After shivering in our sleeping bags all night long, we woke up early on Thursday morning in Yellowstone. The temperature had dipped probably a half dozen degrees below freezing the night before and a hard frost covered the car, the picnic table and the top of our tent. I had packed most everything the night before, so all we had to do was quickly roll our bags and mats and break down our tent. I wanted to get out while the morning light was still good. The frost was just an added bonus.
Yellowstone can make an average photographer feel like a hero. It's epic view after epic view. If the cars are pulled over taking pictures of elk on one side of the road, you can literally turn around and shoot the opposite direction and come away with another killer shot. It's can't-miss photography. So here you go... Yellowstone in all its beauty.
Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy setting above our campsite at Canyon Village in Yellowstone National Park. There are few darker spots in the lower 48 than Yellowstone. Just amazing. Nikon D800, Nikkor 17-35mm lens @ 17mm, ISO 2000, f2.8, 25sec.
Frost covers the scrub as fog fills the Yellowstone River Valley yielding a monochromatic landscape. Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-120mm lens @ 120mm, ISO 200, f8, 1/1600 sec.
Yellowstone Lake. Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-120mm lens @ 120mm, ISO 200, f13, 1/1600 sec, -1 stop exposure adjustment.
Steam rises over the Yellowstone River south of Canyon Lodge. The river is thermally heated, so on cold mornings, it creates a moody layer of fog. Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-120mm lens @ 62mm, ISO 250, f13, 1/1000 sec.
Canadian Geese swim across the Yellowstone River shortly after dawn. Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-120mm lens @ 70mm, ISO 200, f10, 1/400 sec.
The old Pontiac breathes in the early morning cold in Yellowstone National Park. Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-120mm lens @ 120mm, ISO 200, f8, 1/125 sec.
Water spills down a hillside from a thermal feature on Firehole Lake Drive, Yellowstone National Park. Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-120mm lens @ 46mm, ISO 250, f9, 1/800 sec.