Grand Tetons National Park

Grand Teton National Park (19 June 2014)

Driving south, very soon after you leave Yellowstone, you enter Grand Teton National Park. This spectacular range of peaks, about forty miles long, got its name from early French Canadian fur traders. Crude, horny guys in the wilderness can’t help but liken the distant peaks to the female features they missed.

The Park was formally established when 96,000 acres were dedicated by President Coolidge in 1929. At the same time, John D. Rockefeller jr. became a presence. The only son of the oil magnate who was probably the richest man ever (by today’s standards), was quite the conservationist. His land donations to the country include what are now the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Acadia National Park, Mesa Verde National Park and Yosemite National Park. We should all be grateful for his generosity and protecting these majestic places.

Jackson Hole and the Tetons (May 1995)

Junior (as he was often called) was concerned that Jackson Hole (the valley…Jackson is the town) could be ruined by unchecked development…so, he began buying as much of it as he could. Eventually, and over the objections of the locals, the Rockefeller holdings were merged with the National Park…and that’s why you can drive from Jackson north to Yellowstone and not see one feedlot, subdivision or golden arches on the way.

I sometimes like to refer to Images and More as a photography blog because it always includes photographs (except when I use cartoons to amplify my rants) and occasionally has tips and advice on how to make better pictures.

Teton Reflection on Icy Lake Jackson (May 1995)

As any bad parent would say, “Do as I say, not as I do.” There has always been this one unfortunate aspect of my life as a shooter. While I have been fortunate to visit many of the world’s scenic wonders, I rarely linger long enough to produce the best possible images. Too often, I’m schedule-constrained and just passing through. This drive-by, get-what-you-can-because-we’re-only-here-for-X-hours approach will yield what it does. REAL photographers plan and return to the ideal location at the time of the ideal light.

I knew there was a catch.

Jackson Lake Reflecting the Tetons (May 1995)

Sure, I am not always a lazy lout and have been in places long enough to scope out a better image. Sometimes that doesn’t work either as the experience with a Grand Canyon sunrise illustrated. Nature still calls the shots. The lesson will always be that you get out of photography what you put into it. The difference between taking the time to explore your surroundings to find the best locations and shooting through the moving car window will almost always be evident.

The Tetons and the Snake River [1942] by Ansel Adams

Drive down U.S. Highway 191, the John D. Rockefeller jr. Parkway, and the road signs will direct you to an overlook. This is the vantage point where Ansel Adams made one of his most famous images. Here is the Master’s work. It is another example of how carefully he dodged and burned in the darkroom…brightening and darkening every element of the scene to get the desired effect.

At that time, Adams was working for the feds. It was a dream job, cruising the country taking pictures for the National Park Service. There is a sign at the overlook that notes the spot and Adam’s contribution to the conservation effort. It includes the iconic 1942 photo and a shot of Adams standing on the roof of his Pontiac ‘woody’ station wagon behind one of his huge, large format cameras.

 

The Tetons and Snake River (19 June 2014) by Me

(Unedited except for removing the color)

The mountains haven’t changed but the riverside

vegetation has certainly grown in the 72 years since.

The plan was to be in Salt Lake City the next day. We really were just passing through the park and Jackson this time. The point is that the overlook view of the river and mountains is one of those iconic, post card, calendar page, magazine cover scenes that people from all over the world come to see and capture. I could have returned when the sky was more interesting or in the morning when the magic hour light warmed the mountain tops. Maybe next time. I am what I am. Take what I can get and keep moving.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park (18 June 2014)

I wanted to make a separate post for this one attraction in Yellowstone National Park.

Limestone is calcium carbonate rock. Travertine is limestone that is deposited by hot springs. Mammoth Hot Springs, near the north entrance to the park, is a travertine mother lode. The constant outflow of water from the hot bowels of the earth quickly cools and the mineral settles out to grow these intriguing formations.

The colorful expression of real geology in action can make for interesting images from a distance and close up. I first thought of this as a ‘Tip of the Day’ kind of post that emphasized composition from the different perspectives.

My advice in this digital age where the ‘film’ is free is to shoot away from all distances and angles. The more you shoot, the better the chances of bringing home a winner. This flippant advice comes with a caveat. One also needs to put in the time to get rid of the shots not worth saving. There is no need to bloat your storage with images that don’t work.

Above is a wide view that shows the size and breadth of the geological elements. As you approach the Springs, a wide-angle view highlights the extent of the feature, the multiple steaming, flowing parts and the boardwalks with people that confirm the scale of it all.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park (18 June 2014)

An intermediate view is a closer-in look of a segment of the feature, again with people for a sense of scale. The white deposits from this angle look like a snow drift or waterfall cascading past the visitors.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park (18 June 2014)

My favorite view is still closer in on a detailed portion of the feature. The look is more abstract and depends more on color and pattern for its aesthetic appreciation.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park (18 June 2014)

Especially with unique landscape scenes like this…that one may visit once in a lifetime, I urge the picture-taker to try many views that capture its special features. I suggest a rule-of-thumb to apply ‘max-mid-min’ perspectives from further away to close-in will do that.