant colors, but that's got nothing on this vantage point.

You can see the boardwalk and tourists alongside the spring to get a sense of how large this thermal feature is.

Canon 1DX
Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS + 1.4x TC
ISO 800
1/1600th
f/8
Polarizer

Max

Comments

20 comments

Comment posted by Kathy Barnhart on July 18, 2013 at 12:51 PM

Wow, fantastic shot, Max. It looks like a giant eye. Looking forward to seeing more of your bird's eye views of Yellowstone.

Registered on November 11, 2011, 404 Posts, 1639 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Gavin on July 18, 2013 at 1:03 PM

Excellent. I hope you will be posting more?

Registered on August 14, 2008, 293 Posts, 1250 Comments

Comment posted by Barb Pflaum on July 18, 2013 at 2:19 PM

Very cool image, Max! I especially like seeing the walkway, because I was there a few years ago and this is a great look at where I was in relation to the rest of the spring. I'm thinking about the photographs I took and I can picture where I must have been standing when I took them.

Registered on January 14, 2009, 316 Posts, 2724 Comments

Comment posted by Allen Brooks on July 18, 2013 at 5:07 PM

Beautiful. I was just there and all I saw was the steam coming off the spring. It looks like a living thing, which in some respects I guess it is. It also looks like the Medusa.

One of nature's true jewels, well photographed.

Registered on July 27, 2011, 262 Posts, 2597 Comments

Comment posted by Lorna Taylor on July 18, 2013 at 5:59 PM

Fab shot !!!

Registered on November 12, 2010, 254 Posts, 3083 Comments

Comment posted by Todd Liotine on July 18, 2013 at 7:27 PM

Max, this is awesome. I really like the composition and the colors of course are great.

Registered on July 1, 2008, 131 Posts, 671 Comments

Comment posted by John Neukirch on July 18, 2013 at 9:13 PM

Absolutely wicked Max, anybody whose ever been on those boardwalks remembers the experience but you give them such a unique and different perspective.

Registered on July 9, 2012, 207 Posts, 1476 Comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on July 19, 2013 at 12:53 PM

Thanks everyone. Charting this type of flight is not cheap, but I felt it was worth it simply to see everything from a new perspective. It was nice that a few photos turned out too.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on July 19, 2013 at 6:10 PM

Very cool!!!!!!! Excellent abstract, with great colors and shapes and no sense of scale.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Reid on July 20, 2013 at 2:54 PM

Terrific colors and great composition in this Max, Just a great abstract. Really well done.

Registered on January 27, 2013, 65 Posts, 2460 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Zablotny on July 20, 2013 at 6:05 PM

That's way too cool!

..........................................Jim

Registered on January 17, 2004, 705 Posts, 3594 Comments

Comment posted by Angela Classen on July 20, 2013 at 6:49 PM

I agree with Allen's comment - it looks like Medusa! What a great perspective. I love the vibrant colors and the composition. What a unique opportunity to shoot it from above. I hope to get to Yellowstone someday.

Registered on June 13, 2007, 434 Posts, 2742 Comments

Comment posted by Zack Clothier on July 21, 2013 at 8:57 PM

Classic Max, simply standing on the boardwalk does not give you the sense of scale that an aerial provides, nicely done.

Registered on January 28, 2010, 343 Posts, 2257 Comments

Comment posted by Marsel van Oosten on July 23, 2013 at 9:24 AM

I've seen many aerial shots of the GPS, but most of them show steam coming off the water. Was this shot on a warm day? I like the shot though - some things look so much better from the sky, and this is a great example.

Registered on March 9, 2004, 285 Posts, 2277 Comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on July 23, 2013 at 1:37 PM

Marsel, it was fairly warm that week (I believe the high that day was 75F/24C), though this was shot in late morning, so temps hadn't quite reached their peak.

I purposely delayed our start time in hopes of hitting this spot later in the morning, when temps were higher and there would be less steam. It probably cost me a few wildlife sightings from the air, but since this was the main goal I was happy with my decision.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on July 25, 2013 at 5:25 PM

This makes a fantastic abstract Max. Your pespect provides a wonderful sense of scale.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on July 26, 2013 at 12:33 AM

Awesome view of this incredible spring Max

A well deserved EP!!!

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on July 31, 2013 at 3:43 PM

Gorgeous! From the thumbnail, initially wasn't sure if this was a macro shot..
excellent perspective to get this whole spring -
congrats on the WP!

Sandy